How much space does a photo booth need?

Short answer: about 10 feet by 10 feet of flat floor and a standard 120V outlet within 25 feet. That covers our open-air booth, the 8 by 8 white backdrop, a small prop table and room for a group of four to stand in the shot. If you have that, you have room for a booth.

The longer answer depends on your room, your guest count and if you are inside or out. This guide covers what we ask every venue in Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and Mississauga before an event, so you can pick the spot yourself and send it to us with confidence.

The footprint, piece by piece

Here is what actually goes into that 10 by 10 space:

• The backdrop. Our standard white studio backdrop is 8 feet wide by 8 feet tall. It needs a wall or a clear stretch of floor behind it, and a ceiling of at least 8 and a half feet so the frame stands up straight.
• The camera stand. The DSLR, the studio strobe and the screen guests look at sit on one stand about 6 to 8 feet in front of the backdrop. That distance is what lets four people fit in the frame without anyone getting cut off.
• The printer and the attendant. The printer sits beside the camera stand. One of us stands there the whole time, handing out strips and keeping the line moving.
• The prop table. A small table off to one side, roughly 4 feet long. If space is tight we can drop it to a basket.

Add a little room for the line to form and you are at about 10 by 10. A bit more is nice for big groups. A bit less can work if you tell us in advance.

Power: one outlet is enough

The whole booth runs from one ordinary 120V household outlet. No generator, no special circuit. The only rule is distance: the outlet should be within 25 feet of the spot, so our cord can run along a wall and be taped down where people walk.

If the only outlet in the room is across a dance floor, say so when you book. Most venues have a floor box or a closer outlet the coordinator knows about, and we would rather sort it out the week before than on the night.

Where to put the booth in the room

Space is half of it. Placement decides how many people actually use the booth. A few things we have learned from running booths in hotel ballrooms, golf clubhouses, barns and backyards:

• Near the action, not in a back corner. The best spot is somewhere guests walk past on the way to the bar or the dance floor. A booth tucked into a hallway gets half the use.
• Not right beside the speakers. Guests want to hear each other count down. Ten or fifteen feet away from the DJ is plenty.
• Away from bright windows behind the backdrop. Our strobe handles a dark room easily. A sunny window behind the backdrop is harder, so we face the camera toward the window, not away from it.
• Out of the main walkway. The line should not block servers or the path to the washrooms.

If you are not sure, send a photo of the room or the floor plan from your venue. We will mark a spot and send it back.

Ceiling height and smaller rooms

Most banquet halls and clubhouses have plenty of height. Older rooms, basements and some restaurant private dining rooms can be lower. Under about 8 and a half feet, we lower the backdrop or skip it and use a clean wall instead. It still looks good. Just tell us the ceiling height when you send the venue name.

For very small rooms, or a party of about thirty people or fewer, the digital self-operated booth is worth a look. It is a stand and a screen with no printer and no attendant, so it fits in a much smaller corner. It is $350 for 2 hours plus HST, available in Burlington, Oakville and Waterdown.

Outdoor events and backyards

We set up outdoors a lot, especially in Milton, Burlington, Oakville and Waterdown backyards in the summer. Outside, we need three extra things on top of the space and power:

• Shelter over the booth. A rented 10 by 10 tent, a gazebo or a covered patio. The camera, printer and paper cannot get wet, even from a light shower.
• Shade on the backdrop. Direct sun on the backdrop washes out photos and makes guests squint.
• Flat, firm ground. Patio stones, a deck or level grass. A slope makes the frame lean.

Extension cords outdoors should be rated for outdoor use. We bring ours. If the outlet is further than 25 feet from the tent, tell us and we will plan around it.

Setup and teardown time

We arrive about an hour before the booth opens to load in, set up and test. Teardown takes about 30 to 45 minutes after the last print. None of that counts against the hours you book, so a 2 hour package means 2 full hours of photos.

What helps us most on the day:

• A loading door or side entrance close to the room
• Parking for one vehicle near that door
• The venue coordinator's name and number in case we need the service elevator
• Access to the room an hour early (some venues book the room right up to guest arrival, so check)

Hotels and convention centres often ask for a vendor form and a certificate of insurance. Send us the coordinator's contact early and we will handle that paperwork with them directly.

A quick checklist to send your venue

Copy this and send it to your coordinator:

• Space: about 10 by 10 feet of flat floor
• Power: one standard 120V outlet within 25 feet
• Ceiling: 8 and a half feet or higher
• Access: room available one hour before the booth opens
• Load-in: side or loading door, one parking spot nearby
• Outdoors only: tent or cover over the booth, shade on the backdrop

What it costs

Our standard 2 hour DSLR booth with an attendant, unlimited prints and the white backdrop is $550 plus HST. Longer packages are on the packages page. The digital self-operated booth is $350 for 2 hours plus HST, Burlington, Oakville and Waterdown only. Travel is included across Halton, Hamilton and Mississauga. For the full breakdown, see what a photo booth rental costs in Ontario.

If you are booking for a wedding, our wedding photo booth checklist and the venue guides for Burlington, Hamilton and Oakville cover the rest. The weddings page has timing and package advice.

Not sure your spot works?

Send us your date and venue and we will tell you straight away. Get a quote or text us at (289) 815-6385.

Get a quote