Should you learn it in The New York Occasions yesterday, then the key is unquestionably out — and it’s been broadcast to all of New York, America and fairly frankly, the world. Sure, pals: I obtained married. To Hamilton Nguyen, who a lot of you already know because the official Drone Woman photographer and the man who handles my enterprise contracts whereas I’m out testing the most recent drones. And the best way we capped off the evening? Sure, I had a drone present at my wedding ceremony.
Our shared love of drone reveals
The primary drone present I ever witnessed in individual was with Hamilton in 2023 at an Oakland A’s baseball sport. Sky Parts placed on a Star Wars-themed spectacle , and I actually stopped mid-hot canine chew when these TIE fighters fashioned within the sky.
This wasn’t simply tech, it was artwork.
We grew to become obsessed. Over the subsequent yr, we traveled to see drone reveals in all places. We even went to Disneyland Paris particularly to catch their present (which, for those who keep in mind from my protection, took us two nights as a result of rain cancelled the primary try—basic drone present issues).
Right here’s what I didn’t know on the time: Hamilton had proposed to me the day earlier than we flew to Paris. In order that Disneyland drone present? Our private, secret engagement celebration.
Quick ahead to mid-2025, after I was chatting with my pricey good friend Desi Ekstein ( her as On The Go Video). She was fairly adamant I wanted a drone present at my wedding ceremony, so right here we’re.
Be a part of me on my wedding ceremony day (effectively, at the very least in a 5-minute, on-line model of it), on this unbelievable video created by my fantastic good friend, Juan Langarica, who runs Langarica Studios.
How Drone Woman obtained that drone present at her wedding ceremony
Early on, Hamilton and I assumed a drone present can be enjoyable, but it surely felt impossibly blue sky. Each present we’d seen was a large spectacle. Ours was going to be a comparatively small, DIY-heavy wedding ceremony. It appeared like an excessive amount of.
However when it got here time to plan our sendoff, everybody saved suggesting sparklers.
the shot: bride and groom operating via a tunnel of handheld hearth sticks whereas visitors wave them round, in all probability singeing somebody’s hair and undoubtedly trying precisely like each different wedding ceremony ever.
Worse? The fireplace danger. We had been getting married in fire-prone Southern California. With youngsters on the wedding ceremony. Handing everybody literal flames felt… questionable.
After months obsessing over customized particulars — luau meals honoring my household’s Hawaiian roots, recordings of my great-grandpa’s music (he was a Hawaiian musician), che (this addictive Vietnamese dessert Hamilton’s household launched me to), postcards about our travels as centerpieces, throwing a Labubu as an alternative of a bouquet as a result of I skipped contemporary flowers for environmental causes—a generic sparkler sendoff felt so not me.
“There’s no approach you — The Drone Woman — can get married and not using a drone present,” Desi informed me. She was completely proper.
“That appears… impractical”
Initially, it nonetheless felt absurdly impractical. We’d already booked our venue at Coto Valley Nation Membership in Orange County with out enthusiastic about airspace classifications or drone launch websites. The timeline was tight. The logistics appeared overwhelming.
However the extra I considered it, the extra it made sense. I’d spent over a decade watching this know-how mature. I’d traveled the world to see the perfect drone reveals, together with one at Disneyland Paris simply days after Hamilton proposed to me at Neuschwanstein Fortress in Bavaria. (Do not forget that citadel. It comes again.)
That’s when I discovered Electrical Sky Drone Exhibits, a brother-sister-led, Los Angeles drone firm (Ali and Tannaz Amini) with wedding ceremony expertise that used UVify drones. We hit it off, and I employed them to make me a drone present!
Selecting a marriage venue for a drone present
Right here’s what no person tells you about wedding ceremony drone reveals: venue logistics are vital.
You want:
- Flat, open house for takeoff and touchdown
- Correct airspace classification (we lucked out with Class G—unrestricted)
- Buffer zones between drones and other people, buildings, roads
- Insurance coverage (in all probability a number of insurance policies)
- HOA approval for those who’re in a personal group (we had been)
- Probably street closure permits
Our venue didn’t have appropriate launch house.
However what was two tons over? Pickleball courts.
If something about pickleball tradition, Saturday afternoon is sacred. Prime time. We needed to monitor down the court docket proprietor, negotiate a rental, and basically evict a complete group of weekend gamers.
Someplace in Orange County, there are pickleball fans who missed their Saturday sport as a result of I wanted to launch 200 drones. We blew previous our venue price range to cowl the pickleball rental.
Price each penny.
Animating our love story
The inventive course of was the enjoyable half. I had about half a dozen planning calls with Ali and Tannaz, the place we mapped out animations that informed our story. Right here’s what we ended up with:
The sentimental:
- Neuschwanstein Fortress (not only a citadel — the citadel the place Hamilton proposed)
- A person proposing to a lady
- Two interlocking rings
- Two glasses of French 75 (our signature cocktail) clinking
- Our initials and wedding ceremony date
The playful:
- A espresso cup subsequent to a bagel (we met on Espresso Meets Bagel, sure we’re that couple)
- A Golden Gate Bridge (we dwell in San Francisco)
- A digicam
- A seashore
- A UVify drone (it’s meta to place a drone made from drones within the sky, proper?)
The completely unhinged:
- A lady performing a snatch carry
For the non-weightlifters studying this: a snatch is a aggressive Olympic carry the place you explosively pull a barbell from the bottom to overhead in a single movement. It’s technical, it’s troublesome, and most of the people have by no means heard of it.)
Hamilton and I are each aggressive weightlifters. Half our wedding ceremony visitors carry. Once I informed the Electrical Sky Drone Exhibits workforce I needed a weightlifter within the sky, I wasn’t completely assured they knew what I used to be speaking about, so I despatched her competitors footage of me doing the carry. The animation workforce, with help from UVify, made it occur. And when that weightlifter appeared within the sky throughout our present, our lifting pals howled. They cheered. It was stunning chaos.
The voiceover modified all the things
Tannaz pushed onerous for voiceover narration. At first I hesitated. Our DJ was arrange inside, and including out of doors audio felt sophisticated. Tannaz mentioned she’d deal with it, bringing her personal transportable (but highly effective) speaker.
Hamilton and I recorded narration at house, explaining every animation: why the citadel mattered, what the espresso and bagel represented, why there was a lady doing a snatch within the sky.
As soon as Electrical Sky despatched the animated preview, I synced our audio and music to the visuals. We performed a mixture of my favourite Disney songs plus my great-grandpa’s Hawaiian music underneath it.
The narration gave context and emotional weight. With out it, visitors would possibly’ve thought, “Cool citadel.” With it, they understood: “That’s THE citadel. That’s the place this complete factor began.”
My wedding ceremony drone present: 11 minutes of jaws on the ground
Our present featured 200 drones and ran about 11 minutes. That’s typical for drone reveals, partly attributable to battery life constraints.
And when the drones launched from these commandeered pickleball courts, our visitors gathered on the grass. The sky lit up. The response was all the things. Folks had been cheering, filming, laughing, collectively dropping their minds. Even tech business visitors who’d seen drone reveals professionally had been shocked by how private it was.
And I guarantee you: I used to be maybe extra shocked than anybody.
All of us lingered on the grass afterward, jaws actually on the ground. It was an ideal ending, and it conveniently obtained everybody outdoors so venue employees may clear up.
And sure, you may watch the video model of my drone present beneath:
The Nextdoor put up about my wedding ceremony drone present
Days later, I used to be looking Nextdoor (as one does) and located a put up from neighbors who’d watched from their yards. They liked it. No complaints about noise or disruption — simply pure delight that they obtained a free present.
Take that, sparklers.
What I discovered after having a drone present at my wedding ceremony
I’ll have been a drone present knowledgeable previous to this. However now, after having a drone present at my wedding ceremony, I actually really feel like one. Now I do know firsthand what goes into the setup and permitted. Within the coming days (and let’s face it, weeks), anticipate extra insider particulars about learn how to pull off a marriage drone present. However for now, listed here are a few of my high earnings.
Begin sooner than you assume. We pulled it off in a month. It was anxious. Give your self 2-3+ months.
Select your venue strategically. If you need a drone present, consider airspace, launch websites, and viewing areas earlier than reserving.
Funds for extras. Past the per-drone price ($150-$200 every), we paid for pickleball court docket rental, which was separate from our personal venue rental price. Should you’re on the hook for extra insurance coverage (similar to by neighbors or an HOA, you would possibly owe extra). You may also be on the hook for protecting firm journey.
Personalization is all the things. Generic hearts and flowers miss the purpose. The extra particular and peculiar your animations, the higher. Certain, folks will keep in mind a coronary heart within the sky in the event that they’ve by no means seen a drone present earlier than. However everybody will do not forget that weightlifter doing a snatch, it doesn’t matter what.
Voiceover issues. It transforms the present from “cool visuals” to “our story within the sky.”
The way forward for wedding ceremony sendoffs is drones
A number of visitors requested afterward how they may get drone reveals for his or her weddings. I genuinely assume this development is about to blow up.
Right here’s why:
- {Hardware} is reusable (in contrast to fireworks you actually burn)
- Know-how retains bettering
- Prices are dropping as firms scale
- Venues will optimize for drone reveals (selling airspace, establishing launch websites, constructing vendor relationships)
We’re in early adopter territory. However 5 years from now? I feel drone present weddings might be in all places. And sure, I’ll completely show you how to plan yours. I’m, in any case, The Drone Woman.
If you’d like help planning your personal wedding ceremony drone present, please attain out to me at [email protected] or ebook a name with me on Intro.
Need extra? Subscribe utilizing the button on the best hand aspect of TheDroneGirl.com. Count on extra wedding ceremony drone present content material coming quickly, together with:
- Detailed price breakdowns
- Venue choice information
- How to decide on a drone present firm
- Animation design ideas
- The complete behind-the-scenes logistics
Keep tuned. And thanks for being a part of this wild 13-year journey with me.
— Sally
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