Advice
Wedding photo booth: what it costs, the alternatives, and ideas for your guests
A photo booth is always fun, but prices can vary fourfold from one package to the next. Here are real hire prices, the questions to ask before you book, and the alternatives worth considering.
The photo booth has become a wedding classic: a booth, a backdrop, a box of props, and guests go home with a print. But what does a wedding photo booth really cost? What is included, and what is not? Is a photo booth worth it at a wedding at all, and if the budget is tight, which alternatives are just as joyful? Here are prices taken straight from hire companies, a checklist of questions to ask before you sign, and ideas for doing without a booth, or alongside one.
Wedding photo booth cost: real prices
Hire companies rarely publish comparable prices: some charge by the day, others by the weekend, with or without prints, with or without delivery. We noted the prices published by three French hire companies on their own websites (checked in October 2026, prices in euros including VAT). If you are marrying elsewhere, use them as a benchmark and ask local suppliers the same questions.
| Company | Package | Price | Hire period | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shootnbox | Ring, no prints | €149 (2026 offer, otherwise €199) | Weekend | Photos, GIFs, online gallery, custom frame; free collection in the Paris region |
| Shootnbox | Vegas | €299 (offer, otherwise €399) | Weekend | 600 prints; the Vegas Slim ships anywhere in France |
| Shootnbox | Mirror booth | €599 (offer, otherwise €699) | Weekend | 600 prints, delivery included in the Paris region |
| Ouisnap | No prints | €279 (collect in Toulouse) or €349 (delivered in France) | Weekend | Unlimited photos, GIFs, sharing by email and QR code, custom frame, private gallery |
| Ouisnap | With prints | €379 (collect) or €479 (delivered) | Weekend | The same, plus Polaroid-style 10 × 8 cm prints |
| Pixxel (Limoges) | Essential | €349 | One day | 100 prints, set-up, delivery within 30 km |
| Pixxel | Premium | €590 | Weekend | 300 prints, props, set-up, delivery within 50 km, USB stick |
The takeaway: from these companies, a basic booth without prints costs roughly €150 to €350 for a weekend, a package with prints more like €300 to €600, and a delivered, installed mirror booth easily goes past €600. Travel costs are often extra outside the company's area (Pixxel, for example, charges €0.50 per extra kilometre).
What is (and is not) included in photo booth hire
Two quotes at the same price can hide two very different services. Before you sign, ask:
- How long? A day, an evening or the whole weekend? For a wedding, a weekend saves you returning the booth at dawn on Sunday.
- How many prints? In what size, and what does an extra roll cost? At a lively wedding, prints go fast.
- Delivery and set-up. Do you collect it, is it couriered, or does a technician deliver and install it? Who takes it down, and when?
- The online gallery. Can you get every photo in high resolution, and for how long?
- The custom frame. Your names and date on every print: included or extra?
- Props and backdrop. Provided, or yours to sort out?
- Damage. Is insurance offered? Shootnbox, for instance, offers optional damage cover at €29.
- Connectivity. Sending photos by email or QR code needs a connection: does the booth have its own SIM card? Ouisnap, for instance, mentions one.
Is a photo booth worth it at a wedding?
A photo booth has real strengths: it is simple, everyone knows how to use it, and an instant print always delights. It also has limits worth knowing before you pay.
- It sits in a corner. Every photo has the same backdrop, far from what is happening at the tables or on the dance floor.
- It attracts the same people. Your most outgoing friends go ten times; grandma never does.
- It does not mix guests. People go in with their own crowd and come out with it.
- It depends on where and when. Put it too far away, or let it only get busy late in the evening, and it misses most of the day.
6 wedding photo booth alternatives
1. Disposable cameras on the tables
The charm of film and the suspense of developing. Budget for the cameras and for developing every roll. The downside: you see the results weeks later, and some rolls come back blurry, dark or half used. Tip: stick a short list of things to photograph on each camera.
2. An instant camera with the guest book
An instant camera next to the guest book: each guest sticks in their photo and writes a note beside it. The result is beautiful. Bring enough film packs (each holds only a limited number of shots) and ask someone to keep an eye on the camera.
3. An audio or video guest book
A vintage phone where guests leave a voice message, or a video corner where they record a few words. Less about photos, but very moving to replay. Place it somewhere quiet, away from the speakers.
4. A DIY photo booth
A pretty backdrop (fabric, dried flowers, a wall of the venue), a camera or phone on a tripod with a remote, soft light and a box of props. It costs very little, but ask a friend to keep an eye on it and gather the photos.
5. A QR code shared album
A QR code on every table, one shared album where everyone drops their photos. Free or nearly, but you have to announce it and follow up for it to fill. We compare the options in our guide to the wedding QR code photo album.
6. Photo challenges on guests' phones
Instead of a place to go and get photographed, a prompt lands on every phone and the whole room becomes the backdrop. That is the idea behind Voilà Moments: photo challenges arrive at a surprise time on every phone at once, with no app and no account (just a first name), and everyone's photos are revealed together. You keep a private album, downloadable at full quality. Price: €59 for up to 150 guests, paid once. A few challenges for the evening party:
- Your best dance move, mid-action Funny
- The newlyweds on the dance floor Tender
- A photo with the DJ or the band For everyone
- A group dance: conga line, circle dance, anything goes Funny
For more ideas through the day, see our 25 wedding entertainment ideas and our 100 wedding photo challenge ideas. How it all works is explained on our wedding entertainment page.
Photo booth alternatives at a glance
| Option | Cost | Who takes part | When you get the photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hired photo booth | See the price table above | Whoever goes to the booth | During the party (prints) and online gallery |
| Disposable cameras | Cameras and developing | Whoever has one to hand | After developing |
| Instant camera | Camera and film | Whoever stops at the guest book | Straight away, one copy only |
| Audio or video guest book | Varies | Whoever dares to speak | After the party |
| QR code shared album | Free or nearly | Whoever remembers | Whenever guests send them |
| Photo challenges (Voilà Moments) | €59 up to 150 guests | Every table, at every challenge | During the party, then the album the next day |
Combining a photo booth and photo challenges
Set on your photo booth? Keep it. The two go together well: the booth for posed portraits and take-home prints, the challenges for everything that happens elsewhere (the drinks reception, the tables, the dance floor).
A few ways to make them work together:
- Write a challenge that sends people to the booth. With Voilà Moments you can add up to 5 challenges of your own: "Your whole table at the photo booth, props included".
- Split the day. Keep the booth for the evening, and set the challenges to liven up cocktail hour and dinner, while the booth is still quiet.
- Put it on the big screen. If your venue has a screen, the Voilà Moments room screen announces each challenge and reveals the photos one by one; set it up away from the booth so every corner of the room has its own show.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a wedding photo booth cost?
Based on the published prices of three French hire companies we checked in October 2026, a booth without prints starts at €149 for a weekend (on offer), a package with prints runs from about €299 to €590, and a mirror booth delivered in the Paris region costs around €600 to €700. Travel and extras come on top. Prices elsewhere will differ, but the same questions apply.
Should I hire a photo booth with prints?
Instant prints are a treat and double as a favour for guests. Without prints, hire is cheaper and photos arrive by email, QR code or online gallery. Either way, make sure you get every photo in high resolution.
What can I do instead of a photo booth at a wedding?
A DIY booth (backdrop, tripod, remote, props), a QR code shared album, an instant camera with the guest book, or photo challenges on guests' phones. Disposable cameras are charming, but add up the cameras and the developing before you decide.
How far ahead should I book a photo booth?
As soon as your date and venue are fixed, along with your other entertainment suppliers: a company only has so many booths, and each Saturday can only be hired out once.
Can we have a photo booth and photo challenges?
Yes, and it is often the best option: the booth for posed portraits, the challenges to liven up the drinks reception and dinner. You can even write a challenge that sends each table to the booth.