What You Need to Know about Renting a Photo Booth for Your Wedding

Photo booths have become quite the trend in recent years, and for good reason: they’re a fun way to keep guests entertained and result in some amazing mementos! If you’re thinking of renting a photo booth for your wedding, it’s important to know that these come in many shapes and sizes, and cost around $1,000–$1,500 to rent. Picking a photo booth company also requires just as much vetting as hiring any other wedding vendor.

That said, renting a photo booth isn’t as straightforward as you might think.

Before you simply Google the nearest photo booth rental company and sign on the dotted line, it’s worth evaluating exactly what kind of options are out there. We’ve included some tips from wedding planner Kaushay Ford, owner of Kaushay & Co. in Utah, to help you decide what type of photo booth you want and what kind of questions you should be asking potential vendors.

Is a Wedding Photo Booth Right for Your Wedding?

Before you start vetting vendors, consider whether a photo booth is even a good fit for your wedding. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you worried about not having enough entertainment for your guests during your reception, beyond the dance floor?
• Are you having trouble picking out the best wedding favors?
• Do you worry that your photographer won’t be able to capture as much as you’d like, or do you have a slim photo budget?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then a photo booth might be the solution. A photo booth provides loads of fun entertainment, gets you extra photos of special moments that your photographer might not be able to capture, and sends guests home with a built-in wedding favor.

Types of Wedding Photo Booths

There are several types of wedding photo booths, including open-air booths, enclosed booths, inflatable booths, 360° booths, and Airstream booths. Here are the differences:

Open Air Photo Booths

These photo booths are great for small spaces and flexible setups, as they aren’t really booths, per se. Instead, you generally have a free-standing camera on a pedestal, aimed at the backdrop of your choosing. Such a “booth” often allows for digital sharing or multiple prints.

Enclosed Photo Booths

Enclosed photo booths are the traditional photo booths you’re likely familiar with. Guests go into what is essentially a box, close the curtain, and take their photos. These take up more space, but have their own appeal.

“We also have some folks who offer AI photo booths,” Ford says. “You take your picture in the booth, and then it actually runs it through an automated program that spits out more of a fun caricature or something that’s a little bit more themed.”

Inflatable Photo Booths

This is technically a type of enclosed photo booth with a few structural differences. Inflatable booths are often larger and more lightweight, so they can be set up and torn down in minutes. They may feature LED lighting and come in different colors that you can match to your wedding theme.

You can also easily buy inflatable photo booths online if you want to bypass a photo booth rental company completely and go the DIY route.

Airstream Photo Booth

Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: a vintage Airstream trailer transformed into a photo booth. Guests take their seats on one end of the trailer, and pose for the camera on the other end.

This type of photo booth is best for outdoor or indoor-outdoor venues, as you obviously have to park the trailer somewhere.

“Those are way fun,” Ford says. “They’re really good if you know you’re gonna have groups of anywhere from four to 10 that want to take a photo together rather than just a couple. There’s usually more space for everyone to sit around in a cute area.”

It’s not going to be the most cost-effective of your options, but it definitely brings the style.

360° Photo Booths

A bit like the Glambot that’s captured audience attention at awards shows, a 360° photo booth captures 360-degree video of guests as they stand on a platform. Video can be done in slow motion, or you can create boomerangs. The result is a smooth, professional-looking clip.

“These are really great for couples that love movement! People are just gonna be itching to dance, because it captures a little bit more personality,” Ford says.

Fans of the Glambot (the high-speed, slow-motion camera popularized by photographer Cole Walliser on the E! channel) can even rent the real thing in some markets.

“It’s a really fun way to get a photo experience that feels a little bit more elevated, a little bit more refined,” adds Ford. “It’ll make your guests feel like they themselves are right there on the red carpet.”

Where and When to Set Up Your Photo Booth

When to Set Up Your Photo Booth

While your first thought may be to have your photo booth open and active during the reception (which is definitely a good choice; nothing wrong with it!), do consider that you have other options. You might like to have your photo booth running during the cocktail hour or a similar block of time when guests may otherwise just be mingling.

Where to Set Up Your Photo Booth

While you’ll need to talk to your venue coordinator regarding the best place to put a photo booth, ideally, you’ll place it somewhere both unobtrusive and convenient. Near the bar or the dance floor is often a good call. You don’t want the booth out in the flow of traffic, but you also want to make it easy for guests to use as they enjoy the rest of the event.

Keep in mind that your photographer will be moving through the space to take photos as well, so position the booth where it won’t be in the way or in the background of any important shots, like your first dance photos. Make sure that there’s also enough space for a hypothetical line to form safely.

“You also need to understand what their power needs are,” Ford notes. “If you’re in a venue that’s got outlets all over the place, that’s not a problem. At other places, especially outdoors, you may need to ask the photo booth company to bring in their own generator.”

Finding a Photo Booth Rental Company

Online research for photo booth rentals in your area will generally lead you to two options: companies that specifically and exclusively rent out photo booths, and then wedding vendors, such as photographers or DJs, who offer photo booths as add-ons to their packages.

Peruse your options, read their reviews, and check out their pricing and packages listed online. When you’ve found some vendors that seem like they may be a good fit, reach out with a few key questions.

Questions to Ask a Potential Photo Booth Rental Company

• Can I see photos from past events?
• Does your photo booth offer printed photos, digital photos, or both?
• How will both we (the couple) and guests access the photos during and after the wedding?
• Will a staff member be manning the photo booth, or are we on our own?
• What are our backdrop and prop options? Can we bring our own?
• Does your photo booth only capture still photos, or does it also capture video?
• What are your set-up and tear-down requirements?
• Do you have any travel fees?
• Do you have liability insurance?
• Can I see your contract?

If a photo booth vendor meets all your requirements, you’ll sign a contract and likely pay a deposit when reserving your dates.

How Much Will Renting a Photo Booth Cost?

The cost of renting a photo booth for your wedding will vary depending on a lot of factors, including where you’re located and the type of photo booth you choose. On average, you can expect to pay around $1,000–$1,500 for a three- to four-hour rental.

If you decide to rent a booth for a longer period of time so that guests can use it both during cocktail hour and the reception, ask the vendor if they’ll offer special idle time pricing.

Idle time pricing essentially means that the photo booth shuts down for a period, like during dinner, and you get a reduced hourly fee during that time. When the photo booth comes back online, the normal rate kicks in again.

It’s also prudent to ask your vendor about extra fees that you might incur for exceeding a certain number of photos/prints, as well as for transport to your venue.

“If someone really wants a more DIY experience, we’ve used a company called Kruu in the past, which actually ships a photo booth to the couple,” Ford says. “The wedding party sets it up on their own, fully managed by whoever’s there on site, and then they ship it back. That runs most of our couples between $200 and $300. It’s the most inexpensive way to do it.”

Many vendors offer such services nationwide, with discounted rates available depending on how much of your own effort you’re willing to invest in setup and administration. It may be worth delegating this task to a close family member or someone organized in your wedding party.

FAQs About Photo Booths at Your Wedding

Is Renting a Photo Booth for a Wedding Worth it?

Many couples find that renting a photo booth for a wedding is definitely worth it! It’s a fun way to keep guests entertained during the cocktail hour and/or reception, and gives them a keepsake/favor to take home.

How Much Does a Photo Booth for a Wedding Cost?

While exact rental costs depend on geography, the number of hours the booth is needed, and how high-tech the booth is, you can expect to spend around $1,000–$1,500 on a wedding photo booth.

Where do you get a Photo Booth for a Wedding?

You can find vendors who solely focus on renting photo booths, as well as photographers and DJs who rent photo booths as add-ons to their packages. You can also buy your own.

What is the Best Type of Photo Booth for a Wedding?

An open-air photo booth is often a good fit for a wedding, since it requires little space, can be placed just about anywhere, and is reasonably cost-effective.

What’s the Most Expensive Wedding Photo Booth?

The most expensive types of wedding photo booths are typically 360° photo booths and Airstream photo booths, since they’re often larger and/or more technically complicated.

Protect Every Wedding Vendor Deposit with Wedding Cancellation Insurance

Whichever option you end up going with, make sure that your vendor deposit is protected with wedding cancellation insurance. This is a policy that’ll refund lost deposits if your vendor cancels or goes out of business before your big day. The coverage also refunds those deposits if you’re the one who ends up canceling!

Learn more and get your quick wedding cancellation insurance quote now.

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