Wedding photos can be formal or casual, posed or of the moment. Or you can step into the booth…
Kyle Kirkeide turned his own wedding guest experience into The Photobooth Company. “I went to my sister’s wedding in Florida in 2011, and they had a photo booth set up,” he recalls. “Afterwards, I started thinking about it—my wife had left her job, we had young kids. I thought it was great idea for Charlottesville—we have so many events and weddings here. I found a company to get the equipment, and started out doing events at UVA [his alma mater].”
A decade later, Kirkeide’s idea for a side hustle now handles about 60 events a year (“roughly one a week”). About half of them are weddings.
One of the things that makes The Photobooth Company perfect for weddings, in Kirkeide’s view, is that “we customize the whole thing to what you want.” The company offers two set-up options: the traditional booth, where people go in and sit before the camera (“although our booths allow for a much closer shot”), and a more open setup with an 8’x8′ customized backdrop.
For each “sitting,” guests get photos printed on a strip customized for the big day. The booth produces copies for the guests, and an extra one for the newlyweds. “Then we bind all the photos together into a scrapbook for the couple—many of them use also use it as a guest book and have people sign,” says Kirkeide. The couple also gets a digital version.
It’s your day, so if you want formal photos, The Photobooth can produce them. If your wedding leans more to the causal and creative, you can have that too—with a wide range of props and costume items that the company provides. “We end up doing props for most of our events,” Kirkeide says. “People like that, and it can be something that fits with your wedding theme—or it can be your university, or people’s pets.” (And, in case you’re worried about posterity, there’s a television monitor in which guests can check how they look before the camera snaps.)
What makes photo booths so popular? Kirkeide thinks part of the appeal is “a bit of nostalgia” for the days before a camera/phone in your pocket. A photo booth also provides a memento for both guests and the couple, without anyone having to worry about carrying a camera, getting everyone in the selfie, or finding someone willing to take “just one shot for us.”
“Kids love photo booths,” Kirkeide says—a real benefit for anyone who has tried to keep youngsters entertained or get reluctant adolescents into a family photo. “And this gives guests something to do—not everyone wants to dance, so during the music they can come play around in the booth. There are always a few guests who are really enthused about it, and bring other people over.”
Pricing for a wedding is in the $800-900 range for a four-hour rental, says Kirkeide, depending on the guest count and the distance to the venue. Because it is a side business, and there are busy wedding months, Kirkeide prefers a few weeks’ notice to help in scheduling and producing custom graphics.
Then, once the big day comes, all you have to do is smile for the camera.