Easter is hard on photo booths. Most events run in the middle of the day, half of them are outdoors or in a hall full of windows, and a good share of the guests are under four feet tall. A setup that works at a 9 p.m. wedding reception can fall apart by 11 a.m. on Easter Sunday.
Sun and wind decide your location
Overhead spring sun blows out faces and drops hard shadows under eyes and hat brims. Look for open shade: the north side of the building, under a tent or awning, or just inside a doorway facing out. An 11 a.m. spot can be in full sun by 1 p.m., so walk the site at the hour your event actually runs.
A backdrop on a stand is also a sail. Around 12 to 15 mph you need weight on every leg and a strap or two, and paper props will end up in the parking lot. Ask early whether stakes are allowed, since many churches and parks say no to anything driven into turf. Name an indoor fallback spot before the day and set a decision time, such as 8 a.m., so nobody is moving a booth while guests arrive.
Ten ideas that hold up outdoors
- A pastel backdrop in shade. Soft pinks, mint and butter yellow read well in flat daylight.:
- A family portrait station between the service and the hunt. It is the one window all year when everyone is dressed up and in one place.:
- An egg hunt finish line. Photograph each kid with the basket they filled.:
- Oversized wearable props instead of stick props. Bunny ears, floral crowns and giant bow ties stay put and cannot poke anyone.:
- A grandparent print. Two prints per family, one to keep and one to hand across the table at lunch.:
- A golden egg winner shot. One sign, one kid, one photo people talk about afterward.:
- GIFs and boomerangs for the youngest guests, who will not hold a pose for a three second countdown.:
- Group shots for the choir, the youth group and the volunteers between services.:
- A ribbon or streamer moment at a 360 video booth, which gives kids something to do with their hands.:
- A thank you print for every volunteer at teardown. Cheap, and it gets people to sign up again next year.:
Running a booth when most guests are three feet tall
Children do not form a line. Parents do. Expect a cluster, and expect two or three siblings to pile in at once. Sessions run longer than with adults because someone is always mid sneeze or facing the wrong way. For a church event with 150 guests, three hours is a safer booking than two.
Bring a sturdy step box so small kids are not shot from above. Keep the prop table at kid height and count the props at the start, because some will not come back. Sanitize anything worn on the face between families. Decide in advance who supervises the booth area, since the attendant is running the equipment, not watching children.
Picking a booth for the space you have
Measure before you book. Our Open Air Photo Booth needs about 8x8 ft and prints 2x6 strips on site, from $400 for two hours. The Digital Photo Booth has the smallest footprint and no printer, sharing by QR or text instead, from $300 for two hours. The 360 Video Booth wants about 12x12 ft of clear floor, more than most fellowship halls have free once tables are up. Those packages include delivery, setup, teardown and an on-site attendant.
One honest limit: we do not do green screen, so the backdrop you choose is the backdrop you get. We also do not run a mirror booth or a high speed camera arm.
Churches, community centers and parks departments often want a certificate of insurance naming them, which can take a few days to route, so ask the week you book. A $200 deposit holds the date, the balance is due 7 days out, and travel is free within 40 miles of the main city.