How to prepare for a top-notch photo booth experience | Best Austin Photo Booth

We've seen it all...

After being around the block a few times, we've encountered just about every obstacle there is when it comes to surprise set up locations at events. To prevent these instances from happening twice, we do our best to make sure brides, planners and all other clients know what it takes for a great photo booth experience at their event! 

Here is what our photo booth requires for our signature top-notch experience!

1. Put the photo booth in an obvious location. Too many times we've seen clients place us outside of the main event hall. If guests can't see us, we're out of sight and out of mind, which just plain stinks! Just in case you're worried about us being distracting during speeches or dances, we make it a point to temporarily stop the photo booth during those times (and turn off our light) so we're not taking attention away from the special moment! 
2. Acessibility. Make sure the route we'll need to take to get to the set up space is wheelchair accessible. Until someone creates an affordable, futuristic,  stair-climbing rolling cart for all of our gear, we prefer elevators and wheelchair ramps. Plus, you want to make sure any disabled guests can access the photo booth once we're up and running! If our only option is a non-wheelchair accessible route, we can make it happen, but there is a small fee that will need to be added to the invoice.
3. Space requirements.  We need a space that is at least 6’ long by 9’ wide by 10' high, but a 10'x10'x10' space is ideal! Make sure to leave space for a line as well.
4. Power. We need a wall outlet (110V, 10 amps, 3 prong outlet) that is dedicated for the photo booth. Sharing an outlet with a bunch of other things like the DJ or lighting can sometimes overpower the plug, but we have a 20 foot extension cord that can help us reach a far away outlet if needed.
5. Place the photo booth indoors. Austin weather is unpredictable, and who wants to go outside and get all sweaty just to take a photo? Be proactive and carve out a space for us inside your event hall so weather is never an issue! If your only option is to put the photo booth outside, we can be placed on concrete under an awning, like a porch, or under a 10x10 tent with three tarp walls to protect the backdrop from wind. Also, if you're feeling a bit generous, a portable a/c unit or fan will keep our attendant happy and energized to entertain your guests!  The photo booth may not be placed on grass or wet ground. 
6. Keep the photo booth away from sunlight. Sunlight shining on the photo booth creates harsh shadows on the guests taking photos (not to mention it causes squinty eyes!), but also be wary of putting the backdrop against a window during daylight hours since the light might shine through the backdrop.  On the subject of light, make sure there aren't any pot lights or chandeliers right above the photo booth. Those sometimes cause crazy shadows! If there is a light above the photo booth, it can either be turned off or the lightbulb can be sneakily unscrewed and then replaced after the event!
7. Provide a 6-foot table with a linen that matches the rest of your event decor. We highly encourage all our clients to do this because it makes the photo booth look like it actually belongs at your event, and is not just an afterthought stuck in the corner. We also like to have at least one separate cocktail table to place near the photo booth, so guests have a spot to set their drinks while they cheese it up in the booth! If you want to make the space look really luxurious, repurpose a floral arrangement from your ceremony and place it on a corner of the table near the photo booth, or create a special sign that says "Photo Booth" or one that has your event hashtag on it. 

That may seem like a lot, but at most of the Austin venues we've encountered, there are usually a handful of set up options. If you're struggling with how the photo booth will work in your space, shoot us an email and we'll be happy to explain what we've done at your venue before!

The School of Styling

We were asked by the owner of The School of Styling, Kaitlin Holland, to be a part of the dinner party at the end of the workshop, and our course our immediate answer was 'yes!' We've been following Kaitlin on Instagram for the longest time and have seen so many people go to the workshop, and we were honored to be a part of it. Everything about the evening was perfectly styled (what else would we expect??) from the bar area to the seating areas and tablescapes. We were sure to match the prints and backdrop to the decor as well, since we know the School of Styling places such a huge importance on making sure that every aspect of an event is well thought out and cohesive. We are head over heels for these photos from Ally and Bobby!

Creating a great event hashtag

Importance of developing an event hashtag

Regardless of the type of event you’re hosting, a hashtag can be useful for compiling photos and interacting with guests before, during and after an event! For corporate events, an event hashtag not only allows the attendants to look back on the event, but it creates online visibility and is a lucrative way to engage guests. Event hashtags, when used properly, create a digital presence and attraction to your brand or company. For weddings, using a specified hashtag means guests can see photos of themselves that might’ve gone untagged or missed without the event hashtag. Most importantly, this allows the bride and groom to look back on the event and relive all the fun memories from one of the best days of their lives.

Here are a few ideas on how you can get started on creating a unique one for your event!

How to develop a hashtag for a corporate event or fundraiser

1. Keep it short. Simplicity is key.

Your hashtag should be as short as possible and take up as few characters as possible. If your guests will be posting on Twitter, the last thing you want to do is take up too many of their limited 140 characters! Abbreviate event names that are long. For example, Austin music festival Blues on the Green uses the hashtag #botg, as opposed to #BluesOnTheGreen, which is pretty long. Keeping it simple also means fewer people will forget exactly what your hashtag is. If they can’t remember, they won’t use it.
 

2.  Use the event's name and location.

If the convention name is BeautyCon, using #beautyconLA may be more effective than simply #beautycon.

3. Include the year for annual events.

If creating a post for an event that occurs annually, including the year to specify which year is attended - for example, using #beautycon2017 or #beautycon17.
 

4. Make sure to determine a good event hashtag well in advance.

Once it has been created, start using it yourself as an organizer and notify your audience about it. For example, runners who are training for the Austin Marathon in 2018 can use the hashtag #austinmarathon2018 when posting a photo of them training in the months leading up to the race. There is great power in promoting a hashtag before an event, especially if the goal is to encourage participation from the public.
 

5. Consistency.

For annual events, having a consistent hashtag every year also allows the participants to refer back to previous years’ photos by simply changing the year at the end of the hashtag.

Photo by Pine and Blossom

How to develop a hashtag for a wedding

Wedding hashtags have recently become increasingly popular, so it is important for your hashtag to be unique. After all, you don’t want to see photos from a random wedding that isn’t yours showing up under your wedding hashtag feed! Here are a few tips on creating a hashtag that is personal and specific to your big day.

 
1. Make the hashtag easy for guests to remember.

Wedding hashtags that have a play on words may be easier for guests to remember. Consider mashing your names together or focusing on the last name if you plan on sharing a surname after you’re married. Puns are always welcomed (and totally encouraged, if you ask us!).

For example, one of our recent wedding clients’ new last name is Newberry, and their hashtag was #TheNewestBerry! We even saw a wedding where the the groom’s surname is Morgan, so they chose the hashtag #ILoveYouMorganAnything. Get punny, because the funny hashtags are typically the most memorable!
 

 2. Avoid any hashtags that could be potentially misspelled by your guests.

Try shortening any long names or move words around to avoid having two of the same letters next to each other. For example #davidandashley looks much better than #ashleyanddavid.
 

3. Use a hashtag generator.
If you're having trouble coming up with an original hashtag, try checking out a hashtag generator to get started. Sometimes it’ll get your creative juices flowing and help you come up with something unique.
  

4. Get the word out about your hashtag.
If a hashtag for the wedding has been created before the couple walks down the aisle, use it on photos of the couple engaged. If you are the one walking down the aisle, consider using it when snapping a photo of you dress shopping or wedding planning. Put it on your save-the-date and your wedding website and get the word out!

Photo by Amanda Hartfield

We hope these tips help you create the perfect hashtag for your event. What's your favorite hashtag you've seen so far?

Mercury Hall Open House

January has already flown by, and we kicked off 2017 with an open house at one of our favorite Austin venues: Mercury Hall! We had a blast meeting the future brides-to-be and guests. Luckily for us, we had the best of both worlds by being under the clear tent, which was strung with festoon lights, and being able to peek into the chapel and its stunning stained glass windows! Even though it is minutes from downtown, the greenery that surrounds Mercury Hall makes it feel secluded from the busy streets of Austin. The Loot Vintage lounge was placed in the middle of the canopy, and we were drooling over their blue velvet bench in particular! It’s never really hard work when we get to work alongside other amazing vendors such as Gypsy Floral, who was there to create beautiful bouquet arrangements for each guest, Feathers and Frosting, who offered delicious cake tastings, and the beautiful custom designs of Parcel Design Co. (Fun fact, the owner of Parcel Design Co was actually the room mate of our owner, Kelsey!) Vanilla Orchid catered some of the most delicious bites for the event as well. We really could not have asked for a better Thursday night! We love open houses because it gives us a chance to meet and chat with guests on a more personal level and get a better feel of what they are wanting at their special event. Big thank you to Mercury Hall for hosting such a wonderful night, we cannot wait to meet YOU at the next one!