Top Five Questions to Ask While Photo Booth Shopping

By Gene Kosoy

Today’s weddings often include some type of photo booth service, and there are many photo booth vendors to choose from. Thus, selecting the perfect photo booth for your big day can be very overwhelming, especially if you want a special service that guests will enjoy. To help ease the process we’ve come up with the top five questions to ask while photo booth shopping.

 

1. Is this an open or enclosed photo booth? This may be one of the most important questions to ask, as the two types of photo booths are polar opposites of each other. The enclosed photo booth typically takes up less space, and offers guests a sense of privacy. The open photo booth is modular, giving you more freedom when deciding how big or small you want the footprint to be. Depending on the size of the event, the setup can be larger, and there are typically various backdrop choices.
2. Is this vendor reliable? The last thing you want on your big day is the photo booth failing to capture all of your wonderful memories the way you had envisioned. To ensure the photo booth you’re hiring won’t let you down, make sure the vendor you choose has glowing reviews! It is ideal if the company is well established in the market. Try to find out how long the company has been in business, if they use backup equipment, and what happens if there is an operator or staff issue.
3. What will be provided onsite? Figure out what will be provided the day of the event. Is the photo booth a self- service station, or will they provide a photo booth attendant during the event? Having an attendant on site can simplify the photo booth process immensely. They can assist with printing the photos, solving technical issues, directing the flow, and, most importantly, engaging your guests. Also, make sure you know what the photo booth’s reprint and image download policies are.
4. What will the quality of the photos be like? Photo booths are all fun and games, until the photo quality is less than ideal. To be certain the quality of your photos will be immaculate, make sure professional photography equipment and lighting will be used. Ask about the vendor’s experience with photography and request sample photos from previous events to make sure you are receiving top tier quality photos to commemorate your big day. If you have any ideas on how you want your photos to turn out, don’t be afraid and ask the vendor what they could do to make your ideas come alive.
5. Are there any additional options offered? Photo booths are becoming the hottest trend in event entertainment, and with a flux in demand, there is always a flux in supply. With all of those options available, you want to make sure you get a lot of bang for your buck. Ask about the booth’s custom options, such as themed props and custom backdrops. If the vendor offers additional services, ask for their full deck.

Don’t be afraid to venture out into the wonderful world of photo booths. The perfect “booth” for you might not even be a booth at all, but something custom to better fit the look and feel of your planned important event.

Gene Kosoy is a Bay Area wedding and event photographer based in San Francisco. He is the founder of SnapFiesta and VintageFiesta. Gene and his team have provided photo entertainment services for hundreds of weddings around the Bay Area and other national markets. They offer a variety of services from photobooths, flipbooks and slow motion studio to vintage vehicle photobooths. Their mission is simple: to capture top quality, long-lasting photo memories that clients will remember! For more information: http://www.snapfiesta.com/

 

Frederick Sullivan and Jaime Botello, who oversee the Weddings & Occasions page for the San Francisco Bay Times, are the talented wizards behind Sullivan-Botello Events (http://sullivanbotelloevents.com) and SnB Party Rentals (650 -877 – 0840 , www.snbpartyrentals.com). Both are Certified Wedding Planners with extensive experience in creating memorable, personalized events for special occasions. Their rental service is incredible, offering everything from beautiful gold Chiavari chairs to LED dance floors, and all at competitive prices. They are the creators of the Gay Vanity Wedding Show and are longstanding members of the Golden Gate Business Association, which is the nation’s first LGBT Chamber of Commerce.