6 tips on hiring a Maui Wedding Drone Videographer

I can’t believe it’s been over 6 years since I started flying drones at weddings. I was the first (that I’m aware of) to fly a drone at a wedding on Maui. That quickly turned into part of my signature style. Bride and grooms were in awe of the aerial view that the drone can capture and for good reason nothing can capture the scenic beauty of your Maui wedding like a drone.
Are you looking for a drone part 107 pilot for your wedding? Here are 6 things to keep in mind when hiring a drone pilot for your Maui wedding.

In the years since I started flying my drone, I’ve had my work featured on the Travel Channel, news, countless weddings, sports, music videos, cambers of commerce and my film “Maui Drone”was featured in the Downtown LA Film Festival. Once they standardized the laws and regulations, I got my drone license soon after.

When drones first came on to the scene, we mounted a GoPro on the drone which was then retrofitted with a radio transmission to see the video in real time on a screen mounted to my controller. You had to solder wires and follow youtube videos to get it all set up, it took hours and constantly had issues.

DJI the leader of drones a few years later streamlined the user experience and made it much easier to have it all integrated with a phone based app also serving as your screen, the cameras and controls got better and so did the batteries, reliability and overall ease of use improved tremendously in just a couple years.

Drones have been one of the biggest game changers to Maui wedding videography in recent times.

Here’s 6 tips you should know when hiring a Maui drone wedding videographer:

1. The videographer must be licensed. It’s illegal to fly a drone professionally if you are not licensed.
2. Not all resorts and wedding venues allow drones. Some allow it and others allow it with written consent, and some don’t allow it at all. Best to check and get clearance prior.
3. Drones cannot fly in heavy wind and or rain.
4. Don’t fly during the wedding ceremony, it is loud and distracting. We can get so many great shots during the day that this isn’t necessary at all to fly during the actual ceremony.
5. There are no fly zones. Depending on how far the wedding venue is from airports, it might be in an area that needs prior authorization.
6. Drones aren’t 100% reliable. There are many parts that can go wrong and they can take time to fix. If you really want a videographer to drone at your wedding best is to hire one that has filmed there before so they know the regulations, airspace and other variables that the wedding venue may have. Also drones take time to set up, calibrate and then you have to clear the area and get the shot so allow ample time and don’t rush your drone pilot there’s a lot to think about and best to take your time, safety first.

I love flying drones, I’m constantly impressed with their quality, ease of use and overall, WOW factor. I’m excited to see how this relatively new technology continues to improve with better cameras, controls and portability. Here are some of my favorite drone films that I’ve made over the years.