Wedding photo booth: how to plan it properly

Why have a photo booth at your wedding?

Your photographer tells the story of the day; the photo booth hands the camera to your guests. With nobody directing them, they pull faces, squeeze into unlikely group shots and write messages on chalkboards. It is often where the most spontaneous pictures of the wedding come from.

It also fills the quieter moments: while the two of you are off having portraits taken, between dinner and the cake, or when the children start getting restless. And every guest leaves with a print made on the spot, which ends up on a fridge door or in an album. A real keepsake, in your colours, with your names and your date.

Hire, buy or build your own?

You have three options, depending on your budget, your time and how comfortable you are with the technical side.

• Hiring from a supplier: the booth is delivered, set up and adjusted for you, usually with a printer and someone on hand. It’s the most relaxed option on the day. Book early, as summer Saturdays go fast.
• Borrowing or buying a booth, perhaps from friends who own one: more flexible, but someone will need to keep an eye on it and reload the paper.
• A homemade booth with a camera, a tripod, a laptop and a photo printer: the most personal choice, as long as you test it properly before the day. Our DIY photo booth guide covers the kit and the setup.

Whichever you choose, one question comes up: which frame will be printed around the photos? Many suppliers will happily use your own, as long as it’s in the right size. Ask about it when you book.

Where to set up the photo booth on the day

The location matters as much as the booth itself. Tucked away at the end of a corridor, it will sit empty; placed where people pass, it draws a crowd all evening.

• Pick a spot that can be seen from the main room or the dance floor, but out of the way of the catering staff.
• Allow roughly three metres by three: the booth, the backdrop, a table for the props and a little space for groups to step back.
• Check there’s a power socket nearby and, ideally, steady lighting. Don’t put the backdrop opposite a large window: sunset backlighting ruins faces.
• Outdoors, keep a sheltered fallback. A shower or the evening damp is no friend to printers or photo paper.

Think about the guest book too. Placed next to the booth, it invites everyone to stick in their print and write a few words. Our photo booth guest book guide explains how to prepare one.

When to open it, and for how long

The drinks reception is the perfect moment to open the booth: guests are relaxed, dressed up, still looking immaculate, and often waiting for the newlyweds to come back. The prints from this first wave tend to be the most polished.

Then keep it open into the evening, once the dance floor fills up: the photos get sillier and the groups bigger. Three to four hours is usually plenty; after that, the queue tends to fade. If you’re hiring by the hour, focus on those two high points.

Ask whoever gives a speech, or the venue coordinator, to mention the booth: one quick reminder is enough to bring a fresh wave of guests.

Props and backdrop: the essentials, nothing more

Props break the ice, especially for guests who don’t like having their picture taken. A handful of well-chosen pieces beats an overflowing box where nothing can be found; our guide to photo booth props and backdrops has ideas for every occasion.

• Hats, glasses and flower crowns that can be put on in a second.
• One or two chalkboards with chalk, so guests can write a note to the couple.
• Signs that match your theme: Team Bride, Team Groom, Just Married.

For the backdrop, a greenery wall, a sequin curtain or a plain sheet all work. Choose it with the printed frame in mind: a busy backdrop behind an equally ornate frame ends up drowning the faces. A neutral backdrop lets the photos breathe and shows off the design around them.

The printed frame: what your guests take home

It’s the detail most often forgotten, yet it’s the only thing left once the party is over. The frame, or template, is the design printed around the photos: your names, the date, sometimes the venue or a hashtag. It should match your stationery and the size your booth prints.

Start with the size. A 4×6 print holds one or more photos, in portrait or landscape; a 2×6 photo strip lines up several poses vertically, like an old-school booth. If you’re unsure, our guide to choosing a photo booth print size compares the options.

Next, pick a style that echoes your decor. Wild Eucalyptus and Barn & Hay suit a countryside celebration, as does the whole rustic wedding collection. White Signature gives the photos all the room in a clean white margin, and Golden Wreath even includes a line for your hashtag. Depending on the season and the mood, see also the winter wedding and vintage wedding collections. For what to write on it, browse our wedding frame wording ideas.

Your timeline, from six months out to the night before

• Six to twelve months before: book the supplier or find your booth, and ask which size and file type they need for the frame.
• Three months before: choose the frame design once your colours and invitations are settled, and come up with your wedding hashtag if you want one.
• One month before: customise the frame, double-check names and date, then send the files to your supplier. Leave time for a final test print.
• Wedding week: confirm the spot, the opening time and who will look after the booth. Gather the props in one box.
• The night before: check the paper supply and get the guest book, pens and double-sided tape ready.

Get your photo booth frame ready now

Your frame takes a few minutes, and there’s no need to wait for your supplier. Open a design, for example customise Wild Eucalyptus, then replace the sample text with your names, date and venue. You can move and resize each area, change the background colour or the colour of a single line, and the preview updates with every change. No account needed: your draft is saved automatically on your device.

When you download, you get a PNG overlay at full print resolution, transparent where the photos go, with a package ready for dslrBooth and a file that works with any software that accepts a PNG overlay. Spotted a typo later? Fix it from My account and share the link to your files with your supplier. To find your style, browse all our wedding designs.