Written by NWES Guest Blogger: Danica Giermann – The SnapBar
By now you’ve been to a wedding, corporate event, holiday party or retail space that has a photo booth. They’re everywhere and really fun and the perfect thing for saving memories. But too many of these photo booth experiences look or do exactly the same thing. What do you do when the basics are hanging out at every booth activation and the really custom stuff just costs too much? How do you create an impressive experience with a standard budget? Let us help you out! We’ve put together 5 ideas on how to make your photo experience unique for under $5,000.
5) Multi-Booth Activation ($1,790 – $3,580)
One way to make a photo experience stand out is to use different backdrops and scenery.
And one of the best ways to do that is multiple photo booths set up in different locations. Because, let’s be real, you forked out a good chunk of change for that venue. Why not show it off?
Also, you’ll get the chance to spread out the photo love and not bog down a single area of your event with lines, so it’s a win-win! (by the way, The SnapBar’s Selfie Stands are awesome for this!)
4) Add Life-Size Props ($1,500+)
Everyone loves props. They give people ideas for how to pose and something to do with their hands, which helps them relax and have fun in a photo booth.
And while it can be a good thing (after all, everyone loves the mustaches and lips) a lot of props end up looking the same in every photo activation.
So why not supersize your props for a unique take?
We love the idea of a massive wine bottle, human-size popsicle, or huge logo that people can pose with/against/behind.
Our friends at Foam Fab are great at making giant foam props from wine bottles to abstract art and beyond, life-size props are a hit for photo booths.
3) Floral Background ($4,000+)
So, a huge photo trend right now is the flower wall. They make photos look fabulous and add a touch of beauty to your typical photos.
But if you’ve looked into them at all, you’ll know they’re CRAZY expensive.
So how do you get the same look for less?
Well, one thing The SnapBar did recently was work with Sublime Stems to create a custom shelved backdrop, then add over 200 potted plants to the shelves. Was it tedious? Yes. Was it as intense as adding a few thousand roses to create a backdrop? No.
The backdrop itself was just under $4,000 and adding a quality photo booth camera with a skilled attendant ended up being just over $5,000. But making the backdrop a cell phone selfie stop where people use their own mobile phones is always a fun, and inexpensive, option!
It ended up adding a beautiful aesthetic and was much less expensive than the solid wall of flowers! (Plus, a number of people used the plants as props, so that was fun!)
2) Set Design ($2,500+)
Set design is one of the top photo experiences for 2019. People are going far beyond just a simple backdrop and we’re loving it.
One of the best parts about set design is that it can be as simple or extreme as you’d like.
This is one of the favorite designs The SnapBar has worked on. The pillows were great props and the bright colors worked really well in photos.
You don’t have to go that over-the-top with set design, even though it’s really fun! If you have a more restricted budget, why not do a custom backdrop of an intricate setting and include some furniture, a couch, or something basic and themed to the mix?
That’s what this Harry Potter themed event did and the photos, while simple, were stunning
1) Gel Lighting ($1,500-$2,500)
One of the easiest ways to transform your photo booth experience from ordinary to remarkable and take the mood-level up a notch is to customize it with gel lighting.
The creative team at The SnapBar can masterfully mix your choice of colors to make the photo booth output an edgy and beautiful concoction of your brand colors or event theme!
Do you have another idea or dream you’d like to make happen in a photo experience? Are you not sure how to make it work with your budget? Let us know! The SnapBar has a lot of experience making photo dreams a reality. We’d love to work with you!
