How to build your own photo booth

Looking to cut costs and build your own photo booth? Here’s how you can do it.

Entertaining your guests can become expensive – bands can cost hundreds of pounds, as can DJs, and what about the cost of a magician? Whether you’re trying to save the pennies or you want to do something fun for your guests, creating your own photo booth could be the answer.

How to make a photo booth

First, you’ll need a camera or a smartphone with a good quality camera, and a tripod to put it on.

You’ll need a mixture of props. Think hats, glasses, masks, inflatables, false beards, wigs, etc. The crazier the better! To make it easier, you can buy ready-made sets of photo booth props. Just take a look at somewhere like Hobbycraft for ideas.

Where should I put the photo booth?

Now that you’ve figured out what props you want, you need to find a place for your photo booth.

It would be a good idea to have it close to the dance floor or in the same room where the main reception is. You don’t want to set it up in a place where your guests won’t be able to find it.

You should also consider the backdrop and the lighting. Are there any curtains around a window that can be closed to create a backdrop? You may be able to find a blank wall that can be used.  You don’t want the background to detract from the guests in the photo, so choose something plain. Remember that the camera flash could reflect on a shiny background so, to avoid glare, make sure the wall doesn’t have shimmery wallpaper.

If you wanted to, you could create your own backdrop. You could hang chiffon like this incredible setup:

This backdrop would be incredible for an Autumn wedding!

Or, you could create a colourful ribbon backdrop. For a more simple backdrop, you could hang a bedsheet in your choice of colour. Just be sure to confirm with the venue how you can hang it to prevent any damage.

If you want to push the boat out, you could have a flower wall created. The wall could be used throughout the day, and then moved to the photo booth location for the evening.

How will the photo booth work?

Now that you’ve got all your props and equipment together, you need to make sure the system will work flawlessly on the day.

First, you’ll need to set the camera or the phone on a timer. If you’re unsure how to do this, either check the manual or Google it. A 5- or 10-second timer should be enough. You should also make sure that there’s plenty of storage on the device. You may have to buy an additional memory card. You don’t want the device to stop taking photos because it’s got full memory.

Then, you might want to put a sign out that advises your guests of how to use the photo booth. It could say something like

Press the button and strike a pose!

This lets your guests know to push the button on the camera themselves.

When the day is over, you’ll have plenty of fun looking at all the ridiculous photos of your guests. Don’t forget to add them somewhere so your guests can see them. Facebook might be a good place to do this. That way, you can tag them in the photos!

If you want to take the hassle out of making your own photo booth, there are plenty of companies out there who can take care of everything for you!