A wedding photo booth should be the simplest “yes” on your planning list: it entertains guests, fills downtime, and sends people home with something they will keep. The difference between a booth that is packed all night and one that is “fine” usually comes down to a handful of decisions you can make early.
1. Decide What Guests Take Home
Start here because it shapes everything else. Prints feel like a classic wedding favor. Digital delivery is perfect for guests who want to share immediately. If your crowd spans multiple ages, offer both so nobody feels limited.
If you choose prints, decide on the style: photo strips feel timeless and fast, while 4x6 prints feel like mini portraits and can look more wedding-premium. The best setup is often “print in hand plus a digital copy later” which keeps the line moving while satisfying the social media crowd.
2. Choose the Booth Style That Matches Your Vibe
Open-air booths are party magnets — fast for groups and visible from across the room. Enclosed booths create a more private, classic experience great for shy guests. Glam-style setups produce clean portrait-like photos that pair well with formal decor. And 360 video creates shareable highlight clips for a wow moment.
Simple rule: if you want fast lines and big groups, go open air. If you want privacy and classic energy, go enclosed. If you want polished portraits, lean glam. If you want viral-style content, consider 360.
3. Place the Booth Where Guests Naturally Gather
Placement matters more than people expect. The best spots are near cocktail hour or the bar where guests are already standing and social, on the natural path between dinner and dancing, or near the dance floor edge. Avoid tight hallways, direct harsh overhead spotlights, and corners so hidden that guests do not discover the booth until the end of the night.
4. Confirm Basics Early: Space, Power, and Load-In
The week of your wedding is not the time to discover the outlet is 30 feet away. Confirm where the booth will plug in, how cables can be routed safely, venue load-in timing and access, and whether the booth needs to be against a wall. If you have a planner, share the booth location on your floor plan.
5. Choose a Backdrop That Photographs Well
For open-air setups, the backdrop appears in every single photo. Safe choices include clean solid colors, simple patterns that will not look busy, and sequins or shimmer when the decor supports it. For outdoor booths, plan shade and a weather backup because wind and sunlight are real variables.
6. Keep Your Overlay Clean and Readable
The overlay is the frame guests take home. Keep it timeless: names and date, a small monogram, and a clean border that matches your invitations. Keep key text away from the very bottom edge so it does not get covered by hands holding the print.
7. Decide on the Scrapbook Experience
If you want one keepsake that becomes an heirloom, this is it. Place the station right next to the booth exit, provide pens that write quickly, and add a simple sign: “Take a photo, leave a note.” Ask the DJ to mention it once during the night. By the end of the evening, you will have a finished memory book full of photos and handwritten messages from every guest who loves you.
8. Pick Timing That Keeps the Booth Busy
Booths thrive when guests are not seated and rushed. The golden windows are cocktail hour into early reception, and post-dinner once dancing starts. Start too early and it feels empty. Start too late and you miss guests who leave after dinner.
9. Plan a Couple Moment
Couples often forget to use their own booth. Build a tiny plan: pick a 10-minute window, tell your DJ or attendant to remind you, get two or three great photos, and move on. You will be glad you did.
10. Make the Planning Side Simple
If you can handle artwork approvals, payments, contracts, and event details through an online portal, do it. Less back-and-forth means fewer mistakes. At Photo Booth Cincy, our client portal handles all of this so everything is in one place from the moment you book.