Wedding Photo Booth Rental Guide: Booth Types, What’s Included, and What It Costs
A wedding photo booth gives your guests something to do between dances, gets your quieter relatives in front of a camera, and sends everyone home with a keepsake. It also gives you hundreds of candid photos your photographer would never have caught. If you’re considering a photo booth rental for your wedding, this guide covers the types of booths available, what a rental package should include, what it costs, and the questions to ask before you book.
Is a Photo Booth Worth It at a Wedding?
For most couples, yes. A photo booth solves a few real problems at a wedding reception:
- It gives non-dancers a home base. Not every guest will be on the dance floor, and a photo booth keeps them part of the party instead of parked at their table.
- It mixes your crowds. College friends, coworkers, and cousins who just met end up in the same photo strip. Those are often the photos couples love most.
- It doubles as a guest book. Guests drop a copy of their photo strip into a book and write a note next to it, and you end up with a guest book you’ll actually look through again. Here’s how to make the most of a photo booth guest book.
- Every guest leaves with a keepsake. Printed strips end up on refrigerators and office desks for years.
The couples who skip a booth usually have a very small guest list or a venue without room for one. For everyone else, it’s one of the most-used parts of the reception.
Types of Wedding Photo Booths
Photo booths have come a long way since the first curtained booth opened on Broadway in 1925. These are the main styles you’ll see from wedding photo booth rental companies:
- Open-air booth. A camera station in front of a backdrop, with no enclosure. Open-air booths fit larger groups, so eight friends can pile into one shot, and they let the rest of the party see the fun happening. Our ring booth is an open-air booth with a sleek stand and a ring light that flatters everyone in the frame.
- Mirror booth. A full-length interactive mirror in a gold frame that talks guests through each photo with on-screen animations and prompts. It’s a showpiece, and guests keep coming back to it.
- Kiosk booth. A slim, freestanding stand with a built-in camera and screen. Its small footprint makes it a good fit for rooms where floor space is tight.
- Enclosed booth. The classic curtained booth. It’s more private, but it fits fewer people and hides the fun from the rest of the room.
- 360 video booth. Guests stand on a platform while a camera circles them to capture a slow-motion video. It’s built for social media clips rather than printed photo strips.
At Beat Train, we offer the ring booth and the mirror booth in Boston, and the kiosk booth and the mirror booth in New York City. We don’t offer a 360 booth at this time. You can see examples in our sample photo booth photos.
What’s Included in a Wedding Photo Booth Rental
Packages vary a lot from company to company, so compare what’s included, not only the price. Every Beat Train photo booth package includes:
- Delivery, setup, and breakdown
- A full-time, on-site photo booth attendant
- Unlimited prints during the event (2″x4″ or 4″x6″ in Boston; double 2″x6″ photo strips in NYC)
- A premium backdrop
- A selection of props
- A custom photo layout designed around your wedding date, names, or colors
- Instant sharing by text message and social media
- A digital copy of every photo and animated GIF from the night
Bold, textured backdrops and props are one of the trends in The Knot’s 2027 Wedding Trends Report, and a custom backdrop is an easy way to bring that look to your booth.
The attendant matters more than most couples realize. They keep the line moving, reset props, fix paper jams, and nudge shy guests into the frame. A booth left on its own for the night rarely gets used the way it should. (If you’re tempted to go the DIY route, read our take on why you shouldn’t DIY your wedding photo booth first.)
How Much Does a Wedding Photo Booth Rental Cost?
Most wedding photo booth rentals are priced by booth type and number of hours. Here’s our current pricing in Boston and New York City.
Boston area
| Booth | 3 hours | 4 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ring booth (open-air) | $1,150 | $1,275 |
| Mirror booth | $1,275 | $1,550 |
New York City area
| Booth | 2 hours | 3 hours | 4 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiosk booth | $875 | $1,000 | $1,150 |
| Mirror booth | $1,075 | $1,200 | $1,400 |
A few other costs to know about:
- Overtime is $200 per hour if you want the booth to keep going.
- Bundle and save: book a DJ, uplighting, and a photo booth together and we’ll take $100 off.
For full details, see our Boston photo booth page and our NYC photo booth page.
When you compare quotes, the biggest price drivers are the booth type, the number of hours, travel distance, and add-ons like custom backdrops. A low base price can climb quickly once an attendant, prints, and a digital gallery are added, so ask each photo booth company for an all-in number.
How Many Hours Do You Need?
Three hours covers most receptions. A common plan is to open the booth during cocktail hour and keep it running into the first stretch of dancing, when guests are loosest and the photos are best. If you have a large guest list (150 or more) or a long reception, four hours gives everyone a chance to get in without a long wait.
Planning a Friday, Sunday, or winter wedding? Those dates have the most open availability for our DJs, lighting, and photo booths, which makes it easy to book all three and take the $100 bundle discount.
Space, Power, and Setup
Before you book, confirm your venue can fit a booth. Here’s what ours needs:
- Space: For the best framing, the booth sits about 7 feet from the backdrop. If space is tight, tell us and we’ll work with the room.
- Power: A standard 110v outlet within 25 feet of the booth.
- Setup time: About 90 minutes to set up and 45 minutes to break down.
- Outdoor weddings: The booth works outside, but it needs overhead coverage, like a tent, in case of rain.
Place the booth near the dance floor or bar, not in a side room. Visibility is what keeps a photo booth busy.
Questions to Ask Before Booking a Wedding Photo Booth
- Is an attendant included for the full rental period?
- Are prints unlimited, and what sizes are available?
- Can we customize the photo layout with our names, date, or colors?
- Do we get a digital copy of every photo after the wedding?
- How much space and power does the booth need, and how long is setup?
- What does overtime cost if we want to keep the booth running?
- Can we bundle the booth with our DJ or lighting for a discount?
Wedding Photo Booth FAQs
Can we customize the photo booth for our wedding theme?
Yes. Every package includes a custom layout for your photo strips, and you can choose a backdrop that fits your colors. Custom, single-use backdrops are available as an upgrade.
Can the booth run during cocktail hour and the reception?
Yes. Many couples open the booth during cocktail hour, since it gives guests something to do while you’re taking photos, and keep it going into the reception. Ask us how to time your hours around your schedule.
Will we get copies of the photos?
Yes. You’ll receive a digital copy of every photo and GIF from the night, including the photo strip layouts.
Add a Photo Booth to Your Wedding
A photo booth pairs naturally with your DJ and lighting. The same team handles setup, timing, and coordination with your venue, and your photos match the look of the room. Pair your booth with wedding uplighting and the color shows up in every strip.
Ready to check availability? Call us at (617) 453-8821 or send us your date, and we’ll put together a quote in a few minutes. You can also read our photo booth FAQ for more details.