When the cake is gone and everyone has returned home, one of the tasks you are left with is sorting through all the photos from the event. Wedding pictures are, rightfully, treasured possessions for many years to come. Lots of couples hire a photographer, and possibly also a videographer, to capture their wedding. Hiring professionals is a great way to not only get high-quality results, but it also takes the responsibility of documenting the event off your plate.
In addition to hiring a pro, many people also choose to have a photo booth at their wedding. These are a great way to let your guests create unique moments for your wedding scrapbook. However, you may be wondering if the photo booth is still trendy, or if it has crossed over into the category of stale tradition. Like many traditions, new technologies allow for reinvention of traditions, and the photo booth is no different. In this blog, we are going to check out a few ways you can have a photo booth at your wedding that will have your guests lining up for their turn!
Tried and True: The Classic
It wasn’t that long ago when walking through the mall with friends, or maybe a date, might include a stop at the photo booth. These kiosks were randomly placed throughout many malls, and the small 4-5 picture keepsakes they produced are great mementos.
These booths can be a great option for your wedding photo booth. Opting for the classic photo booth has the benefit of being familiar enough to your guests that you don’t have to worry too much about explaining or directing them to the booth.
A good idea is to look for photo booths that produce 2-3 copies of the pictures. That way, you can include a scrapbook station for your guests to add their pictures to, and they will still have a copy or two to take home. When the curtain is pulled, we often make some silly faces. Having the scrapbook station clearly established by the booth is a great way to preserve those memories for years to come.
Photo Booth Props
If you head over to Amazon, you can quickly and easily find 1000’s of photo booth props. These range from comically large sunglasses to handlebar mustaches. You should consider having some props around the photo booth area. You don’t want the props to feel cumbersome or restrictive, but rather they should be used to encourage the creative expression of your guests.
Prop Warning
Be careful not to go overboard on the props. It is important to remember that your guests are dressed up for the event. This means you should look for props that can quickly and easily be incorporated and don’t require too much of a wardrobe change. After all, you want the photo booth to be a hit, but you don’t want your guests waiting in line all night while people change in and out of costumes.
Something Less Traditional
While the original photo booth will no doubt get the guests engaged at your wedding, many couples are looking for something less traditional and more contemporary for their weddings. To see examples, one needs only to Google “wedding photo booth ideas” and you are instantly met with more results than you could ever need. From a vintage VW van to an exciting 360 booth, there seem to be an endless amount of options available.
When looking to go for a nontraditional photo booth, you will need to be more aware of your wedding’s theme than with a traditional booth. With a traditional photo booth, guests know what to expect. If you are choosing something that is a bit more fresh, or maybe even entirely unique to your wedding, you will want to be mindful that it makes sense conceptually. For example, if your wedding theme is more formal, then an old West saloon photo booth may feel a bit out of place.
How are the Photo Booth Pictures Captured?
For a traditional photo booth, the camera and printer are housed inside the unit. This is one of the reasons the traditional model is so efficient and easy to use at the wedding. If you are planning to have a nontraditional approach, then you may need to consider how you plan to capture the pictures.
One option is to have a photographer specifically assigned to the photo booth area. This way, your guests can get some direction and you know that all the pictures are captured and saved. Alternatively, you can set the area up with a polaroid camera for guests to use. Again, you can pair the polaroid with a scrapbook so that your guests can have an active role in helping you create a special wedding memory.
Live Slideshows for Your Photo Booth
Looking back on the wedding photos will always be a treasured experience. But what if you were able to see pictures in real time? The With Waldo Photos app offers a feature for just that! Live Smart Slideshows come with Waldo Gold, your guests can submit their photo booth creations right from their phone to the slideshow. This way, you can have a slideshow playing near the booth to help get your guests engaged.
The Waldo Photos app is available on Apple, Android, and desktop. But the best part is that your guests can use SMS or your QR code to send in pictures. That’s right. Your guests do not need to download the app. This way you don’t have to have a dedicated photographer for the photo booth, which could help you save some money. Try placing your QR code directly inside the photo booth or for a more luxe feel, hook up an iPad. With the Waldo app, you can design your photo booth to reflect the unique theme of your wedding without having to worry about a bulky booth or complicated camera setup.
Finishing Up
Photo booths are definitely still trendy for weddings. However, they are no longer exclusively the boxy booth you remember from the mall food court. Instead, advances in tech, particularly in the quality of phone cameras, grant much more freedom in how you create your booths. Whether it is a living wall of ivy to go live in front of or a retro van, the Waldo Photos app can make collecting and storing your memories seamless and worry free!
