When I was planning my wife Wendi’s Big Birthday Bash, she had only one question: Are you going to have a picture booth (aka photo booth). “Yes,” I said … as I reached for my phone to text my good friend, Dan Starcher, who operates Star Picture Booth.
What is Star Picture Booth?
Remember the old photo booths, where you and a bunch of friends would crowd into this little box, pull the curtain, and make stupid faces while your photo was being taken? Well, Star Picture Booth is a take-off of that concept. Except, you don’t have to worry about crowding into a tiny, physical booth. At Wendi’s event, Dan set up a backdrop with the message: Cheers to Fifty Years! (That should be a hint at how many birthdays my wife has had.) Having that backdrop was such a personalized touch that added to the fun of having the photo booth there.
Dan also brought a box of accessories, too. If you have never seen these, the accessories can be feather boas, masks, signs, and hats, ties, glasses on sticks (that you hold to make the photos even more fun).
As guests come up to get their photos taken, an iPad is set up on a tripod with a light to illuminate the people. The instructions are on the screen. People tap the screen, and the countdown to excitement begins! Once the photo is taken, people can share the images on social media networks with a hashtag and send them to their cell phones.
What do people like about Star Picture Booth?
During the early part of Wendi’s birthday party, as people were settling in, getting food, checking out the lay of the land, the picture booth was not seeing much action. Every once and a while people would go back there, take a few photos, and then join the rest of the crowd.
Somewhere during the night, there started to be large groups of people waiting in line for the photo booth. Wendi was grabbing people and getting her photo with them to make some memories. Others were doing the same thing. While the names and faces changed at the picture booth, one thing was constant: The smiles. People were having so much fun, which is why Wendi wanted to have a photo booth.
“I wanted it as a way to commemorate (my 50th birthday),” Wendi said. “Plus, it gives people a chance to have fun and have memories of the good time at my party. Also, they’ll always remember me!”
“It was awesome,” Jan Maxwell said about the Star Picture Booth. “I love those photo booths. They’re just fun and you get to act really silly.”
How Star Picture Booth promotes your brand
Wendi’s party certainly was not a company or corporate event, but it did not mean she could not promote her “brand,” so to speak. Actually, Dan did the promoting. Dan created a graphic that appeared above every photo taken in the Star Picture Booth to let everyone know it was Wendi’s 50th birthday bash. Again, it was just a nice touch. Companies can have a message they want to share with guests and clients, they can have their logo, or anything else to promote the brand or share as a message. So, for companies, it is a something extra in their marketing efforts, all while having fun.
My thoughts on having the Star Picture Booth at the party
There are several things I liked about having the picture booth at Wendi’s party. I have been to events where they have set up selfie stations, a kind of do-it-yourself photo booth where a backdrop and accessories are provided, but you have to take the photo yourself. These are fun, and they are a cost-effective option if the budget does not permit something like a photo booth. Here are what I see are the advantages of having the Star Picture Booth:
- It is not as expensive as a regular photo booth because you do not have to pay for the quality photo paper or ink to print the pictures;
- The service gathers all the photos from the event in one place online, so all can see them;
- It was a way for people to have fun and get silly;
- It generated a lot of engagement between guests;
- It allowed Wendi to interact with her friends in family in a different way; and
- It helped to chronicle and preserve my wife’s special day.
In full disclosure, when I went to pay Dan for his Star Picture Booth services, he would not take my money. Dan and I are like brothers from different mothers. Because of our friendship, he wanted to do this for Wendi, and I am grateful. Dan didn’t ask for anything in return, certainly not this blog post to promote his services. Just as he wanted to do something for my family, I wanted to do something for him. This blog post is it.
If you find yourself in need of a photo booth at your next event, whether it is a wedding, a party, a company picnic, a corporate retreat, or whatever, then please consider hiring Star Picture Booth, you will be glad you did.
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