Top Five Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Photo Booths

One of the most fun modern staples of weddings is photobooths. They’re fun, easy, and a fantastic souvenir for all of your guests to take home. Photo booths are becoming pretty commonplace now, but they can be a little difficult to navigate while you’re shopping. No worries- we’re here to help!

DO Know What Kind of Photos You Want

Not all photo booths spit out four action shots- these ain’t your mall’s photo booths. There are a multitude of different kinds of photo booths that create all sorts of fun and different photos. There are booths that create gifs that are emailed to you, 3D photos made from two images, sticker photo booths, and of course the classic photo booths. Shop around different photo booths in your area and really think about what you want, and what you want to offer your guests.

DON’T Forget The Space

You really can’t just stick a photo booth in a corner of your venue- you need to work it out with the venue coordinator. You’ll need power, power cords, room for set up and breakdown, and in some cases for instant uploads, a solid internet connection. You don’t want to be dealing with putting the photo booth in the right place while you’re busy putting on your wedding dress. You’ll also need to deal with the flow of the room and put the photo booth in a convenient spot that doesn’t interfere with anything else going on.

DO Timeline the Photo Booth

You’ll need to know how much time the company needs to set up and how long they will have an attendant for. You’ll need to know if they have enough attendees to cover any breaks or if there will be any gaps in service (some states have restricting labor laws that require employees to take breaks a few hours into a shift, even if they want to waive it). You’ll also need to know how long they’ll need to break down after the wedding so if they’re there longer than you are you can warn the venue. You probably won’t need it that long, but it’s good to give the venue a heads up.

DON’T Settle Fast

You shouldn’t settle for anything in general, especially not anything for your wedding. Take your time to shop around before you settle on one vendor. Narrow down what kind of photo booth you want (our first ‘Do’!) and from there, see who offers it in your area. There’s bound to be a few different companies that offer a similar service. Meet with everyone and figure out who you like the best, who can do the best deal, and who puts out the best product. Take your time and pick the booth that works best for you.

DO Work Out a Deal

Once you’ve got it narrowed down to the final few companies, do your research to work out a deal. Check out deal sites like Groupon and Living Social- deal sites almost always have deals for Photo Booths. You can look into what’s offered and call the companies to see if you can tailor fit a deal with them to what you want. You can even try to use that as leverage with a company you want to work with- bring up the deal to the company you want to work with and see if they can come down to a comparable price.

 

Five Beauty Treatments to Skip Before Engagement Photos

Newly engaged? It’s time to show off a fresh face and document this epic time in your life! If you have a big photo op on the horizon, you’re going to want to do what you can to look your best. However, there are a few things that you should probably skip before taking lots of photos. Here’s our list of what to put on the back burner for now.

Skip the Facials

Even if you’re a regular at the spa, you may want to skip the facials. You don’t want to risk any bad reactions or irritated skin when you have a photo op on the horizon. If you feel like your skin does need a little love, try a clay or mud mask. Stick to organic and non-irritable (nothing acidic!) skin treatments so there’s no chance you’ll break out or get patchy.

Stick to Shaving

On that note, now is not the time to get waxed! If you’ll have some skin showing, it’s best to keep it looking as smooth as possible. In the same vein as skipping facials to avoid any unwanted reaction, you should also foreo waxing for a while. Even if you go to the same beautician every time, you don’t want to risk a bad experience. Your skin needs to be as flawless as possible, don’t take risks. 1Biotin.jpg.jpg

Serious New Supplements

Vitamins like fish oil, vitamin D, and Biotin can be a great addition to your diet, but skip starting them until all the pictures are done! Introducing a new vitamin into your routine can break you out- or even in some cases make you nauseous. Biotin and other hair and nail supplements have been known to break people out when they are first introduced into a sensitive system. It’s best to not make any drastic changes to your diet just yet- enjoy being engaged in your own skin for a while!

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Trim Out the Trim

Skip getting any haircuts, even if you’re just planning on a tiny trim, until after the pictures are taken. It can be easy to get swept up in feeling creative while you’re in a stylist’s chair, but you may not want that look to be documented. Try to save any changes to your look until after engagement photos. That way, you’ll have time to perfect your new look before the big day or change it if you don’t love it.

Re-Schedule That Root Canal

Put off any dental work until after all photos are done. Treatments that numb your face can cause you to make funny faces, and not all in the cute way. Unless you’re just going in for a quick cleaning the day before, you really want to keep anything major until you’re free from the flashing lights. No one likes a puffy numb mouth, and being uncomfortable could distract you from looking adorable.

Five Tips for Perfect Engagement Photos

Did you get swept up in engagement season? Never fear, BHL is here! We know you have a lot to do, and we’re here to help. Now that the question’s been popped, it’s time to show off. Before you run off to take your official engagement photos, check out our top five tips.

 

1. Manage your Mani

Get yourself a quality manicure. We’re talking booking that nail artist you read about in Allure. Your hands will be photographed more heavily now than they ever have been, and you want to make sure they look good. Get your nails done as close to your photoshoot date as possible so you don’t have time to nick them or mess them up beforehand. If you’re still worried about making the mani last, opt for a gel manicure over acrylic. You don’t want to risk breaking off a nail, plus gel manicures will look more natural since they are on your natural nails. We suggest doing a classic french manicure to keep all attention on your ring.

 

2. Shine Bright

Get your teeth whitened! If you don’t have time to try out white strips, head over to your dentist for a quick cleaning or whitening. Even if you’re not insured, many dentists are offering whitening treatments that are affordable and relatively quick. If you have the time and the means, a deep cleaning can work wonders for your smile. You know you’ll be flashing those pearly whites, and you want them to be remembered as white.

 

3. Check the Weather

Dreaming of lovey-dovey photos outside? Do those dreams involve high winds or rain? Check the weather before you head out for pictures. It’ll be hard to make that ring sparkle if it’s gloomy and grey outside. If you scheduled a photographer, you may want to have a backup location just in case it starts to rain. If you’re out here in Southern California with the rest of the BHL team, you know it’s usually beautiful but that can change very quickly. Elsewhere in the country, the weather can be even more fickle.

 

4. Plan With your Partner

Yay- you’re engaged! But just remember, your fiance is too. Go over your plans and visions for the photos so you both know what you’re going into. You may need to have a serious sit down if your vision involves matching/coordinating outfits or any extra special looks. You don’t want to spring any surprises that will leave them feeling silly. Your engagement shoot is a time to celebrate the next step of your relationship- and that means coming to agreements.

 

5. Be your Classic Self

Now is not the time to try highlights or finally get a spray tan. Show off your well-known loveable self looking like no one else but you. These photos are going to last a lifetime, and you want to be able to recognize yourself! If you are a mascara and chapstick kind of girl, stick to it and leave the false lashes for another time. Showcase your favorite features and be comfortable in your skin.