Discover fun wedding photo booth ideas.
Photobooths have become a wedding classic. These days, it’s rare to attend a wedding without one.
In this article, we have listed fun photo booth ideas to give your pictures a unique twist.
If you’re not too sure how a photo booth is going to fit in or, if you’re looking for some creative ideas, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s dive in.
Photo booth type
The first step is to determine which type of photo booth you want. They come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve dedicated an article on choosing the best photo booth.
The type you’ll want to choose will depend on your wedding style, what’s available in your area & what’s suitable for your venue.
A classic ‘cabin’ photo booth
These are “standard” photo booth cabins that have been reimagined for parties (i.e their usually a bit bigger & have fun photo settings).
The trade-off is that the number of people in each picture is limited to how many fit in the cabin.
Polaroid cameras
Simply set up some Polaroid cameras on the table and let your guests do the rest.
This is by far the simplest option but it has its limitations. There is always a chance that a younger guest (or an older one after a few drinks…) uses up all the film for their amusement! Once it’s gone it’s gone.
Selfie Mirror
A selfie mirror (or a party mirror) is a jumbo mirror that takes pictures of the posers. These have grown in popularity in recent years.
If you’re based in Ireland, you can book a party mirror directly through the PartyWizz website.
Open-air photo booth
If your wedding venue has a nice garden or outdoor area, why not set-up an open-air photo booth?
These usually resemble photo-shoots more than photo booths but are guaranteed to deliver great results.
DIY photo station
If you’re up for some DIY, why not set-up a custom photo booth area? All you need is a tablet (with good picture quality!), a tablet stand, an external battery & and a small photo printer.
If you already own a tablet, it’s a very cost-effective way of setting up a photo booth!
Pro-tip: Photo booths are great and will make for great pictures, but they aren’t a substitute for a having real photographer alongside. You can also book a professional photographer through the PartyWizz website.
A photo booth on wheels
Trucks, trailers, mini-vans… photo booths come in all shape and sizes. If this is an aesthetic you particularly like, you should be able to easily find one in your area.
The trade-off is that it needs to be set-up outside!
Photo booth picture ideas
Once you’ve decided on the photo booth type, you’ll need to decide on what format you want the pictures.
Pro-tip: We recommend not trying to do too much. Instead, stick to a single idea!
Picture guest book
This is a firm favourite.
Get all your guests to glue their pictures into an album & write a small congratulation message with it. It’s a unique souvenir of the day for the newlywed couple.
Just keep in mind that it requires a photo booth that prints out the pictures as they’re taken (most of them do).
Also, this activity does require a bit of supervision if you want all your guests to be in the album… ask a couple of friends if they would mind helping out!
Pictures by category
A classic with a twist.
Get your guests to take pictures by “categories”. For example university friends, people you met abroad, grandmothers, people who speak Spanish…
You can make these categories as simple or elaborate as you want. Just make sure you have a list of all the shots you want (& designated coordinators who’ll make them happen).
Pictures by name
All the Nathalie’s, all the Steve’s, all the Seans… You get the idea.
It’s a great way to get interesting picture combinations. For example, a nephew, a high school friend and the father’s groom might share the same name.
The only catch is that it’s hard to plan. People don’t all know with whom they share their name.
Pictures of the pets
Silly but cute. Especially if they’re going to be at the venue.
Video messages
Instead of pictures get your guests to record a short message for the newly married couple. If your guests aren’t camera shy this is a great way to record the day forever.
GIF-Maker
A GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a short animated picture that loops…. You’ve probably seen them on WhatsApp. Compared to a video, the big difference is that there is no sound.
Similar to the previous point, you can get your guests to pose & record a gif.
Photo booth prop ideas
Once you’ve decided what type of pictures you want and what your goals are with them, it’s time to consider what props you want with your photo booth.
Paper props
Paper props, held with a stick are the go-to photo booth props.
The benefit of using these is that people get the idea of them immediately. In addition, they’re also very cheap which means if they get damaged it isn’t a big deal.
Costumes
For slightly more “real” photos, get some actual props to pose with. Don’t get anything too elaborate. They should be easy to take on and off.
For example a traditional top hat and feather boa and/or silly glasses…
Paper cut out
Get life-size posters/cut-outs of the bride and groom. That way, everyone gets to be “in the picture” with them.
It’s silly & will make for a great souvenir of the day.
Frame
Having a frame as a photo booth prop is another classic. Your guests can simply hold it up and pose behind it (if you then frame the picture it makes the whole thing very meta…).
The actual frame can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. You should be able to find one that matches your wedding atmosphere fairly easily.
Chalkboard for messages
Another idea is to have a chalkboard for your guests to write a message to the newlywed couple.
Pro-tip: We recommend using a very thin chalk or even liquid chalk. It’s a bit harder to clean but it will show up significantly better on the pictures.
Photo booth background ideas
Last but not least is the backdrop for the pictures. If you’ve booked a cabin type photo booth skip this section. Otherwise, we’ve also listed a few below:
Venue specific
Your venue might have a picturesque spot which will be perfect for your photo booth. We recommend starting here before opting for more complex options.
Hanging props from trees
Hanging props from trees is an easy way to make an outdoor backdrop interesting & dynamic. The options are endless. For example lanterns, pictures frames, flowers…
You can checkout out Pinterest for some general backdrop ideas.
Origami backdrop
If you’re up for some DIY (although you might be able to buy one ready-made online), you can make an origami backdrop. It’s a great way to decorate a plain wall with colours.
For a tutorial on the origami backdrop featured in the image above, check out this article by boho-weddings.com. You can find some additional origami ideas (and other DIY backdrops) in this article by TasteOfHome.
Green screen
It requires a good bit of set-up & planning but if your guests are techy you can set up a green screen for them. This allows you to have any backdrop you want.
Technology has come a long way so it doesn’t necessarily need to be a vibrant green screen but it should be colourful and plain.
Unfortunately, the screen is probably going to clash with the rest of your decorations. For that reason, we recommend trying to “hide” the set-up in a corner or a separate room.
That’s a wrap
We hope you find these photo booth ideas useful, you make use them and get some great photos!
At PartyWizz, we specialise in providing wedding entertainers and suppliers such as magicians, photographers, videographers, musicians and more. We pride ourselves in only working with the best in the business.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Our team is always happy to help.
