Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and many of you will be clinking champagne flutes at parties with friends. I’m betting some of those celebrations will have a photo booth, hosted or not, for guests. If you still think of a boxy contraption just big enough for 3 pre-teen girls to cram into for a strip of 4 tiny photos when you hear “photo booth”, keep reading! The photo booth has wandered out of the mall and made its way into many weddings and events. This week we are exploring creative photo booth ideas for your wedding.
Hosted, not hosted, or somewhere in-between
If you are considering a photo booth for your wedding, start by looping your photographers into the discussion. One of the first decisions to make will be to decide who will be the photographer(s) at the booth:
- Hosted: Photos at the booth will be taken by either your wedding photographers (likely for an additional fee) or someone you designate (friend or family member). The benefits of a hosted booth are higher quality photos and full access to the images. Potential downsides include additional cost and assigning a friend or family member to “work” your wedding.
- Semi-hosted: A camera will be provided at the booth for guests to take their own photos. Options include; asking your photographers to set up a camera on a tripod with a remote for guests to use, or providing a small point and shoot on a selfie-stick for guests to take their own photos. While image quality may not be as good as a fully hosted photo booth, the benefits are that no one needs to man the booth yet you still have full access to the images. If digital photos or access are not important to you, an instant camera is a fun option that lets guests take their photos with them.
- Not hosted: The easiest of the three because you provide only the booth and the props. Guests take their own photos and use their own cameras. The benefit of an un-hosted booth is that you set it up and forget it. The downside of this is you have no access or control over the images taken. You will need to rely upon guests to share their images for you to view. You can help this along by using a wedding photo share app for guests to post their photos. Consider setting up a large screen television to run the app during the reception for instant sharing!
Let’s talk logistics
An important detail to consider is the location of the booth. Depending on your backdrop, props, etc., you will likely need an area at your reception around 10ft by 10ft to designate for the photo booth. The booth should be easily accessible by guests, yet out of the flow of normal reception events (dancing, eating, cutting of the cake, etc.).
Creative Ideas for Props and Backdrops
Now for the fun stuff! Backdrops can be as simple as pretty fabric tacked to a wall or as elaborate as the beautiful wall of flowers seen in the Kim Kardashian wedding photos. An online search will turn up many fun suggestions and props to purchase but here are a few of the creative photo booth ideas we love:
- Suspend a large frame or frames for guests to stand behind
- Cover a board with pretty wallpaper in colors to compliment the wedding décor
- Paint a large board with chalkboard paint and provide chalk to guests to create their own backdrop
- Suspend a curtain of twinkle-lights as backdrop
- Create a backdrop of flowers from paper umbrellas or tissue paper. Consult your florist if wanting real flowers.
- Suspend a bead door or fringe curtains for a fun or glitzy backdrop
- Inflate balloons in colors to compliment the wedding décor (hang from trees, tape to walls, or fill with helium and anchor at different heights for guests to wade among)
- Suspend metallic streamers and shapes as either a backdrop or for guests to stand under
- Provide props such as; pretty masks, sunglasses, fake mustaches, crowns, hats, chalkboard signs for guests to write messages, etc.
No matter what creative photo booth idea you land on, remember the DIY rules from our blog. If the project can be completed weeks before your wedding day, give it a go. If not… hire a pro.
Happy New Year!
Sharon and Laura
Visit our Pinterest site for more creative ideas or schedule a consultation with us to help create you special day.