Photo booth. DIY or rent?

I was looking into it and realized it would be almost the same amount of money as renting one. I wanted a printer that would print the strips just like a regular photo booth, though. It wasn't worth the extra effort of having to make the backdrop. I am paying $450 for one which includes all the props and unlimited printed photos.

@mizzzcara can you advise on the company you went with?

I looked at both options and it was easier to hire someone. I found a great one for $100 an hour, with prints.

Well I'm in Vegas. Are in Vegas, too?

I got a good deal for 450 unlimited pics with props and a backdrop for four hours, but in NYC that is a great price.

@mizzzcara no I'm in NYC, @BeckyR which is your vendor?! Thanks for your help ladies

I saw a DIY one at a wedding once and it was not fun. They had a selfie stick and a bunch of props but it was hard to hold the props and the selfie stick and get everyone in the picture. If you are going to do it there has to be a better way.

I haven't been a fan of the DIY ones that I have seen. Rent one or skip it.

We're creating a background that follows the theme of our wedding, giving some props and letting people take pictures with their own phones and cameras... way cheaper and gives us and our guests way more freedom!

ETA: well have people around to take pictures, not using a selfie stick or anything

We had an impromptu DIY selife station. Impromptu meaning, I decided the day before to buy some props and a selfie stick and use our ceremony backdrop as the background. It was just ok and our guests enjoyed it, but we also had a small guest list. I'm not sure how much of a hit it would have been with a larger crowd. We plan to have a real photobooth at our celebration of marriage in April.

We did a DIY one just for fun and had a cheesy backdrop from Amazon, selfie sticks, and props but that was just for people to take pics on their phones. We also used a Fujifilm instax mini to have guests take pictures and put them in our guest book with some fun washi tape. That was a big hit with our guests and a really fun keepsake from the wedding.

We used a digital camera on a tripod, or people just used their phones, for a DIY one. It was a hit and they are def some of my fave photos from the wedding bc they are of our guests! All we had to pay for was the cost of the props and backdrop, it was such an affordable fun addition

This is how it turned out!

@Melanie how much was your instax mini? and did you have a lot of guest ? Just trying to see if this would be viable for a large wedding?

Thank you all for your comments, i will have to search around for some prices.

I would say have a good look around but DIY doesn't come out as professional as the rented ones obviously so just look around and find a good company with a good price and it will take the stress off your hands and you know you are getting a photo booth service done properly.

Consider just doing a selfie station with a cute backdrop.

Talk to your photographer. Sometimes they have an add-on of a photo booth which can be more reliable and professional than a DIY one