Guide
Themed party photo booth: 1920s, 1950s, 1970s and 1980s
By La Cabine Bretonne · published
A themed party gives guests an excuse to bring out the feathers, the leather jackets or the glitter, and the photo booth quickly becomes the place to show off a costume. The printed frame needs to match the theme too. Here, decade by decade, are the frames from our catalogue that work, the wording to plan and a few ideas for props.
Why a photo booth works at a themed party
Guests at a themed party have often spent time on their outfit: they want it photographed, and not just on a phone in the half-light. The photo booth offers decent lighting, a frame that echoes the theme and a print to take home, which becomes the keepsake of the night.
It also brings groups together: people pose with those who chose the same costume, then with whoever went furthest. For a themed birthday, an offbeat wedding or a corporate party, the idea is the same.
The 1920s and the 1950s
For a Roaring Twenties or Gatsby party, Pearls & Feathers plays with fringes in white and silver, and Gatsby reworks Art Deco in deep aubergine, ivory and champagne. The Art Deco wedding collection has more, easy to repurpose for a party.
For the 1950s, Rockabilly brings pin-ups, cherries, teal and bright red; American Diner adds a red neon sign, chrome and a chequerboard floor; Party Streamers keeps a lighter retro feel with its bold streamers.
The 1970s and the 1980s
For a disco night, Disco Ball multiplies mirror facets in purple and silver, and 1970s Polaroid imitates the thick white border and faded tones of instant photos from the era. The disco party collection brings together more dance-floor designs.
For the 1980s, Pink Neon lights up glowing letters on a dark wall, Karaoke adds a microphone and glitter, and Vinyl pays tribute to the LP. More ideas in the themed party collection.
What to write on the frame
The frame carries the name of the party and the date, with a nod to the theme. A few ideas:
- “Camille’s Roaring Twenties”, for a Gatsby birthday;
- “Rock’n’Roll Party”, followed by the date;
- “Disco Fever”, on a dance-floor frame;
- “Back to the 80s”, for a neon night;
- the name of the club or team organising the party.
Keep one short main line, readable on the print, and match the design’s colours to your decorations in the editor. Our guide to customising a photo booth template explains how to adjust the text and colours.
Props and decor by decade
A basket of props helps guests who do not have a full costume. A few simple ideas:
- 1920s: feather headbands, pearl necklaces, fake cigarette holders, bow ties;
- 1950s: polka-dot scarves, cat-eye glasses, leather jackets, combs for a quiff;
- 1970s: round tinted glasses, afro wigs, wide collars;
- 1980s: neon sunglasses, sweatbands, cardboard cassette players.
Our guide to photo booth props and backdrops has more decor ideas, from sequin curtains to balloon walls.
Running the photo booth on the night
Open the photo booth as soon as guests arrive: costumes are still spotless, and everyone wants to show theirs off. Set the booth up near the dance floor or the bar, but out of the way of foot traffic, and keep soft, steady light on the posing area, as disco or neon nights often take place in a dark room.
A costume contest gives the evening a good rhythm: announce it early, have the entrants pose at the photo booth, then pin the prints on a wall so everyone can vote. Ask two or three people to take turns reloading paper and tidying the props through the night.
A themed party for a birthday or a wedding
A decade theme works well for birthdays: the decade the guest of honour was born in, or the one they grew up in, give a common thread to the decorations, the music and the frame. Our guide to birthday photo booth ideas suggests themes by age, from 18 to 70.
For a wedding, a subtler theme is often enough: a touch of Art Deco, a retro nod on the frame, and props left for guests to choose. The frame then carries your names and date, in the style of the evening, and guests can join in as much as they like.
Print size, files and printing
A 2×6 strip lines up three poses, perfect for a run of funny faces; a 4×6 print leaves more room for costumes and groups. Our guide to choosing a photo booth print size compares the options.
Once the design is personalised, you download a high-resolution PNG overlay, transparent where the photos go, ready for your software; our guide to installing a template in dslrBooth covers the setup. If you are hiring the booth, our guide to hiring a photo booth lists the questions to ask. Customising Rockabilly takes a few minutes, with no account needed.