When you host an event or party, there’s no doubt you’ll want photography available.
However, we all know that photography can get a little pricey– which is where the rise of photo booth rental packages can come in!
Not only are photo booths more affordable than traditional photography, they’re also a lot of fun for your guests.
Depending on the rental you go for, your booth may even be totally self-operational without the need for an attendant like ours at Pixilated are!
In this blog post, we’ll cover:
- What photo booth rental packages actually are
- What’s included in most photo booth rental packages
- Average photo booth prices.
Let’s dive in!
What are Photo Booth Rental Packages?
When you go to a wedding, birthday party, holiday party, graduation party, corporate event or the like and they have a photo booth available, that has more than likely come through a photo booth rental.
Some rental packages will be a full DIY photo booth experience, providing you with all of the gear to set up and take photos with, and then to return to the company. Others could include an attendant, DJ, lighting, and more.
While most of us think of enclosed photo booths when we hear that term — the kind you would get strips of photos from when you were younger — photo booths have evolved over the years.
You can still find those style of photo booths, but equally popular are open-air photo booths, consisting of a camera device and backdrop. You can even now find photo booths that offer 360 moving images, GIFs, slow motion, green screens, and more!
The world of the photo booth is vast. Whatever you can dream of for your event is available as a photo booth rental package — it just depends on how much you’re willing to spend to rent a photo booth for your event.
What’s Included in Photo Booth Rental Packages?
While it will vary from company to compaour ny, you’re likely to find most of the following included in your package.
The Photo Booth Itself
The most important part of the gear — the booth!
For most DIY packages, this will include a kiosk or camera apparatus (this may be an iPad, or other similar touch-screen device), stand or tripod, and possibly extra lights.
The idea behind a DIY photo booth is to make it as simple as possible for you to set up and operate it on your own– all without needing a photographer!
If you’ve opted for an enclosed booth, this will need to be brought in and set up by a specialist.
At Pixilated, our booths come in a single box and can be set up in 5–10 minutes so you can get snapping — how simple is that?
They’re also completely wireless, have an 8mp camera as standard (or you can upgrade to 18mp), have a small footprint, and we’ll even throw in two fully charged, rechargeable battery packs to keep your booth running all night long.
And just in case you don't think you can do-it-yourself...trust us, you can! We equip you with the knowledge necessary through our photo booth resource library, including setup videos, instruction guides, and more.
An Attendant
If your booth needs an attendant or photographer, this will be included in your package, too.
This is where the price of photo booths can go up, and you’ll also likely be paying for their services by the hour.
Others which are DIY (like at Pixilated) both keep your photo booth rental costs down, and make it simple for you and your guests to take your own photos!
Props and Accessories
Props and accessories, such as hats, glasses, and more, are a great way to allow your guests to really let go for their photos.
Some booths will come with props and accessories included, while others will have it as an add-on.
You can always DIY your own, or have a DIY station where your guests can customize to their hearts’ content!
The Theme
Depending on what the theme of your event or party is, you should have a range of customization options with your package.
This will, of course, depend on the photo booth company. One of the joys of renting a photo booth today is that there is such a wide range of options!
If you’re going for a glam feel you could go with a Black and White photo booth, or for a Western-style event, an old-timey style camera booth.
Backdrops
Open air photo booths might come with a standard plain backdrop.
There may be options for different colored backdrops, sequin backdrops, or even special backdrops such as flower and foliage walls, foil curtains, and more.
In addition, you might want to try creating a customized photo booth backdrop.
In some cases, such as with us at Pixilated, you can even hire a green screen backdrop as part of the Green Screen photo booth rental package.
This allows for you to have a custom backdrop, where the only limit is your imagination!
Customized Branding and Photo Design
If you’re after custom branding or designs with your photo booth photos, these can be included with your rental package. However, it will usually incur additional costs. That said, if you want guests to engage with your brand, like at a tradeshow or sponsored event, customization is a must.
These can usually be applied to either digital or print photos. You can also add custom branding to your booth in some cases, or to your step and repeat backdrop.
Some booths will even allow you to add a custom hashtag! This allows your guests to upload images straight to social media channels– hashtag included.
Unlimited or Timed Photo Sessions
When it comes to hiring time, you’ll either be looking at per day (ie, unlimited) rates, or per hour (ie, timed) rates.
If there’s an attendant involved, it will always be a timed photo session– and this is where photo booth rental prices can build up quickly.
If you’re going for self-service, look for booths with a per day rate. There’s nothing worse than having to rush to get your booth packed up when all you want to do is enjoy the end of your event or party!
And if you’re wondering: At Pixilated we only offer per day rentals, with booths due to be sent back one business day after your event! Here's a photo booth rental checklist that might help you in your decision making process.
You can also extend your rental, giving you more time before you have to get your booth back to us.
Instant Prints
Some photo booth packages will offer instant prints on the night — how this operates will be up to the company.
Enclosed booths tend to have the prints pop straight out of the machine. However, these take a few minutes to process– so depending on the volume of people using the booth, you may find there’s a bit of a delay.
Some booths will include a printer and a certain number of photo sheets in your package.
While in theory this can be operated by yourself or your guests without needing an attendant, things to watch out for include:
- Paper running out and needing to be reloaded
- Paper jams
- Printing delays
- Photos need to be cut with scissors, as they’re often printed on a single A4 sheet.
Digital Copies
Most, if not all photo booth rental companies will supply you digital copies of your photos after the event as part of your package.
That way your guests can access an online digital photo gallery, download, and share them across their social channels.
Option to Upload the Photos on Social Media and/or Email the Pictures to the Guests
Some booths will allow you to either upload your photos to social media straight away, or guests will be able to email them to themselves. Many self-service booths these days also have Wi-Fi capabilities.
However, you should be aware that some booths won’t work on certain guest networks, or will only be able to connect to either the Wi-Fi or a printer (and not both at the same time).
In some cases you’ll need a Wi-Fi hotspot, which is usually available for an extra charge. This is especially useful if there’s no available Wi-Fi at your venue, or if the Wi-Fi is unreliable.
Some booths will even allow you to download your images to your phone with a QR code!
At Pixilated, all of our booths can access any local Wi_fi signal, so your guests will be able to email and text images to themselves straight away. If needed, you can also rent a Wi-Fi hotspot to keep you covered throughout your event!
Extras and Add Ons
Most photo booth rental packages will give you the option to add various extras to your rental.
Some examples of add-ons could include:
- An email list add-on (putting your guest information into a handy .csv file)
- Physical prints, mailed after the event
- Props and accessories (as mentioned)
- Customized designs, such as logos.
At Pixilated, we offer all of the above! It’s super simple to add-on, too — just select them at checkout.
How Much are Photo Booth Rental Packages?
Depending on what kind of photo booth you opt for, pricing will vary.
Your budget may vary as well based on if you're planning the school dance, throwing an office party, planning a wedding reception, or preparing to make your tradeshow booth awesome. That said, it's good to have an idea of the photo booth pricing options available.
Self-service photo booths can start from $250 and go up to around $750 per day.
On the other hand, if you go for a photo booth with an attendant, these could start at $750 and go up to around $1500 for roughly 4-hours.
As you can see, self-service photo booths are significantly cheaper, which is one obvious benefit of doing it yourself!
There are some booths you won’t be able to operate without an attendant — particularly those which offer special effects (such as 360 photographs), require special equipment (like slow-mo tracks), or are enclosed.
However, unless you’re going for a particular vibe at your event, it’s very simple and much more efficient to allow your guests to take photos as and when they choose.
Across all types, the average cost for a photo booth rental ranges from $400 - $750.
At Pixilated, we don’t give you the run around on pricing, as all of our prices — starting at $319 — are upfront and available for you to see at checkout, no matter what options you go for!
Did we mention that Pixilated provides photo booth rentals across the entire United States?
The Bottom Line
So now you know what the low-down on photo booth rental packages is! But how do you choose a provider from the many companies out there?
Well, we’re a little biased, but we personally believe that we have the best photo booth rental packages on the market.
Pixilated has been around now for over a decade and offered the first DIY self-service photo booths, so we know what we’re doing!
Not only are our booths completely self-service, we’ve made them as price-efficient as possible so that you get the best value for your money.
If you’re looking for a photo booth rental package, why not check us out? You can stay tuned here for our deals and promotions. We also offer 15% off rentals 24/7/365 for military, first responders, and teachers!
Reserve your photo booth now through our online booking system, and we’ll help you make memories that last!
