Photo booths have become a must-have wedding activity in the Chicago area. Wedding guests know to expect a photo booth, and if you don’t have one, you may have just dropped the ball. 

But we get it, there’s a ton of expenses at play when planning a wedding, so budget is probably at the top of your mind. And you’re wondering, how much does a wedding photo booth cost?

Well, here’s the deets:

How much does a wedding photo booth cost?

Wedding photo booth prices can vary depending on many factors including the photo booth type, the add-ons (filters, backdrop customization, props); time spent at the venue, where is your wedding venue located, the experience of the photo booth company, and the level of expertise. In Chicago, photo booth prices range in between $300 and $1500 with the average wedding photo booth cost of $850. The photo booth cost is going to be around 3% of your wedding budget.

What’s Included With a Wedding Photo Booth?

When you rent a wedding photo booth, your cost will include a few things (important things) that you’ll need for your booth to be a success. Some rentals will include the following with the standard rental fee:

1. The Photo Booth: With a standard package you can plan to get the photo booth (obviously) that you’ve chosen. 
2. Attendant: Photo booths aren’t too complicated to operate, but it helps to have a pro on hand to help guests get used to the experience and guide them through the process. 
3. Setup & Breakdown: You shouldn’t be expected to set up your own photo booth (or take it down) on your wedding day, you’ve got bigger fish to fry. Most reputable vendors will do this for you.
4. Backdrops: Quality photos come with quality backdrops…period. 
5. Props: Good photo booth vendors will know what your guests will like when they start digging through the prop box…based on experience, of course. So make sure props are included in your package, and you don’t have to deal with any prop fees later on. 
6. Copy of photos: There are two main purposes of a wedding photo booth 
   1. Guests to enjoy
   2. To be able to look back on memories

So if your vendor wants to charge you extra for copies of your photos (in at least digital form) maybe move on to a better option to avoid hidden fees. 

Do I need to tip the photo booth attendant?

Most of the companies don’t include any tips in their pricing. A $50 to $100 tip is a nice gesture. You will be surprised to find out that there are some companies that will include it in the price. You are supposed to be the one deciding how much you want to tip the photo booth attendant, and if you want to tip them in general. 

Are memory books included in the price?

Many photo booth companies do not include a memory book (with all the photos from the party) in the wedding photo booth packages. However you can always add it to your services for an additional $100-$200. You can use the album as a guest book – the guests will take photos in front of the booth, put it in your guest book, and write a message for the bride and groom. 

As a side note, and just a tip from us pros…

Your wedding day is a busy fun-filled day, but we don’t want you to miss out on the photo booth you decide to invest in, so make sure to come and see our attendant and get a few snaps of your own in before the big day flys by.