Overwhelmed. That’s the best way to describe how I feel when I come home from a wedding and start to look at the photobooth pictures. Overwhelmed by the goofiness, the fun, the interesting use of props and just how many people, all age ranges, have a go at the fun in the photobooth. Grandma may not dance all night, but she sure seems to love to take a few shots with her family in the booth. And is usually game for using the pirate hat. Or rainbow boa. It’s seriously my guilty pleasure to look at the photobooth pictures before anything else, exhausted and totally unable to edit a thing. I know even if my feet are screaming and my back is dying to get in bed after all that equipment I carried…I can sit for a few minutes as my cards upload all the wedding pictures and just laugh. Or, sometimes, get all happy and just plain feeling awesome seeing a few shots of a newborn baby and his or her family gathering together for a group shot for the first time.
I now offer the photobooth as an addition to any wedding I’m shooting. And woah. Almost every client adds it on to their wedding package ever since I started formally offering it. Because, sure you got your guestbook where some people will write ‘Congrats!’ or ‘I love you!!’ and that’s great. I had 5 guestbooks at my wedding (no judging, I minored in bookbinding in art school so I went a little nuts). But the photobooth is like a visual guestbook- it’s a great way to make sure you have pictures of most of your guests for you to enjoy and them enjoying themselves. And they are high quality images from a dslr with all professional lighting- but no cords!! Nothing to trip on or worry about.
Speaking of professional, I hemmed and hawed over making one myself. But honestly, I wanted something that looked well put together and wouldn’t distract from the wedding. The entire booth is made from commercial metal piping and even a metal lockbox (Al Gore anyone?) for my camera so that if someone had a bit too much to drink, they won’t be breaking my camera. AND the best part??? No one needs to man the booth. Yup. Guests can come up, read the instructions, press the giant red button and the LCD screen counts down 3, 2, 1! Boom.
Yes the photobooth is fun. But the main focus should always, always be on the wedding. With the professional look, the booth fades into the background. But I’m also super picky about where it’s setup and how the wedding will flow. I normally place the photobooth away from the dancing and main activity- after all, this isn’t the focus. I usually put it by the bar that’s tucked away in a corner. So as your guests feel a bit thirsty, they go on over to the bar, realize there is a bit of a line, but…there’s a photobooth! So said guest goes and plops on a few props, grabs a friend from the drink line, and takes a few pictures. They then return to get their drink and get back on the dance floor. They probably tell their friends about the photobooth and eventually, everyone gets a drink and a few shots in the booth. It’s all about the flow.
I guess you noticed the props. Ya, kinda hard not to. Lots n lots of props. I’m a bit of a prop addict. It adds a lot of fun to the booth. But say your incorporating some important traditions or a feel for your wedding- we can work together to add some props that will make your booth ‘yours’. Maybe it’s a viking hat or initials of the couple or a chalkboard or masks. Whatever. I’m game.
