The Art of Drone Shots in Wedding Cinematography

At Mirar Weddings, we believe that the art of drone shots adds a stunning and unique perspective to a couple's special day. That's why all of our packages include this breathtaking feature, capturing aerial views of the wedding venue and its surroundings.

Whether you're tying the knot in downtown Chicago or its surrounding suburbs, our team will make sure to include these stunning shots in your final wedding film. So, say goodbye to standard, flat shots and hello to stunning, bird's eye perspectives that will take your wedding memories to new heights.

First Look at Intercontinental

Aerial footage of Anna & Jeff’s first look at the Intercontinental rooftop in Chicago, IL.

These aerial views provide a different perspective and showcase the beauty of the wedding venue and its surroundings. The use of drones also allows for capturing sweeping, panoramic shots that couldn’t be achieved otherwise. From dramatic sweeping shots of the ceremony to romantic sunset views, drone shots bring an extra layer of magic and elegance to your wedding film. Here’s the best part - all of our packages include drone shots. Get in touch to see which package is best for you!

THE NEWLYWEDS DANCED UNDER THE STARS...

Adriana and Bryan knew that they wanted to get married in Chicago, the city they still call home. Festivities kicked off on Independence Day with all their guests dressed in white, on a yellow Chicago Water Taxi, watching fireworks explode in the sky. The night capped off with a group photo of 150 guests—a sea of white clothing, punctuated by the bride’s pop of color in the form of high-waisted Alice and Olivia floral disco pants.

“I always loved the feel of European countryside weddings, and Bryan always envisioned having an open air party with his family and friends under the stars,” Adriana explains. So they found a “secret garden” oasis close to home at the Chicago Botanic Garden, just north of the city, and worked with Claire Durán Wedding & Events to plan everything.

Adriana always wanted a romantic yet fashion-forward dress and was drawn to Marchesa from the beginning. “At Dimitra’s Bridal Couture in Chicago, I tried on a spaghetti strap Marchesa gown that was light yet full of texture with multiple layers of embroidered lace,” Adriana says. “I loved the material and fit of the dress, but wondered how it would look with off-the-shoulder sleeves. Just then, in a Say Yes to the Dress moment, the seamstress happened to be walking by. On the spot, she built an off-the-shoulder sleeve using her pins and the dress’s train as the material. I loved it, got the dress, and helped design the draped sleeves using additional fabric the salon ordered from Marchesa.”   For hair and makeup, she worked with Chicago’s Nika Vaughan Bridal Artists. “My makeup inspiration was none other than Meghan Markle’s wedding makeup,” Adriana says. “I loved how effortless yet elevated it looked. I wanted to keep my hair naturally curly, which is how I always wear it.” The hair stylist created a low chignon that was topped with baby’s breath.

To accessorize, Adriana wore faux pearl and diamond cluster earrings from J. Crew. “My college friend lent me a gold bracelet with diamonds as my ‘something borrowed,’” she says. For shoes, she went with pearl-colored Loeffler Randall heels with a big bow on the front. “I love mixing designer elements with affordable retail pieces, like my earrings from J.Crew, and handmade elements like the floral hair piece,” she notes.

Attendants dressed for a formal garden party, with lots of playful floral patterns on women, and a mix of summer suits and tuxedos for the men. The fifteen bridesmaids—including three of Adriana’s sisters and three of Bryan’s—were in pale garden colors, which translated into variations on cream, blush, gray, and blue. The 10 flower girls were in full tulle skirts and baby’s breath headbands. Meanwhile, the five ring bearers, ages 3 to 9, looked dapper in black tuxedos.

The ceremony took place at St. Mary of the Angel’s Church, which was modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The Catholic church has a dome at its center painted in bright pastel colors; music echoed in it throughout the day. “Bryan is a musician at heart so we wanted to create a soundtrack to the day,” Adriana says. “The organ played traditional songs like ‘The Wedding March,’ and my father also sang ‘Ave Maria’ in his native Spanish. We also had unexpected musical elements, like a small band that played the Sister Act 2 versions of ‘Oh Happy Day’ and ‘Joyful Joyful’—my favorites.” After the ceremony, everyone descended the church’s wide front steps as church bells rang from above.

“The ceremony was the one part of the day where time seemed to slow down,” Adriana remembers. “We had a Catholic mass so spent a lot of time seated near the altar. From there, we loved looking out at the smiling sea of our families and friends.” Instead of traditional vows, the priest asked them to write him a letter describing why they wanted to marry each other. They both finished their letters after midnight the night before the wedding. “One of our favorite parts of the ceremony was when the priest, who was Bryan’s longtime teacher and principal from Catholic high school, read excerpts of our letters,” Adriana says. “It felt like a dream.”

To reach the reception at the Chicago Botanic Garden, guests walked over a wooden bridge sheltered by a canopy of hanging flowers and greenery. During golden hour, they sipped cocktails within the old brick walls of the English Walled Garden, surrounded by flowers and trees swaying in the breeze. The air was filled with steel drum music and there were Red Stripe beers at the bar—both a nod to Bryan’s Jamaican roots. Presidente beer was served up as an homage to Adriana’s Dominican family.

The open air reception in the rose garden was illuminated by hanging chandeliers, under which the newlyweds’ had their first dance, It started with “Sunday Kind of Love” by Etta James and then segued into a fast-paced salsa dance to “Asi Es La Mujer Que Amo” (“That’s How the Woman I love Is”) by Victor Manuelle. “The salsa was complete with double spins and left my salsa-dancing family very impressed with Bryan’s skills,” Adriana admits. After the bride’s sister finished emceeing the program, just over 200 guests danced under the stars. A DJ and the band, Cherise & The Fellas, kept the party going all night. “We happened to see the band perform live in Chicago,” Adriana says. “[The lead singer Cherise’s] booming and soulful voice brought down the house with everything from Lauryn Hill to Bruno Mars.” The DJ played a variety of hip hop, merengue, bachata, reggae, and soca music, and toasts were given. “One of the highlights was the dueling speeches between Bryan’s older sister Kristen, and my older brother Gabe,” Adriana says. “They both tried to take credit for setting us up. It was an ethereal night that reflected our love of family and friends, our cultures, our city, and music. We loved seeing all our family and friends dancing together under the chandeliers and bistro lights, just as we had imagined.”

CASPERIA: A DESTINATION WEDDING IN AN ITALIAN VILLAGE ON A HILL

There are times that words and images simply do no justice to a moment. 

We’re happy we have them, because - as our memories fade - they are the closest things we can draw from. That inside joke that had us in tears, the taste of the wine that magically heightened our senses, the smell of the fireworks as the entire village danced, a DJ that was at his peak. Each day that passes the details become blurrier… and we sadly forget.

I begin with this because these are the first thoughts that run through my mind as I try to write about Leigh-Anne and George’s Italian wedding. I covered this wedding last August and it was, to put it simply, very moving. 

Casperia is a picturesque village 60 kms outside of Rome that sits atop a hill. The village has a population that is sometimes north, sometimes south of 1,000. Its medieval walls are still up… so no cars pass and you can walk its cobblestoned roads from one end to the other in 10 minutes. It is truly one of those places that transport you to a different, simpler time. While sparsely populated, its inhabitants —both young and old — are vibrant.  Leigh-Anne and George may have only had twenty or so guests, but this may have been one of the larger weddings I have covered. We had a cCatholic processional during cocktail, a firework show, locals flood the ceremony from every wall to name a few moments. Even thought I was working the entire weekend, it also felt as if I was a guest of the wedding.

The weekend kicked off on a Friday with a cooking class that would ultimately be the meal for the rehearsal dinner. The wedding day fell on a Catholic festival day, so there were local festivities sprinkled in and capped off with a firework display just above the dinner table — one long table that seated all guests on the terrace. Because the terrace was also one of the public squares, and next to the main restaurant, it quickly became one big social area. 

Thank you Leigh-Anne and George for allowing us to be a part of your special weekend in Italia. Check out their wedding film below.

I hope it allows you a glimpse of that special weekend and jogs a few of your own travel memories you may have forgotten. 

AN INTIMATE WEEKEND IN GREECE

Things do not always go according to plan. 

To say things did not go to plan for our bride Jasmine is quite the understatement. For over a year, she has been planning a beautiful destination wedding in Turks & Caicos. I had just met with her a few months before the big date and the excitement was contagious. Then an unexpected natural disaster hit and the island was no longer a viable option. 

This would undoubtedly frustrate the best of us. The silver lining was that the resort is part of a family of resorts worldwide (Amanzoe), so she was able to transfer her wedding to another location that just happened to have an opening. Catch was that it was halfway across the world in Greece, and she had a month to replan. 

The success of this wedding is testament to their attitude and resourcefulness of Jasmine, her fiancé Ellis and their planner, Kia. Looking back you have to just say, “wow”.

We were happy to play a small part in this adventurous journey; sometimes the unplanned can be — in hindsight - some of the most memorable.

We embarked on a journey to Athens and spent three days with Jasmine, Ellis and twenty-three others. We drove down the coast to Porto Hello for this weekend of celebrations and the breathtaking views. To quote our bride, she was able to do it because she clearly “…develop[ed] a list of negotiable and non-negotiables — your wedding planner should know exactly what you want and what you can live without.” When you know this, you can handle adversity in stride and still pull off something spectacular. In this case, sharing an intimate weekend with your closest friends and family against a beautiful backdrop.

Check out the wedding preview and film for a glimpse at this unbelievable weekend that featured a candle-lit rehearsal dinner in an amphitheater and one for he most spectacular ceremony backdrops. 

See below for the Preview: