How a Photo Booth adds to Your Wedding Fun

What should our readers know about you?

Hi WeddingVenture.com readers! I’m Sharon and the proud owner of a photo booth company called Fotobüth. My journey to becoming the owner of a photo booth business is different than most. A friend of mine originally owned Fotobüth and was running it as a side hustle. Her primary business was growing and she simply didn’t have the time to continue to invest in the business and give it the love it needed to grow. I initially looked into it out of pure curiosity, but very quickly became interested and in June 2018 I made the decision to purchase Fotobüth. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

We are based out of Edmonton; however, we do travel to other surrounding cities. We provide photo booth services for a variety of events – engagement parties, weddings, anniversaries, etc. Our print layouts, props and backdrops can all be customized to suit the décor of your wedding.

How much should the couples expect to pay for these services?

The photo booth industry has really grown over the last 10 years and there is a wide range of styles and services available. The type of photo booth (enclosed or open), location, and special features can all affect the final price. The most common type of photo booth used today is an open-air photo booth. This means the backdrop and photo booth equipment are separate.

Most photo booth companies will bundle different packages (2hrs, 3hrs, 4hrs) and will offer additional add-ons for you to include with your package. Packages will typically include setup/take-down, unlimited prints, custom print layout, props and a backdrop. Some photo booth companies will offer early setup, photo galleries, social sharing, custom backdrops, custom props, and photo albums for an additional cost. Cost can vary considerably, but couples can expect to pay $500 to $800 for a 3hr package. Additional hours can range from $100 to $200.

How to choose a good photo booth rental service?

I wouldn’t recommend choosing a photo booth company based on price alone. Do your research! Have a look at their website and social media pages to get a feel for the quality of work they do. Are their pictures in focus with the proper exposure? Do they have a variety of high-quality props? Do they have a selection of backdrops to choose from? Are their print layouts customizable?

Some photo booth companies can customize the print layouts to work with the décor of your wedding and may even have an in-house graphic designer. It’s also important to ask questions about the type of equipment they use to ensure you are getting the best quality. Are they using a professional camera or are they using a web cam or iPad? Do they have professional light stands or are they using a light ring?

Having an onsite photo booth attendant is also important to ensure everything runs smoothly for your event and that your guests are having a good time. You also want to make sure to verify that they have liability insurance in the event that something were to happen. Not all photo booth companies will have proper coverage. Another thing that often gets overlooked is the height of the camera and if it’s adjustable to accommodate guest of all different heights.

Why are photo booths so popular today?

Photo booths take images that are unlike taking pictures with a smartphone or a photographer. Wedding photographers are great for capturing those magazine-worthy images of you and your partner, but photo booths provide you and your guests with an interactive experience.

There can be a lot of downtime at weddings and not all of your guests are interested in dancing – photo booths are a great way to keep everyone entertained. It’s an area where people can get creative and share in some laughs while taking the most ridiculous yet memorable photos. Those fun shots are then printed out automatically within a few seconds for your guests to take home. It also gives your guests an opportunity to snap a quirky photo with the bride and groom, which makes for some great laughs in the days to follow. The bride and groom also get digital copies of all of the photo booth pictures which can be a great addition to their wedding album.

What are some good tips for a photo booth wedding experience?

Make sure you do your research. There are a number of photo booth companies out there for nearly every budget. Make sure to read the reviews and that they are answering your questions in a timely manner. Check with your wedding planner and/or venue manager to ensure there is sufficient space for the photo booth and where they normally setup. We generally ask for a 10’x10’ space. You want to have the photo booth in an area that is visible to your guests.

If your wedding venue is limited on space and it needs to be put in a different area, make sure your MC and/or DJ make regular announcements so your guests know when the photo booth is open and to remind them to use it. At weddings, photo booths are typically scheduled to start after everyone has had dinner. You may want to consider having the photo booth open as your guests are arriving for a fun and unique guest book opportunities. We have also done events in the past where the images taken earlier in the day are then displayed on a large screen as a slide show during dinner for some added entertainment.

What are some of the most popular props guests use at the wedding?

When it comes to props, I find the more ridiculous the better! With weddings, you get all kinds of people and a wide range of age groups, so you need to have an assortment of props available. Sunglasses in a variety of styles and colours are always popular. Head candy is another big one – tiaras, unicorn headbands, hats covered in glitter… you get the picture.

Oversized facemasks such as a unicorn head or grumpy cat have been some of our most popular props at any event. We’ve also done weddings where we’ve used a life size cardboard cutout of a singer or actor/actress to use in the photos. They don’t always make it to the end of the night in one piece, but it makes for a lot of good laughs. Who doesn’t want a photo with Brad Pitt! Just like our custom backdrops and print layouts, at fotobüth we can also offer customized props to work with a specific theme.

What happens in the event your equipment breaks down?

Technology isn’t always perfect, and unfortunately, the equipment can fail. We make it very clear in our contract that the photo booth may require some onsite maintenance and/or servicing during an event and therefore some minor delays may occur. Typically, we only ever need to close the photo booth to change a dead battery or replace the photo paper. We always bring extra supplies for that very reason.

We also have a fantastic IT team on call should there be a more technical problem. We only had one event where there was an issue with the printer. Luckily, it was at the end of the event and we were able to continue doing digital photos. The printer was repaired the next day and the prints were then mailed out to the client for the ones that got missed. We had also passed on a discount to our client for the inconvenience. Equipment failures do happen, but they’re pretty rare and can usually be corrected on site.

What are some of the best places for photo booths at a wedding?

Proper lighting is huge when it comes to photo booths. Our photo booth can go indoors or outdoors; however, it can become challenging outdoors when you’re dealing with natural light and other weather elements. For that reason, it’s ideal to have the photo booth indoors and away from any windows (unless blinds are available). Sunlight coming through a window can cause light spots and shadows on the backdrop/guests that will be obvious on the photos.

You also want to ensure the photo booth isn’t too close to the DJ since they often have specialty lighting. No one wants to have pictures with blue and red dots on their face. We have found that photo booths work best when they’re in the same area as the wedding reception as a constant reminder to the guests. When it’s in an area that’s less visible, your guests may not see it and, therefore, not use it. We do offer our clients a reduced rate for idle time – meaning the photo booth can be temporarily shut down for things like dinner and speeches so that it’s not a distraction.

It’s also important to have the backdrop against a wall. We’ve done an event in the past where the photo booth was in an upstairs loft area with no wall behind it – unfortunately, a guest at that wedding had too much to drink and fell backward, taking the backdrop with her. No one was injured, but it did cause some delays and damage to the backdrop stands.

What type of equipment do you use?

We use a high-quality Canon SLR camera for the best resolution possible along with two professional light stands. We also use a DNP printer that will automatically print high-quality photos in a matter of seconds after the shots, so your guests don’t have to wait. Our photo booth also has a 24” monitor so guests can easily see what they look like before the photo is taken.

What sets you apart from the others?

We have a unique photo booth that is a king-sized version of a 1938 vintage Rolleiflex camera. A lot of photo booths used today are completely digital and have a short countdown in-between photos. At Fotobüth, all of our packages include a photo booth attendant who is onsite for the entirety of the event to ensure that everything operates smoothly. Our attendants also have a ‘clicker’ that they use and are in full control of when the photos are taken. This gives guest time to plan their pose and even switch up props between each photo.

Unfortunately, some of the digital photo booths used today don’t printout the photos and only send them out electronically (email). Our guests are always so excited to see that they can take home a physical copy of their photo and all of the digital images are then sent to the bride and groom after the event.