The Bridal Trend I Can't Live Without

I. Love. Photobooths.
More than a dress.
More than a cake.
More than dresses for my girls.
More than Chacos for the guys.
More than a processional or a recessional.
More than anything.
(Except, of course, for C.)

C & I are photog buffs. We love pictures and what's more fun than cramming into a small space and taking cutesy pictures of yourself.

So when I saw in a bridal magazine a long time ago (I don't even remember when it was...) that renting a photobooth for a reception was a trend, I fell in love. I had to have one.

I started researching for photobooth rentals in the Knoxville area. I found several nationwide rental companies that can service Knoxville. Here's a snapshot (pardon my pun!)


Funtastic Foto
Funtastic Foto looks like a really fun place to rent from, because they have lots of fun options for your photobooth. In addition to the classic strip of photos, you can have fun backgrounds and cutouts.

Photo-Me
Photo-Me rents classic photobooths and digital booths. Unfortunately, they don't serve Knoxville :(

Photo Express
Photo Express also offers Dance Dance Revolution games for rental! How fun is that?

Party Booths
Party Booths offers logo printing on your photos. How perfect for a design freak! Love it!

Volunteer Photo Booth Rentals
Volunteer is a fun Tennessee-based company that also offers a "Snap-Lab" rental--digital cameras and instant photo printers.

I. Heart. Photobooths.

My parents, the generous benefactors of the wedding, are, unfortunately not big fans for dropping $900-$1800 on an "extra" for the wedding. So I'm thinking about how I'm going to afford this rental, and I decided to ask Brent. Brent is the youth director at our church, and he's also C's boss. Brent rents a lot of things for youth functions, so I thought I'd check with him to recommend a rental company. I knew he had never rented a photobooth here, but I knew I needed to pick his brain. His suggestion?

D.I.Y.

"Use your Mac! It has a Photobooth application. Rig up a booth yourself and use that application, then you don't have to pay for a rental."

Brilliant.

A quad of shots of me from the photobooth application. Please excuse the weird slanty eyes in the third picture...

Here's my plan: Construct a PVC & Black Fabric "Booth". Place laptop with above-the screen camera on one end, and a bench on the other. Hook up a secondary monitor to laptop. Hire or convince a friend to press the button to take the picture. Print on instant photo printer.

I. Love. Photobooths.

And now I can afford one.

-Amoré