Capture the hilarious, fun and intimate with a photobooth
The photo booth has fast become the “must have” item for the modern wedding around the world!
Since 2007 the number of photo booth operators in Australia has increased exponentially. Flashback Photobooths was one of the first to start up in Australia, and since then many new operators have entered the market to leverage their success.
What makes a photo booth such a hit is that it fills that niche of being entertainment as well as providing long lasting memories for both guest and bride/groom alike. Everyone loves to have their picture taken, what they don’t always like is other people watching – so with no photographer or audience, users feel uninhibited within the safe confines of the booth, allowing them to be the most wacky versions of themselves that they can! The addition of a prop box including wigs, tiaras and feather boas makes this conducive. The result is some of the most candid and fun shots you can imagine of family and friends. These photostrips are then usually captured on USB or CD for the hirer to keep post event. Many operators also offer as standard in their wedding packages, the option of a guest-book whereby users place one copy of the photostrip (usually there are two identical copies of each photostrip printed) in the album and leave a message with one of the gold or silver pens provided. This guest book makes for the most amazing memento and is something brides will cherish forever.
How to choose a photo booth?
1. Do not try and make price your first step as you will only make the choice harder and more confusing!
The first thing you need to do is to research reputable photobooth operators and make a short-list of companies that operate in your area. Be sure that the companies you research are reliable, prompt, professional and still going to be in business come your wedding day! Over the years I have heard of too many operators double booking, not turning up, forgetting the film roll or just being hard to deal with. Bridal websites and blogs, wedding expos and talking to past brides and venues about their experiences are the best sources of research. A very reliable starting point is the Australian Bridal Industry Academy. All of the suppliers on ABIA have been rated by their past customers so you can check each company’s rating and even see if they have won any awards. Another really important thing to do is check the operator’s ABN – this will tell you how long the company has been operating for and that they are registered as a business.
2. Now that you have your short-list the next thing to decide is which size/style of photo booth suits your theme or venue. From the smaller traditional all-steel cabinets to the marquee sized tents; these days the variety and styles of photobooths on offer is immense. Some operators offer a blow up booth or one that looks like a spaceship which may be great for a birthday party but not so well suited to your wedding.
Be mindful of the floor space the booth and peripheral items (e.g. table for the guest book/props) will require. There is a misconception that biggest is best but this isn’t always the case. Aside from possibly being the elephant in the room, often the intimate effect of the photobooth experience is lost as the booth gets larger and larger leaving the pictures looking no different from a group shot by a photographer. Users’ facial expressions often respond better to a more intimate, fun setting. Full body shots can result in awkward poses as people are often unsure what to do with their torso and legs. Finally the colour of the booth should be taken into consideration – try to choose something that works in with your theme/venue. Black and/or white are timeless colours which suit all occasions but you may have a particular colour theme you want incorporated. Many operators offer a change of curtain colour or backdrop so this is another way to personalise your booth.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this post where we talk about photobooth features, thinking about an attendant and video messaging.
Ms Gingham says: Sage advice from Evan here!
About Flashback Photobooths: Flashback Photobooths was established in 2007 with one photobooth, and through phenomenal growth we have now serviced over 1500 functions in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. There is almost a magnetic force that will draw your guests to the photobooth and strip them of their inhibitions – capture the intimate, hilarious and unexpected!
I am super excited to have a Flashback Photobooth at my wedding in October – I also bought (from a US website) clear acrylic frames for the photostrips so my guests can keep their favourite in the frame as a gift (the bomboniere). I am printing out a thank you note and people’s names to put in the frames as place cards as well. I found it hard to think of favours that were affordable but also useful and that people would want to keep – too many times they get left behind!