Photo Booth Alternatives That Cost Less (and Get You More Photos)

A photo booth is great fun, but it's rarely cheap. A staffed booth for a wedding typically costs £250 to £650 in the UK and US$400 to US$1,000 in the US, and mirror or 360 video booths cost more again. Prices go up on Saturdays and with each extra hour.

If that doesn't fit the budget, or you'd simply rather spend it elsewhere, here are the alternatives worth considering.

1. Collect your guests' phone photos instead

Your guests are already carrying a good camera. At a wedding of 100 people there might be 80 phones taking photos all night. The problem isn't taking the photos, it's getting them back.

A digital guest book solves that. Put a QR code on every table; guests scan it and upload their photos with a short message. You can show them on a screen at the venue as they arrive, which does a lot of what a photo booth does for the atmosphere: people crowd round, laugh, and go and take more.

Cost: free for small events, a one-off fee for larger ones (see pricing).
What you get: candid photos from every table and the dance floor, with the name of whoever took them, not just posed shots in front of a backdrop.

We go into this in more detail in how to collect photos from guests.

2. Build a DIY photo booth

You don't need to hire a booth to have one. You need four things:

• A backdrop. A plain wall, draped fabric, a hedge, a balloon arch or a sequin curtain. Hire shops and online marketplaces rent these cheaply.
• Light. This matters more than anything else. A ring light or a softbox placed slightly above eye level makes phone photos look professional. Without it, evening photos are grainy and orange.
• A camera. Either a tablet on a stand with a free photo booth app, or simply let guests use their own phones on a tripod with a Bluetooth shutter remote.
• Props. A basket of hats, glasses and signs. Keep them on theme and fewer than you think you need.

Put a sign beside it with a QR code for your digital guest book, so the photos end up in one place instead of on 40 different phones.

Cost: low. If you buy a ring light and a tripod, you keep them.
Effort: someone needs to set it up and check on it now and then.

3. Instant cameras on the tables

Put a disposable or instant camera on each table. Guests photograph their own table and pass it around.

Cost: moderate. Film and processing add up quickly.
Watch out for: disposable cameras need developing, and many shots come out dark. It's the charm, but don't count on them as your record of the day.

4. A roaming "photo hour" with your photographer

Ask your photographer to spend 30 minutes during the reception doing quick group shots at each table or in front of a backdrop. You get professional-quality group photos without a booth.

Cost: often included in the package, or a modest add-on. Ask early.

5. A selfie station

A framed sign or backdrop with your names, a hashtag and a QR code. It costs almost nothing, works in daylight, and photographs well. It doesn't have a booth's novelty, but paired with a live wall it gets people taking photos.

What do you lose without a hired booth?

To be fair to photo booths: you lose the printed strips guests take home, the staff who keep it running, and a bit of theatre. If prints for guests matter to you, a booth is still the best way to get them.

What you usually gain is far more photos from far more angles. A booth captures people standing in front of a backdrop. Your guests' phones capture the speeches, the first dance from the side, the kids under the table and the after-party.

Our suggestion

For most events the best value is a mix: a simple DIY backdrop with good light for posed shots, and a digital guest book so every guest's photos and messages land in one place. You can create one for a birthday or for a wedding free and try uploading a few photos before you commit.