Questions to Ask Before Booking a Photo Booth

Whether you’re planning a Birthday Party, Wedding, Anniversary Party, Corporate Party or Product launch, your celebration will benefit from hiring a photo booth! And, it will benefit even more if you hire a professional photo booth vendor! So, where do you begin?! And, what are the most important questions to ask before signing the contract?! Well… since you asked, keep reading and we’ll tell you!

What is the quality of the booth itself?

We know that your upcoming event – and every event –  is important and one of the last things you want when you hire a photo booth company is a silly DIY looking camera on a tripod in a corner at your event! In our travels we’ve seen quite a few different kinds set-up over the years. We’d go so far as to say that some of the set-ups we’ve seen hardly qualify as photo booths! We’ve seen ‘photo booths’ of all different shapes, sizes, and varying quality… and, while we understand that businesses have to start somewhere, we don’t believe your event should be the testing grounds. And, as the old adage goes “You generally get what you pay for.”

We believe that what you should be looking for is a photo booth that is elegant, streamlined and professionally constructed, and should also come with a beautiful interface, where you can see yourself and the photos as they’re being taken.

Are the photos and prints high quality?

To a casual observer, a photo booth might not seem very complicated, just a quick and simple set-up and BAM, you have a photo booth! But there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that allows the booth to take high-quality images! So, it’s a good idea to ask the company you’re thinking of hiring to show you sample images; that way you’ll know what you can expect from the photo booth you’re thinking of renting. You might also want to inquire if the booth has professional style lighting! This type of bright front lighting ensures that the photos turn out well exposed, sharp and clean looking. Also look to see if the people in the photos are washed out against the backdrop. We see a lot of companies using flat black or white backdrops, with poor lighting, which generally don’t work well when the bride is wearing white and the groom wearing black. Lastly, find out what kind of printer they use for the prints. The professional industry standard is using a dye sublimation printer that can print either beautiful black & white or color photos, and can do so in about 7 seconds.

Does the company have liability insurance?

This is a big one! Don’t worry, nothing is likely to happen, but it should bring you peace of mind if the answer is yes! This question helps to separate the unprepared, make-shift/DIY photo booth companies from the reputable professional ones. Generally those who run a photo booth business as a side hustle will not be able – or willing – to pay the costs of business insurance and licenses. In our experience, the more a company has skin in the game, the more invested they are in the outcome of the events they’re hired for.

What are the fees, and what do they include exactly?

From our extensive experience in the event industry, It’s been our experience that if a deal seems way too good to be true, it generally is! Sometimes companies have a low initial price, but once you actually receive a quote you see that there are all sorts of hidden additional fees that you weren’t counting on! So, sort out if the company you’re looking to hire is charging fees for mileage, delivery, setup/take down, props, USB drives, digital photo delivery, prints or an attendant. Sometimes a ‘cheap’ photo booth really doesn’t end up being a great deal!

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The 3 Most Important Elements For a Successful Event!

When you’re planning a celebration, an event-planning checklist is one the most important tools you can use to make sure your event is a successful one. Though it might seem like a small detail, a structured checklist really will help you stay organized and keep you on task as you plan, and best of all, it will ensure that you don’t forget any important details. 

When you go about creating your checklist, there are some things that are just more important than others! Specifically, in our opinion, the following three items are the most important things when it comes to planning your event!

Venue

When planning an event, your first and foremost concern is the “Where?” meaning, if you don’t have a venue chosen, your first priority is to create a checklist that highlights all the most important things you’re looking for in a venue. Things like size, location, capacity, lighting, and, of course, price are all incredibly important considerations to take into account. In fact, once you lay out all of your expectations and the requirements of your event, you will likely have a much smaller pool of possible venues than you started with. 

If, on the other hand, you have already chosen your venue, you can create checklists to ensure everything venue related will be taken care of before the event. And, this might seem like a small thing (and an impossible scenario) but could create a huge headache if there’s any misunderstanding. It is crucially important to make extra sure that you and the venue manager have the venue booked for the correct and same times, and that all the details of the contract are correct!. It’s also important that you do research in your own municipality to ensure you have the proper event permits (if you need to) in place well before your event.

Logistics

Logistics are very important when it comes to the flow and overall success of your event. One logistics mistake, and you could bring your event from truly exceptional to simply average. So, creating a logistics checklist is a great way to make sure the coordination and execution of all your chosen event elements. This part of party planning isn’t glamorous, but it’s important! Logistics directly affects your guests’ experience of your celebration.  Some of the important considerations that should be included included on your checklist are:

• Traffic flow and parking & coat check
• Distance from parking to venue
• Timeline and guest arrival and departures
• Creating clear signage (people like to know what to expect)
• Clarifying vendor expectations and set-up/tear-down times
• Event Floor planning and seating planning
• Event scheduling and timeline

Guest list and invitations

Creating the perfect guest list for your event and sending ‘keep the date’ cards & invitations takes both time and patience, but doing the work up-front will save you from many headaches down the line. Truly, in our experience speaking to clients, one of the hardest aspects of this part of planning is dealing with the paranoia that you might forget to invite someone important. And, you definitely don’t want to do that! 

A guestlist checklist, and giving yourself lots of time to complete this task, will help to ensure this doesn’t happen! On your checklist, you can include a list of all your guests and all your invitations. That way, if you forget to create or send an invitation, you can easily correct your mistake because your checklist will remind you!

I also suggest letting other organizers and guests of honor go over the event guestlist to ensure that you haven’t missed any important connections or people, before you get to the task of preparing your invites!

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The Perks of Hiring a Photo Booth For Your Wedding!

So, you’re engaged and are in the process of planning your wedding! Congratulations! 

Now onto the next question… Do you have to have a photo booth at your wedding? Or would you rather do without?! When your budget is set and the reality of the myriad costs of wedding planning start to set in, does hiring a photo booth for your reception end up on the list of “things to cut to save money”?

If you answered, “Heck, no!”, keep on reading for some of the reasons why you made the right choice! And, if you answered “Heck, yes!” to this question, I’d also like you to take a few minutes to read this post. It’s full of reasons why you should absolutely hire a professional photo booth for your wedding!

Once you’re done reading and are totally convinced that you need to hire a photo booth for your wedding, please reach out! We’ll be thrilled to hear from you! I mean, we know that you probably already hired your photographer (and like a videographer) for your big celebration, but we’re convinced that you can never have too many ways to capture your big day! 

We are of course completely biased, but in our extensive experience in the industry, we’ve seen firsthand that hiring a photo booth is totally worth it and in the long run, it’s never a waste of money! Here are 3 reasons why a photo booth plays an awesome and necessary role at your wedding!

Photo Booth Prints As Wedding Favors

Think about some of the weddings you’ve been to recently. Have you kept the favors you’ve received from the last weddings you’ve attended? We know from experience that they’re often left laying on the tables at the reception, or left behind at the hotel. In that spirit, if you’re choosing between favors or a photo booth; instead of going to the trouble of making and handing out a plant, homemade jam, or personalized candle holder, seriously think about giving your guests a photo booth experience! The prints that your guests receive can take the place of regular wedding favors, and better yet, they can be shared online, framed, and most importantly, kept forever!

Replace Your Traditional Guest Book

Having your guests pose for photos then write notes in a photo guestbook, will make your guest book so much more personalized and fun! And, truly, as the years go by, and you get further out from your wedding, those heartfelt or hilarious messages and photos will only increase in value exponentially! You’re going to love to see the faces of the guests you invited to celebrate with you, next to heartfelt messages from them! We also almost guarantee that if you have newly engaged couples attending your wedding, they’re likely to seriously contemplate hiring a photo booth for their big day! Especially once they see how much fun all your guests are having!

Photo Booths Are Good For Kids of All Ages!

Is your wedding going to be a true family affair, with lots of kids in the mix? Is your wedding guest list comprised of many different friend groups or social circles? Or, do you have several aunties and uncles or grandparents that have long since hung up their dancing shoes? 

In our experience… not every guest at your wedding – no matter how bumping the dance floor –  is going to get up and boogie down! So, a photo booth is a great idea, as a fun, alternative activity at your reception! 

Truly, people of all ages and sensibilities get into the idea – sometimes with a little persuading – of playing with props, using cute photo booth signs and taking photos! Seriously, put out a table of goofy props and suddenly you see a different side of people! And, a photo of serious Aunt Edna in a bowler hat and feather boa, holding a goofy sign? Priceless, and not likely to be caught by the wedding photographer! 

Final Note…

If this article confirmed your ideas about hiring a photo booth for your wedding, or has finally convinced you that you NEED to have a photo booth at your wedding, don’t hesitate to get in touch! The wonderful people at Snapshot Photo Booth Rental, a division of SCE Event Group can’t wait to hear from you!

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The Ins and Outs of the Wedding Shoe Game

The first thing you might be asking is “What exactly is the wedding shoe game?!”

Well… The Wedding Shoe Game is an ever popular and fun reception activity that tests the newly wedded couple’s knowledge of each other. The newlyweds will have to answer a variety of questions without seeing one another’s answers. Questions tend to range from, who is the funniest to, who is the best cook, to who said I love you first?

The game is usually played when the meal is over and the toasts have been given, and  playing this game is a quick way to get guests into the party mood! Alternatively, if this is part of your wedding timeline, you could decide to play the game in between the band leaving and the DJ starting their set. Pick a time that best suits the flow of your party.

How to Play the Wedding Shoe Game

Step 1: Set-up

To get ready to play the Wedding Shoe Game, put two chairs back-to-back right in the center of the dance floor. The couple should then sit on the chairs so they can’t see one another. Then have both of them take off their shoes and swap one of them with their sweetheart, so that each person has one of their own shoes and one of their partner’s shoes.

Step 2: Pick a Game Leader

Now it’s time to pick a game leader. This person may be a guest, the reception emcee or someone in the bridal party, such as the best man or the maid of honor. Having both sets of parents alternate questions can also be a fun addition to the game! Just make sure that whoever you choose is confident enough to speak in front of a crowd and has a loud voice (or mic experience!). 

Step 3: Start the Questions

Now, here’s where the fun really starts! The host starts reading out questions about the couple one at a time. After each, the caller will leave a short (or dramatically long) pause, in which the couple can answer the question, the guests can react and the videographer can preserve the moment!

Step 4: Raise the Shoes

Because it’s the Wedding ‘Shoe’ game,  the couple doesn’t simply shout out answers! That would be too easy! Oh no, they raise the shoes in their hands instead to answer the questions. When a question is asked, they should raise the shoe of the person the question describes. For Example: “Who is more likely to cry during movies?” Both partners would then answer by raising either their own shoe (because their the big softy), or their partners (because they are). 

Wedding Shoe Game Question Ideas

If you want to play the Wedding Shoe Game, but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve compiled a list of possible questions for you. Typically the game host asks between 20-50 questions depending on how long you want the game to go, and the time you are filling in your reception schedule! 

Possible Questions:

• Who made the first move?
• Who said “I love you” first?
• Who is the better cook?
• Who cooks most often?
• Who is most likely to binge-watch a show?
• Who loves reading the most?
• Who is the nerdiest one?
• Who has the better hair?
• Who is the first to apologize?
• Who always thinks they are right?
• Who is more romantic?
• Who is more honest?
• Who is more likely to get lost?
• Who is more likely to stay late at work?
• Who is more likely to be late for work?
• Who has the sweetest tooth?
• Who is the bigger shopaholic?
• Who looks after the pets more?
• Who talks the most?
• Who talks the loudest?
• Who is more serious?
• Who spends the longest in the bathroom?
• Who takes the longest showers?
• Who takes the longest to get ready?
• Who is the most adventurous?
• Who is better at keeping secrets?
• Who has the best taste in music?
• Who has the best taste in films?
• Who has the best taste in TV?
• Who plans the best date nights?
• Who is the better driver?
• Who is the pickiest eater?
• Who looks the best today?
• Who is the most stubborn?
• Who exercises more?
• Who is the better dancer?
• Who is the better singer?
• Who takes up more than half of the bed?
• Who is more organized?
• Who has a better fashion sense?
• Who chooses where you go for dinner?
• Who does the household chores?
• Who wakes up first?
• Who stays up the latest?
• Who is funnier?
• Who is the cleanest?
• Who makes all the plans?
• Who is more outgoing?
• Who is the better kisser?
• Who is the flirtier one?

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Wow Your Guests With Amazing Party Set-ups!

When it comes to planning your wedding, don’t leave out one of the most important and memorable details! Don’t forget to talk to your DJ about their gear set-up for your wedding! After all, you’ve spent months, or years planning every last detail when it comes to your big day, so don’t leave this important detail out. After all, your DJ literally brings the party to your reception, as such, their set-up should both complement and enhance your party décor!

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation!

Here at SCE we’re all about presentation! We believe that our set-up – no matter how amazing and elaborate – should complement and enhance your décor aesthetic. So, DJ booths, light scaping, party lighting, CO2 guns, media displays and safe indoor spark fountains…big yes! But, a messy set-up, dangling cords or broken gear…no way!

Setting The Party Vibe

The right DJ set-up should add to the vibe of the party, and increase your guests anticipation for the night to come; while the architectural light scaping, monogram projection and specialty lighting effects will have an immediate wow factor when your guests first enter your reception space.

Enhance, Enhance, Enhance!

We’ve all been to parties where the DJ was reading the crowd and influencing the mood of the party like a master party conductor! Those parties tend to loom large in our memories. At SCE parties like that are our bare minimum, and after that we add extra oomph with enhancements. 

Step-up To The DJ Booth

At SCE we have an extensive and ever expanding catalog of DJ booths and DJ furniture. We have a party set-up to fit every vibe you could dream of. Going for a crispy clean pedestal style set-up with minimal lighting? We can do that! Looking to create a Vegas style nightclub experience for your guests? We can certainly do that! Looking to incorporate media displays to the DJ booth, for visuals, music videos, or a day-of wedding slideshow during dinner? Sounds great! We can absolutely do that!

Get In On The Action

At SCE we love couples who want to take the reins a little and get in on the action! And, I’ll let you in on a little secret… The couples who are willing to get out and rock the dance floor, shoot the Co2 gun, borrow a microphone for a little sing-along action, or step-up to the DJ booth to help hype the crowd, always have the best parties! That’s because if you’re all in on your celebration, your guests will be too, and you’ll all experience a once in a lifetime happening! Sounds pretty special right?!

Create Memories That Will Last a Lifetime!

If after reading this article you’re starting to feel pumped about your upcoming wedding, and you can feel creative wedding ideas bubbling up, get in touch! Here at SCE we love to help couples create some of the most amazing wedding reception experiences that the world has to offer! You could call us a one-stop wedding party shop! Let us – with all our vast experience and leading industry knowledge – create a core life and wedding experience for you, your sweetheart and all your nearest, dearest and rowdiest!

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Hosting a Spooky Halloween Wedding, Yes or No?!

I know it’s only August, and it’s still full summer, but we’ve been slowly starting to see Halloween decor and costumes arrive in stores and ads popping up online. And, truthfully, all of this has us thinking about Halloween weddings! OooOoo… Spooky!

First things first…are you interested in having a Halloween wedding, or hosting a wedding on Halloween? Because there’s a big difference between the two! If you’re planning on hosting a wedding on October 31st and not embracing the Halloween theme, you might want to think twice, and pick a different day not so imbued with its own lore and meaning.

If you decide to host your wedding on October 31st, chances are high that guests will be expecting the theme to be based around the holiday, and if that’s not your plan, you will have to be explicitly clear what your expectations are for your big day. Also, you may have guests with small children, or those that host their own annual Halloween parties that will be unlikely to attend your reception.

And, we speak from experience. We were once hired for a wedding on October 31st, with a decidedly un-spooky theme. The expectations were communicated to the guests in advance, and the guest list ended up being much smaller than the couple had anticipated! The party unfortunately ended up being a bit of a bust!

Spooky Wedding Celebration Ideas

Now… if you’ve decided to embrace the Halloween gala theme and go all in, what can you do to really rock your reception? Well, we’ve got a few ideas. Keep reading to find out!

Let your venue set the tone

If you want to really embrace the spooky tone of the day, a secluded estate or castle wedding would be perfect! Imagine your guests rolling up to a dramatically lit mansion, with spooky doormen. The mood for the night would be set! 

Here are a couple of venues to consider: 

Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate 

Just imagine the spooky possibilities of hosting one of the most important days of your lives, at America’s grandest castle. You and your guests can savor award-winning cuisine and dance the night away as celebrities, dignitaries, and heads of state once did during the golden age of the Roaring Twenties.

Park Chateau Estate & Gardens

This grand wedding venue will allow your guests to step right into the pages of a classic French Novel. They’ll be bowled away by the impressive Versaille like architecture, and gorgeous fountain and reflecting pool. The Estate is also located in East Brunswick, NJ, making it an ideal midway point for many families and friends in the tristate area.

Use Dramatic lighting effects

When it comes to planning a Halloween wedding, dramatic lighting – think pillars uplifted with red, and dance floor lights with a fire effect – and special effects will be your best friends! Just think, you could have your first dance with spooky fog rolling across the dancefloor. Or, you could make a magical grand entrance surrounded by safe spark fountains. And, since the sun will set by 6pm, you can get the most bang for your decor buck, by having your guests arrive for an evening ceremony, that flows directly into cocktails, dinner and then dancing. 

Hiring actors or over-the-top wedding entertainment

Chances are, if you’re thinking of hosting a Halloween wedding, you likely have a vivid imagination and a flair for the dramatic! But, not every guest will have the same ability! So, hiring actors or spooky impersonators to greet your guests, or mingle with them during cocktail hour might help create an immersive experience for your guests and draw them into the spooky party vibe. Or, maybe you want to hire performers to entertain your guests after dinner… think contortionists, creepy clowns, glow-in-the dark skeleton dancers.

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Do You Love Surprises?! Then Maybe a Surprise Wedding Is For You!

Can you picture this?! Your nearest and dearest friends and family arrive for (what they think is) your engagement party and, surprise! They are really there to be a guest at your wedding! Whatever your reasons, a surprise wedding can be an appealing alternative to a more traditional wedding ceremony and reception. Maybe you’re looking to avoid the drama (or expectations) of a traditional wedding, maybe you and your fiancé are unconventional by nature and want a wedding that celebrates that, or maybe you are simply working with a smaller budget and want to generate the very biggest bang for your buck!

We see more and more couples these days that wish to avoid a drawn out affair but still want something special. Many are forgoing more traditional nuptials for a surprise party that they spring on their guests with a clever ruse! And, really, what could be easier than inviting all your nearest and dearest to another big party, to keep up pretenses?! While all of that is amazing, it will still require quite a bit of work behind the scenes! You might even still want to enlist the services of a wedding planner to make sure that everything goes off without any hiccups!

Be Sure a Surprise Wedding Is Right for You

First things first! Before you and your fiancé start drafting your secret wedding plans, take some time brainstorming about your wedding day expectations. That will give you time to see if you and your partner are (really) both okay with giving up some of the more traditional pre-wedding festivities and gifts. Also, deciding to bypass a conventional wedding an often means missing out on some of the pre-wedding fun that goes along with it, like having a bridal shower, bachelorette or bachelor party, or wedding rehearsal dinner!

But, if you do decide that you’re the type of couple that really doesn’t want all the fuss, attention or pressure of planning a huge wedding, then you may just hit the jackpot with your sneaky plan!

Keep Everyone On a Need To Know Basis

The whole goal of your plan is to keep things under wraps until the big moment by only telling the people you absolutely must, such as your wedding vendors and their staff, and possibly your maid of honor and best man. This is where hiring a great team of professional wedding vendors could really work in your favor! After all, you won’t really be able to ask a lot of friends or family to help with the plan, but you’re definitely going to need help! 

Another consideration… In our opinion, sharing the secret with both sets of parents could be a good idea! Even if you just break the news the day before! This might be especially relevant if you’re worried about how they might react on your wedding day. Plus, they might be really excited and thrilled to be part of the planning, and in on the big secret.

Getting Your Guests There

To give credence to your ruse, you’ll need a big party-worthy occasion, to draw attention away from your secret upcoming wedding! Events such as milestone birthdays or maybe even your engagement would work! This will drive home the importance of your guests’ attendance at your party without showing your hand. 

Also, your cover story and invitation style should match your actual event in both kind and formality. For example, don’t use a casual barbecue as your ruse if you’re planning on hosting a formal cocktail party.  Another tip when planning your secret wedding is sending out the invites 4-6 weeks, and well in advance of your shindig. That invite timeline will seem more in keeping with a Birthday, Anniversary or Engagement party, rather than a wedding invitation. This will serve as another deflection, because who sends out their wedding invitation 4 weeks before a party?!

Logistics Are Still Important!

Even with a surprise wedding, you’ll still need to take care of all the traditional wedding basics,  like getting your marriage license and hiring your officiant, and taking care of any permits you might require. You’ll also need to hire your caterer and (very important… wink, wink) your entertainment. Also, think about the style of ceremony and reception you want, what kind of changes will you need to make to keep it concealed?! And, even though you’re sending invites out fairly late, you will need to have an approximate guest count when you meet with your caterer. That way they can work with you to create a delicious menu that will complement your party size and vibe, and be able to give you a more accurate quote in the first place.

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