Wedding photography or photo booth for your wedding reception? Why not both!
Trying to decide if you should have a photographer AND a photo booth for your wedding reception? For those of you who I haven’t met, I’m Johanna Elise of Frames & Letters Photography, and today Hannah Shelton of Rivertown Photo Booths and I are going to be sharing how photography + photo booth can be the perfect pair, as well as some tips for finding a balance between quality and budget.
PLUS, we’ve got a special combo offer for 2020 couples getting married, so keep scrolling!
Johanna of Frames & Letters Photography 
Hannah Shelton of Rivertown Photo Booths
For most couples getting married, hiring a photographer is a non-negotiable. (If you still need a photographer for 2020 or 2021, hmu!) Photo booths and Instax cameras are gaining popularity at receptions, where guests can strike a pose and create an instant wedding favor to take home and put on their fridge. So which one should you choose??? Hannah and I have some pointers for you!
You get what you pay for – don’t waste it!
Johanna: I’m starting with QUALITY before budget, because I believe if you are going to invest your money into something for your wedding day, it should NOT be wasted on low-quality, cheap services. Remember that you get what you pay for! If getting dreamy, beautiful, and memorable photos is a priority for you, don’t skimp on your photographer; if you want to treat your guests to an amazing photo booth with capabilities to print + send pics to their phone, then don’t skimp on your photo booth! I’ve been to plenty of weddings with both a photographer and a photo booth, and the photo booth is a fun option for guests to get a quick favor and something to do during the cocktail hour or in between dances at the reception.
Hannah: Your photographer is there for YOU. Their priority is typically to capture the couple, the wedding party, and immediate family. Us on the other hand, we capture those fun snapshots of your friends and family letting loose who might otherwise get skipped by the photographer. Additionally, we offer that instant gratification of texting and emailing the photos within seconds. Think of us as part of the entertainment! We engage with your guests and make sure they are loving their photos and having fun, and can really liven up the cocktail hour!
Budget
Johanna: If you want ALL the fun things, but have a tight budget, opt for the photographer you want (even if it is a little higher budget) instead of skimping on a cheap photographer and cheap photo booth – you risk getting low quality photos on both ends. If you hire a great photographer that brings a second photographer, you can set up a photo backdrop and buy a $70 Instax camera with a few film packs and set it up there for guests to operate on their own. Your photographers should definitely get some great candid shots of your friends and family dancing, but you and your guests should always feel comfortable asking them to get a picture throughout the reception: it’s what you hire us for!
PS – My current packages run between $1,500 and $2,500 – fill out the contact form at the bottom of this post if that price range makes your wallet happy!
Cheap photo booth horror story: One wedding I was photographing hired a photobooth, and the two people operating it were asking ME, as a photographer, how to fix their camera settings to make it brighter. For a photo booth THEY were hired to operate. The pictures were not clear and were really grainy. I’ve also been to another one where they had a photo booth and it straight up didn’t work, and they ended up just taking pictures with people’s cell phones. You do NOT want to deal with this on your wedding day, AFTER paying money for this service!
Hannah: Just a word of caution to brides and grooms looking for more affordable booths – there are instances of scams on Groupon! I haven’t looked into it much lately, but when I first started in 2018 it was pretty common. They would charge a drastically discounted rate and often times not even show up. So, like all your vendors, take the time to make sure they have an established social media presence and website. Read the reviews and see what other couples are saying. The time spent up front on looking into the business will save you money and frustration later on!
Rivertown Photo Booth Rental Options
Hannah: We’ve spent a lot of time and money perfecting our booths – and we’re always advancing! We want you to WANT to share your images, that’s why we put so much effort into learning how to take beautiful images.
All of our booths except for the digital Party Pro Social Kiosk are manned by one of our friendly attendants. The Party Pro is so user-friendly, we found that guests really didn’t need us unless we were printing on the spot! But otherwise, one of us is right there to ensure everyone is having an amazing time!
Our Portrait Style Booth offers studio quality photos with a professional level camera and strobe lighting against one of our cute backdrops. This can be rented as a simple mobile portrait booth or add in fun props and prints to get gorgeous quality but fun prints!
Our Party Pro Booth is the social diva, it creates fun GIF, boomerang, and videos instantly for social sharing. Pair it with some Instagrammable filters and effects – and you’ve got some viral photos ready to post!
The Roaming Photo Booth offers everything the Party Pro does, but its handheld by one of our friendly attendants! While not quite as common for weddings, if you have a small venue space this would be perfect – because its small and mobile!
Last but not least, did you know we do Slow Motion Video?? Super fun for weddings or any other event, get your guests going wild and capture it on slow motion video. Then they share it instantly just like our other photos! Add in confetti, bubbles, rose petals… the possibilities are endless!
Fun Extras
If you have an idea for a fun setting with a vintage couch, or custom made props and signs, we will make it happen! We love working with you to create the perfect and most memorable experience we can.
Popular upgrades are our Kardashian style glam filter, with luxe black and white and smoothing filters that make everyone look straight off the red carpet. (If you saw Justin Biebers black and white images from his wedding, yeah, we can do that!)
Photo Booths Price Range
Our primary focus is on image quality, personalization, and a pretty setup that won’t totally ruin the look of your venue and décor! We are pretty average for our level of quality with our booths starting at $500 for a digital booth or $750 for a printing booth for three hours. With photo booths and photographers alike, you often get what you paid for. And a company that is licensed, insured, and truly 100% dedicated to quality (you know, like us ) will charge a higher rate, but the risk of having a sub-par experience is far less likely.
Have questions or ready to book your own RiverTown Photo Booth? Get in touch with Hannah via any of the social accounts below, and also check out her raving reviews from The Knot!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rivertownphotobooths/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RivertownPhotoBoothsOfficial/
The Knot Reviews https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/rivertown-photo-booths-vevay-in-1067617
Before we say goodbye, Hannah and I have a special offer for 2020 couples: A wedding photography + photo booth bundle!
Save 10% on BOTH your wedding photography and photo booth packages if you book with us and mention this blog post! That’s a potential savings of around $325, and who doesn’t love to save money on their wedding reception? Fill out the contact form below if you want to get amazing pictures and for your guests to have a blast, and we’ll get in touch with you soon!
Join me next month for another Wedding Wednesday and more tips for planning a wedding that is true to you <3
Johanna Elise, Frames & Letters Photography
