If you read it in The New York Times yesterday, then the secret is definitely out — and it’s been broadcast to all of New York, America and quite frankly, the world. Yes, friends: I got married. To Hamilton Nguyen, who many of you already know as the official Drone Girl photographer and the guy who handles my business contracts while I’m out testing the latest drones. And the way we capped off the night? Yes, I had a drone show at my wedding.

Our shared love of drone shows

The first drone show I ever witnessed in person was with Hamilton in 2023 at an Oakland A’s baseball game. Sky Elements put on a Star Wars-themed spectacle , and I literally stopped mid-hot dog bite when those TIE fighters formed in the sky.

This wasn’t just tech, it was art.

We became obsessed. Over the next year, we traveled to see drone shows everywhere. We even went to Disneyland Paris specifically to catch their show (which, if you remember from my coverage, took us two nights because rain cancelled the first attempt—classic drone show problems).

Here’s what I didn’t know at the time: Hamilton had proposed to me the day before we flew to Paris. So that Disneyland drone show? Our personal, secret engagement celebration.

Fast forward to mid-2025, when I was chatting with my dear friend Desi Ekstein (you know her as On The Go Video). She was pretty adamant I needed a drone show at my wedding, so here we are.

Join me on my wedding day (well, at least in a 5-minute, online version of it), in this incredible video created by my wonderful friend, Juan Langarica, who runs Langarica Studios.

How Drone Girl got that drone show at her wedding

Early on, Hamilton and I thought a drone show would be fun, but it felt impossibly blue sky. Every show we’d seen was a massive spectacle. Ours was going to be a relatively small, DIY-heavy wedding. It seemed like too much.

But when it came time to plan our sendoff, everyone kept suggesting sparklers.

You know the shot: bride and groom running through a tunnel of handheld fire sticks while guests wave them around, probably singeing someone’s hair and definitely looking exactly like every other wedding ever.

Worse? The fire risk. We were getting married in fire-prone Southern California. With kids at the wedding. Handing everyone literal flames felt… questionable.

After months obsessing over personalized details — luau food honoring my family’s Hawaiian roots, recordings of my great-grandpa’s music (he was a Hawaiian musician), che (this addictive Vietnamese dessert Hamilton’s family introduced me to), postcards about our travels as centerpieces, throwing a Labubu instead of a bouquet because I skipped fresh flowers for environmental reasons—a generic sparkler sendoff felt so not me.

“There’s no way you — The Drone Girl — can get married without a drone show,” Desi told me. She was absolutely right.

“That seems… impractical”

Initially, it still felt absurdly impractical. We’d already booked our venue at Coto Valley Country Club in Orange County without thinking about airspace classifications or drone launch sites. The timeline was tight. The logistics seemed overwhelming.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I’d spent over a decade watching this technology mature. I’d traveled the world to see the best drone shows, including one at Disneyland Paris just days after Hamilton proposed to me at Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. (Remember that castle. It comes back.)

That’s when I found Electric Sky Drone Shows, a brother-sister-led, Los Angeles drone company (Ali and Tannaz Amini) with wedding experience that used UVify drones. We hit it off, and I hired them to make me a drone show!

Choosing a wedding venue for a drone show

Here’s what nobody tells you about wedding drone shows: venue logistics are critical.

You need:

• Flat, open space for takeoff and landing
• Proper airspace classification (we lucked out with Class G—unrestricted)
• Buffer zones between drones and people, buildings, roads
• Insurance (probably multiple policies)
• HOA approval if you’re in a private community (we were)
• Possibly road closure permits

Our venue didn’t have suitable launch space.

But you know what was two lots over? Pickleball courts.

If you know anything about pickleball culture, Saturday afternoon is sacred. Prime time. We had to track down the court owner, negotiate a rental, and essentially evict an entire community of weekend players.

Somewhere in Orange County, there are pickleball enthusiasts who missed their Saturday game because I needed to launch 200 drones. We blew past our venue budget to cover the pickleball rental.

Worth every penny.

Animating our love story

The creative process was the fun part. I had about half a dozen planning calls with Ali and Tannaz, where we mapped out animations that told our story. Here’s what we ended up with:

The sentimental:

• Neuschwanstein Castle (not just a castle — the castle where Hamilton proposed)
• A man proposing to a woman
• Two interlocking rings
• Two glasses of French 75 (our signature cocktail) clinking
• Our initials and wedding date

The playful:

• A coffee cup next to a bagel (we met on Coffee Meets Bagel, yes we’re that couple)
• A Golden Gate Bridge (we live in San Francisco)
• A camera
• A beach
• A UVify drone (it’s meta to put a drone made of drones in the sky, right?)

The absolutely unhinged:

• A woman performing a snatch lift

For the non-weightlifters reading this: a snatch is a competitive Olympic lift where you explosively pull a barbell from the ground to overhead in one motion. It’s technical, it’s difficult, and most people have never heard of it.)

Hamilton and I are both competitive weightlifters. Half our wedding guests lift. When I told the Electric Sky Drone Shows team I wanted a weightlifter in the sky, I wasn’t entirely confident they knew what I was talking about, so I sent her competition footage of me doing the lift. The animation team, with support from UVify, made it happen. And when that weightlifter appeared in the sky during our show, our lifting friends howled. They cheered. It was beautiful chaos.

The voiceover changed everything

Tannaz pushed hard for voiceover narration. At first I hesitated. Our DJ was set up inside, and adding outdoor audio felt complicated. Tannaz said she’d handle it, bringing her own portable (yet powerful) speaker.

Hamilton and I recorded narration at home, explaining each animation: why the castle mattered, what the coffee and bagel represented, why there was a woman doing a snatch in the sky.

Once Electric Sky sent the animated preview, I synced our audio and music to the visuals. We played a mix of my favorite Disney songs plus my great-grandpa’s Hawaiian music under it.

The narration gave context and emotional weight. Without it, guests might’ve thought, “Cool castle.” With it, they understood: “That’s THE castle. That’s where this whole thing started.”

My wedding drone show: 11 minutes of jaws on the floor

Our show featured 200 drones and ran about 11 minutes. That’s typical for drone shows, partly due to battery life constraints.

And when the drones launched from those commandeered pickleball courts, our guests gathered on the grass. The sky lit up. The reaction was everything. People were cheering, filming, laughing, collectively losing their minds. Even tech industry guests who’d seen drone shows professionally were stunned by how personal it was.

And I assure you: I was perhaps more stunned than anyone.

We all lingered on the grass afterward, jaws literally on the floor. It was a perfect ending, and it conveniently got everyone outside so venue staff could clean up.

And yes, you can watch the video version of my drone show below:

The Nextdoor post about my wedding drone show

Days later, I was browsing Nextdoor (as one does) and found a post from neighbors who’d watched from their yards. They loved it. No complaints about noise or disruption — just pure delight that they got a free show.

Take that, sparklers.

What I learned after having a drone show at my wedding

I may have been a drone show expert prior to this. But now, after having a drone show at my wedding, I really feel like one. Now I know firsthand what goes into the setup and permitted. In the coming days (and let’s face it, weeks), expect more insider details about how to pull off a wedding drone show. But for now, here are some of my top earnings.

Start earlier than you think. We pulled it off in a month. It was stressful. Give yourself 2-3+ months.

Choose your venue strategically. If you know you want a drone show, factor in airspace, launch sites, and viewing areas before booking.

Budget for extras. Beyond the per-drone cost ($150-$200 each), we paid for pickleball court rental, which was separate from our own venue rental cost. If you’re on the hook for additional insurance (such as by neighbors or an HOA, you might owe more). You might also be on the hook for covering company travel.

Personalization is everything. Generic hearts and flowers miss the point. The more specific and weird your animations, the better. Sure, people will remember a heart in the sky if they’ve never seen a drone show before. But everyone will remember that weightlifter doing a snatch, no matter what.

Voiceover matters. It transforms the show from “cool visuals” to “our story in the sky.”

The future of wedding sendoffs is drones

Multiple guests asked afterward how they could get drone shows for their weddings. I genuinely think this trend is about to explode.

Here’s why:

• Hardware is reusable (unlike fireworks you literally burn)
• Technology keeps improving
• Costs are dropping as companies scale
• Venues will optimize for drone shows (promoting airspace, establishing launch sites, building vendor relationships)

We’re in early adopter territory. But five years from now? I think drone show weddings will be everywhere. And yes, I will absolutely help you plan yours. I am, after all, The Drone Girl.

If you want support planning your own wedding drone show, please reach out to me at sally@thedronegirl.com or book a call with me on Intro.

Want more? Subscribe using the button on the right hand side of  TheDroneGirl.com. Expect more wedding drone show content coming soon, including:

• Detailed cost breakdowns
• Venue selection guide
• How to choose a drone show company
• Animation design tips
• The full behind-the-scenes logistics

Stay tuned. And thanks for being part of this wild 13-year journey with me. 

— Sally

The post The Drone Girl got married (and yes, I had a drone show at my wedding!) appeared first on The Drone Girl.

So this is surreal. The New York Times just published a piece about my wedding drone show.

I’ve spent 13 years covering drones. I’ve written thousands of articles reviews, and industry analyses. I’ve been quoted in publications before. But seeing my own wedding featured in The New York Times? With asides about pickleball courts and weightlifter animations — and how 80 of our guests left early because we didn’t warn them about the finale?

That hits different.

How we got here (and where we’re headed)

For those just tuning in: I got married to Hamilton Nguyen (you dronies may know him as the business and tech guy, as well as the cameraman for The Drone Girl — yes, a true renaissance man!) in September 2025. Yes, we had a 200-drone light show as our sendoff. It was 11 minutes of personalized animations synced to music and voiceover narration. Our wedding drone show featured everything from the castle where Hamilton proposed to a woman doing a snatch lift (because we’re both competitive weightlifters).

The whole thing was beautiful, chaotic, personality driven — oh and it required evicting part of a pickleball community for an evening.

I pitched an editor at the The New York Times as to what would be happening. I invited them to be a part of it (either virtually or in-person, and they chose virtually). And just like that, the New York Times was on it.

Now that The New York Times printed their story (I promised them an exclusive), I’ll be writing more extensively about the experience here on The Drone Girl. I figured some of you might be curious about what goes into planning a wedding drone show — the logistics, the costs, the “oh god it’s raining two days before the wedding” moments. That’ll arrive in the coming days.

What The New York Times article covers

If it’s been a while since you’ve purchased a printed newspaper, perhaps tomorrow (that’s Sunday, Nov. 16) is your day to grab a copy. It’s on page 17

Their piece (read the print version here) does a great job breaking down the practical side of wedding drone shows:

• Why we chose a drone show (spoiler: sparklers felt boring and fire-risky).
• How much it costs ($15,000-$25,000 range).
• What goes into planning (hint: way more than you’d think).
• Venue considerations (airspace classifications! buffer zones! pickleball negotiations!).
• Weather contingencies (we almost had to do paper airplane throws instead).

But my favorite part? They included my biggest regret: not telling our guests about the drone show in advance.

About 80 people left before the show started. They didn’t know it was coming because I thought it would have been way cooler as a surprise. In hindsight, I realize that if we’d hyped it up — put it on the timeline, mentioned it during toasts, anything — they would’ve stayed.

The guests who did stay said it felt like a ticketed event, adding that it was definitely worth the “price” of admission. Live and learn, right? Alas, there won’t be a wedding number two!

Why the New York Times wedding drone show article matters for the drone industry

Here’s the thing: The New York Times covering a wedding drone show isn’t just cool for me personally (though it absolutely is). It’s a signal that drone shows are entering mainstream wedding culture.

A few years ago, wedding drone shows were basically unheard of. Electric Sky Drone Shows — the company we worked with — told The New York Times they did seven wedding shows the year before ours. This past year? Seventeen.

That’s more than a 2x increase. And as costs come down and more venues optimize for drone shows, I expect that number to keep climbing.

The fact that the Times is covering this trend means it’s not just niche tech enthusiast territory anymore. Hey, I love some good “New York Times Is On It” jokes. But in all seriousness, this story is proof drone light shows are breaking into the broader wedding industry conversation.

Read the full New York Times article

If you want the full breakdown, including more details on costs, logistics and my advice for couples considering drone shows, you can read the Times piece here.

It’s behind a paywall (because, you know, journalism costs money and we should support it), but if you’re even remotely interested in wedding drone shows or just want to see how the Times covers drone industry trends, it’s worth the read.

I’m planning more content here on The Drone Girl covering:

• Detailed cost breakdowns
• How to choose a drone show company
• Venue selection guide
• Animation design tips
• The full behind-the-scenes logistics

If there’s something specific you want to know, drop a comment or email me at sally@thedronegirl.com. I’m apparently an expert now (or at least the Times thinks so).

Thirteen years ago, I started The Drone Girl after taking a college course on drones. I was fascinated by the technology and wanted to share that fascination with others.

I know this is probably cliche to say, but it’s true: I never imagined that a decade later, I’d be planning a drone show for my own wedding and then talking to The New York Times about it.

Thanks for being part of this weird, wonderful journey with me. And if you’re planning a wedding and considering a drone show? Do it. Just maybe tell your guests first.

Read the full New York Times article here.

And then you want to watch the full drone show too, right? You can’t do that as well, via the YouTube video shared below:

Happy flying!

— Sally, The Drone Girl

P.S. Yes, I’m absolutely framing this and hanging this on my wall. Hamilton already knows.

Want more from our wedding day? We also have a complete video of that, too:

The post The New York Times just featured my wedding drone show appeared first on The Drone Girl.