It’s not all snap, cackle and print with photobooths these days, as Sarah Gillespie discovers
Far from being the flash in the pan that many predicted, photobooths have gone from an evening reception’s quirky addition to a key item on the bridal must-have list. With so many photobooth companies out there now, the competition is fierce, which is great news for you – prices are competitive and suppliers are striving to stand out and offer something different. From superimposed dinosaurs to booths that er… aren’t really booths, we’ve compiled the newest, coolest ways to make your guests snap-happy.
[masterslider id=”8″]Themed props
We love a fake afro wig as much as the next gal, but your guests are much more likely to make their photobooth picture their next profile photo if they look silly and sophisticated. For props that are more class than crass, check out The Bygone Photobooth Company whose selection of vintage accessories has been sourced from salvage yards, auction houses and antique shops from all over the world (check out the vintage telephone, above!). Even the high-quality photography equipment has been cleverly disguised inside a genuine Edwardian camera and stand. Each themed trunk is a treasure trove of quirky items – you get cute crockery with the vintage tea party set, and an original 1940s press camera with the film noir selection, for example. You’ll have an album crammed with enough #throwbackthursdays to last you a lifetime.
Green screen
If you’ve ever fancied being the cover star of a magazine, travelling back in time or taking a trip around the world, you need a green-screen photobooth. Hop inside, choose from a hilarious selection of backgrounds, pose for photos as normal and the booth will transform the plain background into your selected scene. Check out SillySnapz Events and The Edinburgh Fun Casino Company and they’ll have you posing for a picture at the bottom of the ocean in no time!
Gif booth
While it might sound like somewhere your guests can leave pressies for you, a GIF booth is the perfect compromise between photos and videos. For those not familiar with the often-funny animations, a GIF switches between four photos to create a moving image. Blushbooth launched a GIF booth earlier this year, which can upload the animated version to social media, but also gives your guests a printout of the photos. It’s the best of both worlds!
Boothless
We’ve been to enough wedding venues to know that there are some seriously amazing backdrops for your photos. Take advantage of your venue’s impressive interiors with LookLook’s tower booth camera, left. Many booths can only accommodate four to six guests, but eight of your pals can strike a pose in front of this bad boy. It can also be set up with a curtain or free-standing backdrop, and its compact size makes it perfect if space is too tight for a normal booth. There are some gorgeous photobooth backdrops on Etsy, and braver brides could attempt a tassel ‘crafternoon’ with willing bridesmaids for on-trend scenery.
Slow-mo booth
If you’ve got an iPhone 6 and aren’t obsessed with making slow-motion videos yet, you may as well bin it and get a Nokia 3210 again. Watching hair flicks and exploding party-poppers in super-slow-mo will provide a hearty dose of hilarity to curb your post-wedding blues. Blushbooth will even throw in the party-poppers and a massive champagne party cannon that will shower you and your new hubby in metallic confetti (just really, really slowly).
HD video
Even with the nicest videographer in the world, some guests will still feel nervous speaking in front of a camera. Picking a booth that takes photos and videos is a less daunting way to get everyone’s best wishes. As well as photos, the set-up at Betty Booth includes the ability to record HD video messages, which you’ll get afterwards on a DVD. The videos are under a minute long, so no need to worry about getting a blow-by-blow account of the day from your chatty aunt!
Flip out
Remember those flipbooks you got as a child? The one I had wasn’t very technical – a stick man running – but thumbing over the pages kept me amused on many a car journey (ah, the days before Angry Birds). Fast-forward to 2015 and The Blue Parrot Company has introduced this childhood favourite into the photobooth world with Funflip. It captures a short clip and prints it onto a 60-page mini book that you can flick through as it comes to life! The cover and background can be customised and props to suit your theme can be provided. Kids and big kids alike will be jostling for their turn. And it’s definitely something your guests won’t have seen before.