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Something old, something new, something out of the blue: Wedding photos go to the drones

Anyone can order traditional wedding photos, but it takes a little creativity to hire a robotic photographer that can fly above it all.One of the latest wedding trends, which The New York Times detailed in a recent piece, is securing a drone to fly above the ceremony and reception to capture overhead photos and videos that were previously impossible, unless you had the means to hire a helicopter c

Anyone can order traditional wedding photos, but it takes a little creativity to hire a robotic photographer that can fly above it all.


One of the latest wedding trends, which The New York Times detailed in a recent piece, is securing a drone to fly above the ceremony and reception to capture overhead photos and videos that were previously impossible, unless you had the means to hire a helicopter crew.

TODAY
Today

The upside to drone photography is obvious, as the images are often spectacular and reminiscent of panoramics seen in the movies. It’s not even a particularly expensive investment, as some drones cost as little as $80.

TODAY
Today

The biggest snag: The Federal Aviation Administration says outdoor commercial drone photography is illegal, and reports more problems with drones interfering with the flight paths of commercial airplanes. New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney found this out the hard way after his June wedding. This was particularly problematic, since the lawmaker sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee. (If you want a loophole, you can use a drone indoors, as the FAA limits don’t extend to indoor photography, but high ceilings might be a prerequisite to keep bridesmaids from getting unintentional buzz cuts.)

There are other problems with drones, too. One of the reasons the robotic, unmanned machines are called drones is because they’re noisy, so the loud hum could kill the mood. “The biggest compliment we get is that people say they don't remember me being there photographing the wedding,” veteran photographer Carlos Baez told TODAY. “I think having a drone there would definitely leave a mark on people remembering just one sound: that would be the drone buzzing above.”

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Today

Drones can also add injury to insult. Just ask this groom whose drone literally crashed the wedding and smacked him in the head.

But you don’t need a fancy machine to make a wedding creative. We asked you to submit your favorite — and wacky — wedding photos on Facebook, and you responded quickly. Your creativity clearly doesn't end with drones. Check out some of our favorites below, and visit us on Facebook to see the rest

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Today
TODAY
Today
TODAY
Today