About nine months ago, we first learned of Allan and Petra’s wedding on the Isle of Arran — a love story set against the wild beauty of sea and mountain. Even from afar, we could imagine them standing together, hand in hand, as the tides whispered promises and the hills cradled their vows. Arran, with its timeless charm, became more than a place on the map; it became the backdrop to the beginning of their forever.

Allan the groom is the youngest son of my ex boss Chris who has now retired on Arran. We decided to film the wedding and present it to the happy couple as a wedding present. So what was I going to film the wedding with…My trusty Lumix GH5 or my more updated Lumix G9II with its faster focusing, or both.

As time grew nearer kit started to arrive, my DJI mic 2 was upgraded with a white version (for the bride). An Osmo Action charging handle arrived with a very useful start/stop button which proved to be invaluable.

I was fully intending to use my DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for walkabout shots but never as the main camera on the day. About two weeks before the wedding I started to look out my shooting kit, my trusty Sachtler Ace tripod on my carbon fibre Miller legs were far too bulky and took up too much space in the boot. Downscaling to a Manfrotto photographic tripod I got an uneasy feeling it was not heavy enough…dilema.

To put a spanner in the works we were traveling with three dogs. My son goes to Italy this time every year so we had Coco his pet spaniel to look after as well as our own dogs Candy & Missy (Cocos sister).

I was testing the DJI Mic 2 with my G9II, headphones and everything that goes with it when I took a decision to go solo. The intention was to use the drone as a second camera along side the main camera DJI Pocket 3. Problem was the weather, it was overcast and a tad windy so I diverted to using the DJI Pocket 3 alongside the DJI Osmo Action 5 PRO with charging handle.

I no longer needed the restriction of the Lumix GH9II sat on a tripod as the wedding was on the sand. The DJI Pocket 3 was the obvious choice and thankfully it was a humanist wedding. The amount of clergy & church officers I came across in my 20 years filming weddings who were less than helpful.

So here was the plan connect my two DJI mic 2 (black on the groom & white for the bride). I could see the levels bouncing on my DJI Pocket 3 screen plus recording the audio separately on the radio mics. The drone stayed in its bag till the end of the ceremony as the wind had dropped and a flurry of rain had stopped.

It all went to plan and we got a stunning result all in 4K 50p onto an HD timeline on Final Cut Pro.

The Cameras…

DJI Pocket 3…4K 50p
The wedding ceremony wasn’t till 5pm, summer time. The camera has a 1″ sensor great for low light situations. We were there for about 3 hours due to the extra official DJI battery handle power was not a problem. I was lucky enough to watch a tutorial from an Irish chap called “The Drone Creative” on YouTube and he not only gave me a refresher of the camera controls but had a downloadable JPEG of cheat sheets that I stored on my iPhone.

The downside to the Pocket 3 is the amount of swiping you need to bring up various controls like exposure. A normal camera like the Lumix G9II exposure, ISO etc. its all to hand via buttons and mode dials.

A  3-axis gimbal gives a big advantage over a handheld camera in that kind of situation. On-the-fly filming, like at a wedding on the beach, usually means you don’t have time for tripods, sliders, or carefully staged setups. A gimbal smooths out shakes from walking on uneven sand, turning quickly, or moving in close to the couple and guests.

Compared to handheld shooting, the gimbal helps with:

• Stabilization: Keeps footage level and reduces jitters from footsteps or hand movement.
• Fluid movement: Lets you pan, tilt, and track subjects gracefully, almost like a dolly shot.
• Professional look: Even casual, candid moments feel cinematic.
• Mobility: You can follow people closely in tight or dynamic spaces (like walking down the aisle, kids running around, or spontaneous group moments).

That said, it’s not a total replacement — some filmmakers still mix in handheld for raw energy or tripods for locked shots — but for spontaneous, moving coverage in a sandy, unpredictable setting, the gimbal is a major upgrade.

Having the ability to connect the DJI Mic 2 system of two radio mics is also a major bonus.

DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro…4K 50p

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro camera offers stunning image quality with a 1/1.3” CMOS sensor, 40MP resolution, and 13.5 stops of dynamic range. It captures 4K 50p video with an ultra-wide 155° FOV, and dual OLED touchscreens for ease of use. With 4 hours of battery life using the battery handle and advanced 360° HorizonSteady stabilisation, the Action 5 Pro delivers smooth footage and precise subject tracking.

Huge thanks to Susan, my camera person — she was happy to just point and shoot and totally nailed it !

DJI Mini 4 Pro…4K 50p

You can’t film on Arran without a drone in my opinion assuming you get the right weather conditions, wind less than 24 knots and no rain. My ex boss Chris determines the wind speed in “caps”, if it blows his cap off its too windy.

Once again my chap “The Drone Creative” gave me some great tips on flying around an object without a lot of faffing and too many takes. Use spotlight mode and draw a square round the point of interest and let the drone circle itself.

Using 4K 50p on the drone also allows me to cut in on the shot if need be, but the 4K footage on the HD timeline is stunning.

Please Note : This is all my own equipment and my own opinions DJI are not sponsoring this.

I have put together a wee tutorial video about our day on Arran…