In 2024, it's hard to imagine a wedding without a drone, especially if you're shooting video. But beware: it's best to call on a qualified and insured professional.
As a wedding photographer and videographer in Poitiers and the surrounding area (i.e. the whole of France and even abroad), I often tell my brides and grooms that on the big day, there are several big moments. That's what drives me in this exercise: the extreme versatility it requires. After all, you don't photograph/film preparations like a secular ceremony. And even less so a party. Each moment has its own specificities. And each moment will bring out its own emotions, which I'll be keen to immortalize. The drone is one of those moments I'm particularly fond of.
"Little I don't know what"
At weddings, I usually launch my drone 2 or 3 times, not much more. On the one hand, because it's rather intrusive and focuses the guests' attention. Secondly, I don't think there's any point in overdoing it. For both wedding photos and videos, two or three beautiful shots are enough. They provide that other point of view, that "je ne sais quoi" that brings the moment to life. To symbolize a whole range of emotions. But you still need to find the right frame, the right height, the right lines or curves to give the shot all its magic.
Enchanted returns
In the pantheon of photographs I've taken at my many weddings, there's this one taken with a drone in July 2023. It shows Chloé & Benoît embracing in the middle of a mowed alley in the Parc de Valvert in Buxerolles. The strip in the middle of which the bride and groom are standing winds its way along the tall grass. I've had a lot of delighted feedback on this photo. Especially from the bride's mother, who thought it was sublime. Some saw in it the path of life, others the very symbol of marriage, with these two beings becoming one. And it's true that, graphically, it brings something strong and elegant at the same time, with this hat that seems to crown one and the same person.
In a couple's session like Chloé & Benoît's, drone photography can add real value. This is also true when immortalizing a gathering at an estate, such as a château, or a more original circus tent, as at Matthieu & Emilie's wedding. The drone's ability to bring out the perspectives, lines and leaks of a monument is quite astonishing. And I have to admit that I like to enhance my photo reports with this kind of graphic element. If only to break up the cow-floor viewpoint.
While some brides and grooms may decide to forego drone photography to immortalize their wedding because of the extra cost, it's hard to imagine doing without such a tool for a video. That's why in all my wedding video products, the drone is included and therefore non-negotiable. Because it reveals emotions. To illustrate my point, I invite you to watch the film I shot this summer of Eva & Karim's wedding. At 1'50, we go from an entire town hall sequence to the Lozère countryside. Here, the drone reveals all the beauty of the landscape to focus on the couple. Forty seconds later, it brings the couple's session to a close with a top shot (2'25), a 90° view of the ground, providing a poetic transition to the secular ceremony.
Generally speaking, there are few estates that won't be magnified by drone video. Just look at my video of Suwan & Quentin's wedding at Château de la Roche Courbon, or Camille & Nathan's wedding at Château de Crazannes.
Call on a qualified and insured photographer/videographer
It's a good idea to be careful about who pilots a drone at a wedding. Today, many photographers/videographers take great risks by using their drone even though they have no training. And above all, no insurance. When the service goes well, all is well in the best of worlds. But what happens if your service provider loses control of his aircraft and drops it on a guest's head? It's hard to imagine. And yet it happens far more often than you might think...
Hiring a remote pilot recognized by the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), and therefore registered with the Prefecture, is a guarantee of safety. For my part, I choose to charge for drone photography services for a wedding (€400) , because I feel that the time I spent training (35 hours of training), cramming to pass my exam, should be passed on to another professional who hasn't undergone this training.
When I fly my drone, I'm clear about safety rules and procedures. Before each mission, I declare my flights to the DGAC and make sure the area is safe. Many service providers fly over whole groups of people, disregarding all safety regulations. What's more, the training I took cost me €3,000. Add to that the price of a Mavic 3 classic (€3,500), and you can see that a drone isn't cheap. By charging for this service, I can guarantee my customers safe, insured flights carried out by a professional trained in this practice.
Les Noces de Florent, your wedding photographer
A former journalist, I immortalize the biggest day of your life in photo or video. An enthusiast of reportage, I like to freeze for eternity the expressions and details that make up the most beautiful memories of a wedding. The ones that, caught on the spot, reveal a feeling, betray an emotion. As unique as it is fleeting, a wedding is a suspended moment in the story of a lifetime. So don't miss out on the memories that will last a lifetime. Les Noces de Florent is an experience. A unique vision for a unique day: yours.
In February 2024, Les Noces de Florent won a Wedding Award from the website mariages.net. This award recognizes the best-rated suppliers on the platform.
View the profile of Les Noces de Florent on mariages.net
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