We were intrigued when our Real Wedding bride, Stacie Reidling, told us about the photo booth she rented for their wedding reception. One of our favorite local DJs, Joe Bunn, has pioneered the photo booth concept in the North Carolina region and tells us that his customers have rave reviews. You can personalize the foto strips with the names of the bride and groom or a graphic design. And guests can either keep the full strip or, to create a special keepsake for the newlyweds, the strips can be split in half with one half being pasted into a scrapbook.
We’ve also seen brides adapt the photo booth concept for a more do-it-yourself feel (check out this Wedding Bee blogger’s super informative post on her photo booth). Keep in mind you have to provide your own photographer and equipment (separate from your event photographer) to effectively pull off the concept on your own, which can get expensive quickly. Most brides tend to opt for renting the booths through their deejays or photographers.
Whichever route you choose, providing props, such as wigs, hats, and funny glasses is a definite must to encourage your guests to let loose with these strictly candid pictures. Another great element is a small chalkboard for guests to use to incorporate messages to the bride and groom into the photos.
Every bride I know looks back at her own wedding album wishing there had been more candid pictures and more photos capturing the guests having a good time. Face it, a photographer simply can’t catch everything and everyone! The photo booth idea gives couples a unique glimpse into the moments of the wedding that they might not have been a part of.
