photo booth problems

I've heard of people using ipads for that type of photo booth too, you just need a tripod of sorts and leave instructions on how to get the timer to work.

I say go for it if you have the know how and patience for it. It definitely would be cheaper.

My FH and I talked this over. If we were going to do it DIY - we would just have props and let people take pictures with their phones - which they will be doing anyway (taking photos with a phone that is.) We thought we could then get a printer set up so people can print - but we thought someone might get print happy and run it out of ink or if the paper jammed we did not want to have an "attendant" at a printer half the night. If we can skimp on something else, we will hire a photo booth to double as a favor.

So.... it would just be a bunch of selfies?

While I like the idea of Polaroids, just note that each pictures costs you about $1 (the film)+cost of camera itself+props+backdrop+lighting.

IF you're going to do this, you need someone to take the pictures for you. Maybe someone you pay $50-$100 (high school age cousin?). Limit the time to maybe 2 hours (start after the 1st dance) OR do it as a guest book as people arrive. You'll also need additional lighting so that it's not just a flash from the camera taking the picture, since receptions are always very dim

Search 'Cowboy studio backdrop' on Amazon will get you 3 lights and a backdrop (including the stands to actually put the backdrop up) for $100 which is as good as you're going to get. If you go to the fabric store, you can buy a pattern, then use fabric glue to make the two 48" wide pieces into one larger piece big enough, but that's going to cost you another $60-$100.

I hope that helps.

I've heard it's actually quite expensive to find and use an old polaroid. I haven't looked into it, but judging on people's past posts, that has been the consensus.

I was at a wedding where they had a bench, chalkboard, and digital camera in a corner. There was a constant stream of people taking pictures with messages, and they would just get someone else to hold the camera. I thought it was cute--they posted pictures on facebook afterwards and got some really fun ones.

We're going the ipad photobooth route, will be less than $100 for everything (app, case, props, backdrop etc). There's also programs for computers too if you don't have an ipad

Yeah, perhaps polaroid isn't the best way to go. I want to do something memorable as far as pictures go so I will just keep thinking and searching! Thank y'all for your input that really helped put it in perspective.

We were going to DIY it but to make a decent backdrop with all of the stuff it would be at least $200.You can't just hang it on the walls(most likely) Our photobooth was $400 with props and an attendant.

Look for Groupon deals a little closer to your wedding! I refuse to pay full price for the photobooth after shelling out all this money for the must haves, it doubles me over when I see the additional cost in the so-called package deals dj's are giving with the photobooth. My friend told me about looking into Groupon for photobooths and I did and it is a savings of approximately $500.00 - pretty much paying 1/2 price or close to 1/2 compared with the costs associated with dj and/or photographer packages. The ONLY thing is you have to read the fine print, and make sure it doesn't expire (I saw one for a great deal that I wanted to purchase then and there but it would expire by the time my wedding was here!) So, I am going to look about 5 months before my wedding for groupon deals on photobooths.

^^^^^ What Rhonda said!!! Also try Livingsocial.com and Halfoffdepot.com as well. Halfoffdepot.com even have discounts up to 50% off the already discounted price on their website.

I''m planning on setting up a backdrop and letting people take selfies with their phones. They can post them on FB and Instagram with my wedding hashtag. The latest issue of the WW online magazine (I got it in my email) had a great article on how to do it. It's where I got the idea from.

Thank all of you. I like the Instagram table idea!

Kudos to you, I'm renting a photo booth haha I don't want to have to worry about it and I'm just renting for 3 hours I believe which will be $300 I think it said? lol I am going to have to reread the package. But we also get a free photo book with all the pictures they give us for free which is actually a $90 value!