From Hobby to Side Hustle: Drone Wedding Photography

Drone wedding photography and videography are rising in popularity, with many couples opting to have dynamic, aerial shots and footage of their special day.

As the popularity of drone photography increases, you may want to consider applying your drone skills to establish a side hustle—who knows? You may even start a full-blown business.
Drone Nerds has compiled a list of tips and useful information to get you started on your drone photography journey.

What venues can I fly a drone at?

Happy couples want to treasure their special day forever, which is why so many people spend a lot of time, effort, and money looking for the perfect establishment to host their celebration.

While they may be focused on booking the most beautiful location possible, you need to ensure the venue permits drone use. If you’re working with the couple ahead of time, you can work together to find a venue that will allow you to take the best images possible.

If not, it’s good practice to reach out to the venue yourself to go over what they will (or won’t) allow. It is particularly important that you do not break any FAA regulations; use the FAA’s B4UFLY app, it’s available on mobile and is extremely useful when identifying safe flying zones.

Consider specializing in outdoor wedding photography and videography—drones are perfect for outdoor weddings. By specializing in outdoor ceremonies, you can avoid the risk of hitting any ceilings, hanging, or tall objects.

You will have the freedom to capture surreal pictures and videos at outdoor weddings. Unlike cameras on the ground, a drone can capture aerial video of you walking down the aisle, then ascend to show a stunning panoramic view of your wedding venue.

Complement Ground Photography

Drone footage is dynamic and captures candid moments, but drones may not be the ideal tool to use for intimate images or close up.

Consider teaming up with a photographer that specializes in traditional cameras, so you can focus on taking the sweeping shots of the wedding party.

If your clients have already hired a photographer, it’s good practice to coordinate with the photographer ahead of time to ensure everyone is on the same page—you don’t want to accidentally photobomb each other’s footage or pictures.
If you’re already an experienced photographer, you’re one step ahead of other professionals! You can level up your services with great drone footage.

Either way, make sure you follow these wedding tips to guarantee success:

• Make sure you have proper licensing.
  Most commercial drone pilots need a Part 107 license administered by the FAA— wedding photographers are no exception. Make sure you have all your documents up to date and have completed all necessary training.
  
  
• Have personal property and liability insurance.
  Be careful not to be personally liable for injury or crashes–accidents happen! It’s better to be prepared and have protection for worst-case scenarios.
  
  
• Schedule time accordingly and request an itinerary.
  On average, drones need 10-30 minutes to rev up before they take flight and are ready to capture photographs or video. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare and set up—ask the couple for a wedding itinerary so you know when each part of the wedding is happening.
  
  
• Know when to not fly the drone.
  Drones make a noticeable humming noise when in flight, which may disrupt the intimacy of the wedding during religious ceremonies or vow exchanges. Speak to the couple to settle on which parts of the wedding they want the drone used.