Guide · Wedding planning
Wedding photobooth planning checklist: timing, placement and what to decide
Book your wedding photobooth as soon as the venue and date are fixed, plan for 3 hours starting at cocktail hour or straight after speeches, give it 3 m by 3 m near the bar or dance floor with a power point, match the strip template to your invitation suite, and decide on a guest book before the week of the wedding. Everything else is detail, and this checklist covers it in order.
Last updated: · Say Cheese Co., Sydney
When should you book a wedding photobooth?
As soon as the date and venue are locked. Good operators take one event per date, so a Saturday in October or November is often gone four to eight weeks out and sometimes months earlier. Booking early also gives you time for the strip template revisions and the strategy call, neither of which should be rushed in the final fortnight.
With Say Cheese Co., a $99 date hold keeps the date for seven days while you decide, and the deposit confirms it. The recommended wedding opening is $1,448: The Set, with the AI Filter Suite already inside it, plus a fourth hour.
How many hours does a wedding photobooth need?
Three hours covers most weddings: cocktail hour, the gap after speeches and the first hour of dancing, which is when the booth is busiest. If the reception runs long or you want the booth open from canapés through to the last song, a fourth hour is the usual answer. It costs $149, and the Set Builder pre-selects it for weddings.
Setup and packdown should sit outside the booked hours. Ask any operator this directly, because if setup counts against your time, a three-hour hire becomes closer to two.
Where does the photobooth sit in the run sheet?
- Open during cocktail hour if the booth is in the same space as the drinks. Guests are standing, mingling and looking for something to do.
- Otherwise, open straight after the speeches, when the room loosens and people leave their seats.
- Never run it during speeches, the first dance or the cake. The booth competes for attention, and the printer is audible in a quiet room.
- Plan for the last hour of the booth to overlap the first hour of dancing. That is when the queue is longest and the photos are best.
Where should the booth go in the venue?
Near the bar or the edge of the dance floor, in sight of the room and never in a corridor or a side room. A booth people have to go looking for is a booth people forget about. It needs roughly 3 m by 3 m of clear floor, a standard power point within a few metres, and cover if any part of the reception is outdoors.
A fifteen-minute strategy call before the day maps placement, theme and guest flow with the operator, so this is not a decision you have to make alone. Tell your venue coordinator and planner where the booth is going and when it arrives, and confirm they have the operator's public liability certificate on file.
What do you need to decide before the wedding?
| Decision | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strip template | Custom design matched to your invitation suite | Included in The Set, with revisions. Send the invitation artwork early. |
| Backdrop | Black or white, or a premium backdrop | Black and white are included. Floral White, Gold Stardust, Pink Romance and Dreamy Blue are the $89 premium backdrop upgrade. |
| Guest book | Classic, customised, or the Time Capsule video guest book | $59 classic, $89 with your names and date, or the Time Capsule, listed at $649 and currently included free with every booking. |
| Props | Styled props are included | Tell the operator the theme so the props match rather than fight it. |
| Guest count | Up to 200 included | Above 200 guests it is $2 a head, shown in the builder before you enquire. |
| Hours | 3 included, fourth optional | Extra hour $149, pre-selected for weddings. |
| Styling | Neon sign, red carpet entrance | $99 and $89, each on its own. Wedding neon designs: Mr & Mrs or Better Together. |
What does the timeline look like?
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12 to 6 months out | Book the booth once the venue and date are fixed. Decide the hours. |
| 3 months out | Send the invitation suite for the strip template. Choose the backdrop and guest book. |
| 6 weeks out | Approve the template. Confirm the guest count. Tell the venue where the booth goes. |
| 2 weeks out | Strategy call: placement, theme, guest flow, run sheet timing. Pay the balance if it is due. |
| The week of | Confirm arrival time with the venue and planner. Share the operator's name with the MC. |
| The day | The booth is set up before the first guest arrives. Guests scan the QR code and save photos in real time. |
| Within 48 hours | The highlight reel arrives if you added one. The gallery stays online for twelve months. |
The checklist
- Date and venue fixed; booth booked; deposit paid
- Hours decided: three, or four with the extra hour
- Run sheet slot agreed: cocktail hour or after speeches, never during speeches
- Placement agreed with the venue: 3 m by 3 m, power point, under cover
- Invitation artwork sent; strip template approved
- Backdrop chosen
- Guest book chosen: classic, customised, or Time Capsule
- Guest count confirmed
- Strategy call done
- Venue has the public liability certificate
- MC knows the operator's name and when the booth opens
Frequently asked questions
- Should the photobooth be open during the ceremony or cocktail hour?
- Cocktail hour, if the booth is in the same space as the drinks. Never the ceremony. Guests are seated and quiet, and the printer is not.
- Do we need a guest book if we have a photobooth?
- The photobooth is what makes the guest book work. Guests stick a print in and write next to it, which is far better than a page of signatures. A video guest book like the Time Capsule adds recorded messages if you want voices as well as handwriting.
- What if our reception is partly outdoors?
- The booth needs cover: a marquee, a verandah or a covered courtyard. Wind and rain are a problem for the backdrop and the electronics, so an open lawn is not an option.
- How do guests get their photos on the night?
- They scan a QR code on the booth and save the photos to their phone in real time. The full gallery stays online for twelve months, so nobody has to download anything that week.
- Can the strip template match our invitations?
- Yes. A custom strip template with revisions is included in The Set. Send the invitation artwork about three months out and approve the design six weeks out.
Check your date
Build your Set from $1299.
Three hours of unlimited prints, an instant QR gallery, a trained operator and the Say Cheese Guarantee™ are in every Set. Add only what you want.
Or call (02) 8789 3037