In case 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, buddies: I received married. To Hamilton Nguyen, who a lot of you already know because the official Drone Lady photographer and the man who handles my enterprise contracts whereas I’m out testing the newest drones. And the way in which we capped off the evening? Sure, I had a drone present at my marriage ceremony.
Our shared love of drone reveals
The primary drone present I ever witnessed in particular person was with Hamilton in 2023 at an Oakland A’s baseball recreation. Sky Components placed on a Star Wars-themed spectacle , and I actually stopped mid-hot canine chew when these TIE fighters shaped within the sky.
This wasn’t simply tech, it was artwork.
We grew to become obsessed. Over the following yr, we traveled to see drone reveals in all places. We even went to Disneyland Paris particularly to catch their present (which, should you bear in mind from my protection, took us two nights as a result of rain cancelled the primary try—traditional 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, once 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 marriage ceremony, so right here we’re.
Be part of me on my marriage ceremony day (effectively, at the least in a 5-minute, on-line model of it), on this unbelievable video created by my great good friend, Juan Langarica, who runs Langarica Studios.
How Drone Lady received that drone present at her marriage ceremony
Early on, Hamilton and I believed a drone present can be enjoyable, nevertheless it felt impossibly blue sky. Each present we’d seen was an enormous spectacle. Ours was going to be a comparatively small, DIY-heavy marriage 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 fireplace sticks whereas company wave them round, most likely singeing somebody’s hair and undoubtedly trying precisely like each different marriage ceremony ever.
Worse? The fireplace danger. We had been getting married in fire-prone Southern California. With children on the marriage ceremony. Handing everybody literal flames felt… questionable.
After months obsessing over personalised 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 recent flowers for environmental causes—a generic sparkler sendoff felt so not me.
“There’s no method you — The Drone Lady — can get married and not using a drone present,” Desi instructed 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 serious about airspace classifications or drone launch websites. The timeline was tight. The logistics appeared overwhelming.
However the extra I thought of it, the extra it made sense. I’d spent over a decade watching this expertise mature. I’d traveled the world to see one of the best drone reveals, together with one at Disneyland Paris simply days after Hamilton proposed to me at Neuschwanstein Citadel in Bavaria. (Do not forget that fort. It comes again.)
That’s when I discovered Electrical Sky Drone Reveals, a brother-sister-led, Los Angeles drone firm (Ali and Tannaz Amini) with marriage 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 one tells you about marriage ceremony drone reveals: venue logistics are essential.
You want:
- Flat, open area for takeoff and touchdown
- Correct airspace classification (we lucked out with Class G—unrestricted)
- Buffer zones between drones and folks, buildings, roads
- Insurance coverage (most likely a number of insurance policies)
- HOA approval should you’re in a personal neighborhood (we had been)
- Probably street closure permits
Our venue didn’t have appropriate launch area.
However what was two heaps over? Pickleball courts.
If something about pickleball tradition, Saturday afternoon is sacred. Prime time. We needed to monitor down the courtroom proprietor, negotiate a rental, and basically evict a complete neighborhood of weekend gamers.
Someplace in Orange County, there are pickleball lovers who missed their Saturday recreation as a result of I wanted to launch 200 drones. We blew previous our venue price range to cowl the pickleball rental.
Value each penny.
Animating our love story
The artistic 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 instructed our story. Right here’s what we ended up with:
The sentimental:
- Neuschwanstein Citadel (not only a fort — the fort the place Hamilton proposed)
- A person proposing to a girl
- Two interlocking rings
- Two glasses of French 75 (our signature cocktail) clinking
- Our initials and marriage 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 reside in San Francisco)
- A digicam
- A seaside
- A UVify drone (it’s meta to place a drone fabricated 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 tough, and most of the people have by no means heard of it.)
Hamilton and I are each aggressive weightlifters. Half our marriage ceremony company carry. Once I instructed the Electrical Sky Drone Reveals group I wished 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 group, with help from UVify, made it occur. And when that weightlifter appeared within the sky throughout our present, our lifting buddies howled. They cheered. It was stunning chaos.
The voiceover modified all the pieces
Tannaz pushed laborious for voiceover narration. At first I hesitated. Our DJ was arrange inside, and including outside audio felt difficult. Tannaz mentioned she’d deal with it, bringing her personal moveable (but highly effective) speaker.
Hamilton and I recorded narration at residence, explaining every animation: why the fort mattered, what the espresso and bagel represented, why there was a girl 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 below it.
The narration gave context and emotional weight. With out it, company may’ve thought, “Cool fort.” With it, they understood: “That’s THE fort. That’s the place this entire factor began.”
My marriage 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 as a consequence of battery life constraints.
And when the drones launched from these commandeered pickleball courts, our company gathered on the grass. The sky lit up. The response was all the pieces. Folks had been cheering, filming, laughing, collectively shedding their minds. Even tech business company who’d seen drone reveals professionally had been surprised by how private it was.
And I guarantee you: I used to be maybe extra surprised than anybody.
All of us lingered on the grass afterward, jaws actually on the ground. It was an ideal ending, and it conveniently received everybody exterior so venue workers may clear up.
And sure, you possibly can watch the video model of my drone present beneath:
The Nextdoor publish about my marriage ceremony drone present
Days later, I used to be shopping Nextdoor (as one does) and located a publish from neighbors who’d watched from their yards. They liked it. No complaints about noise or disruption — simply pure delight that they received a free present.
Take that, sparklers.
What I discovered after having a drone present at my marriage ceremony
I’ll have been a drone present skilled previous to this. However now, after having a drone present at my marriage 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), count on extra insider particulars about easy methods to pull off a marriage drone present. However for now, listed below are a few of my prime earnings.
Begin sooner than you suppose. We pulled it off in a month. It was tense. 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 courtroom rental, which was separate from our personal venue rental price. In case you’re on the hook for extra insurance coverage (similar to by neighbors or an HOA, you may owe extra). You may additionally be on the hook for masking firm journey.
Personalization is all the pieces. Generic hearts and flowers miss the purpose. The extra particular and bizarre your animations, the higher. Certain, folks will bear 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 keep in mind 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 marriage ceremony sendoffs is drones
A number of company requested afterward how they might get drone reveals for his or her weddings. I genuinely suppose this development is about to blow up.
Right here’s why:
- {Hardware} is reusable (not like fireworks you actually burn)
- Expertise retains enhancing
- 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 believe drone present weddings shall be in all places. And sure, I’ll completely assist you to plan yours. I’m, in spite of everything, The Drone Lady.
If you need help planning your personal marriage ceremony drone present, please attain out to me at sally@thedronegirl.com or e-book a name with me on Intro.
Need extra? Subscribe utilizing the button on the precise hand facet of TheDroneGirl.com. Count on extra marriage 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 suggestions
- The complete behind-the-scenes logistics
Keep tuned. And thanks for being a part of this wild 13-year journey with me.
— Sally
Associated
Uncover extra from The Drone Lady
Subscribe to get the newest posts despatched to your e mail.