Everything You Need to Know About Drone Photography at Weddings

Wedding photography has come a long way from the few black-and-white shots your grandparents have framed in their dining room. Today, you can now book vendors to provide videos, content creation, and thousands of stills of your big day, including a birds-eye view of your ceremony and reception via drone photography. A trend that has gained immense traction over the last several years, drones allow couples to capture dynamic images of their entire wedding, whether it's an aerial shot of guests during the ceremony, a close-up snap of you and your partner having your first kiss, or a landscape photo of the entire venue.

Though a final wedding gallery will include a relatively small percentage of shots taken by drone, these images are some of the most powerful mementos you can have of your day-of design and venue. “Designers are creating these incredible reception spaces that are meant to be photographed and viewed and enjoyed from every single angle, so having that just gives you a really wide sense of place and of the setting,” says photographer Lauren Fair of Lauren Fair Photography. “You can pull back and see the ocean, with the place settings, with the checkered design of the dance floor—all of that you can only get from a birds-eye view.”

Here, find out how to incorporate this technology into your own wedding photo package, so you can look back on your day from a whole new perspective. 

What Is Drone Photography?

Drone photography relies on small, remote-controlled aerial vehicles to capture dramatic, overhead images of your wedding day, from wide shots of your mountaintop portraits to striking views of your reception setup. “Drone photography has definitely become more popular—almost a must-have for a lot of luxury weddings,” explains Fair. However, not all venues work for drone photography—and not all photographers have the equipment to implement it—so couples should ensure they book the right vendors if they envision embracing a drone on the big day.

What to Know Before Booking Drone Photography for Your Wedding

Consider these drone basics before deciding how and when to incorporate this photography style into your wedding day. 

Drone photography will impact your wedding-day timeline.

While the time required for drone photography is minimal—a few minutes for each shot—it can impact the timeline: Without a dedicated drone pilot on-site, you’ll need to wait for your photographers to switch between cameras and drones, and they’ll need to duck out at certain moments to capture landscapes and venue shots in the best light. That's why Fair recommends talking through the timeline with your photographer and planner to make sure you all have the same details in mind; for example, says Fair, if you want an overhead shot of your reception space fully decorated—but without people—it might need to be ready five or ten minutes earlier than originally planned. 

Different locales have their own set of drone rules.

Different locations have their own rules for how and when you can use drones. Some popular wedding sites are surrounded by no-fly zones, for example, while others limit the height of drones. Certain regulations even target the type of drone and its purpose—and international destinations have their own sets of rules, which means the photographer who used a drone for your sister’s Hudson Valley wedding might not be licensed to provide the same service for your nuptials in Lake Como. “That should be something that your wedding planner is guiding you through, if it’s a complicated location,” says Fair. As your wedding planner fills you in on local noise ordinances, parking rules, and facility usage fees, they should also confirm any drone regulations specific to your venue. 

You won't be able to capture every moment via drone photography.

Think of drone photography as capturing the scene-setting moments from your day: Outside shots of your venue and the surrounding landscape, golden-hour portraits of the newlyweds, sunsets over the mountains or the water, an aerial view of your tablescapes, the shape of the bride’s gown as she walks down the aisle, a sweeping image of your ceremony space from above as you exchange vows. So, most of your images—95 percent or more—won’t be drone-based, says Fair, but adding even a few to your final gallery produces a more cohesive finished product. “It’s not necessarily everything—just a few photos from multiple parts of the day,” she says. 

The Best Wedding Locations for Drone Photography

A location that works for drone photography requires two main elements: open space and good weather. If it’s windy, rainy, or cloudy, you can’t count on being able to use your drone; Fair warns that photographers should never guarantee drone shots, since even the most experienced wedding professional can’t control the weather. 

Open space, though, is something a couple can choose. “If you’re having a church ceremony and a ballroom reception in the city, this is not the type of wedding where you’re going to get drone photography,” says Fair. But if you’ve booked a cliffside ceremony spot, a lavish chateau terrace, or a sprawling garden estate, you’re more likely to have a view worth capturing—and the scope and area to do it. 

Expert Insights to Keep in Mind When Hiring a Drone Photographer

Many wedding photographers offer drone images as part of their packages or by request; however, in some cases, this means including a third photographer who is responsible solely for the drone shots (depending on how your photographer sets up their billing, this also might incur an added per-hour cost). “Wedding days are so fast-paced that I often bring a shooter whose only job is to do the drone photos,” says Fair. While most photographers either have the equipment or know someone who does, others might require a couple to bring in a third-party professional for drone photography. In this case, you can work with your planner to find an aerial photography company that can coordinate shots with direction from your photographer. 

Another common approach, says Fair, is for your videographer and photography teams to work together, with the videographer capturing a few still shots via their drones at your photographer’s request. This also means fewer drones circling your venue during your party—a benefit, since the audible buzzing of the remote flyers might not be the soundtrack you want for your big day.