Should your photo booth come with a person, or look after itself? There’s no single right answer. It depends on your guests, your venue, your timings and your budget, so we’ve broken it down into five questions that will point you to the right choice.
First, what’s the difference?
A staffed booth arrives with a booth attendant who sets it up, runs it all evening, helps guests and clears it away. Our staffed booths are the Glam Booth, the Vintage Booth and the AI Photo Booth.
A self-service booth is set up for you and then guests use it on their own. Ours are the Party Pod, which prints, and the Digital Pod, which sends photos straight to guests’ phones.
Question 1: How long do you want it running?
This is often the deciding factor.
Our staffed booths run for 3 hours as standard, with extra time available. Most couples time those hours around the evening reception, when the room is busiest.
The self-service pods work differently. The Party Pod is dropped off during the day and runs all day, so guests can use it from the drinks reception right through the evening. The Digital Pod is dropped off and set up before 2pm and collected near the end of the night.
Leaning towards: self-service if you want something running from the afternoon; staffed if you want a focused, high-energy evening session.
Question 2: How much do you want looked after for you?
With a staffed booth, the attendant does the work. They welcome guests, encourage the shy ones, keep the queue moving, make sure groups fit in the frame and hand out the prints. Our attendants also bring the Selfie Star pose guide, and at the end of the night you get a gift box with a full set of prints and an online gallery of every photo.
You can add Guest Book Management, where the attendant puts prints into your own guest book and asks guests to sign it. That simply isn’t possible without someone there.
With a self-service pod, guests take charge. Most people pick it up in seconds, but there’s nobody to coax your great aunt into her first ever booth photo.
Leaning towards: staffed if you want a hands-off, guided experience; self-service if your crowd is confident and you’re happy for it to run itself.
Question 3: Prints, digital or both?
- Staffed booths: unlimited photo capture, with prints every time, plus the online gallery.
- Party Pod: prints, with colour and black and white built in and a choice of backdrops.
- Digital Pod: no prints. Guests share photos straight to their phones, with personalised digital borders and an online gallery.
If a physical keepsake matters to you, rule out the Digital Pod. If you’d rather have photos flying round the group chat, it could be perfect.
Question 4: Where is your venue?
Staffed booths cover our full area: Yorkshire, the North East, Cumbria and the Lake District, Manchester and Cheshire.
The self-service pods are more local. The Party Pod and Digital Pod are available within 15 miles of our base in Swillington, Leeds, unless they’re booked alongside an EventsDJ wedding DJ, in which case they can go further.
Question 5: What’s your budget?
Self-service is the lower-cost option. The Party Pod is our self-service booth, while the Vintage Booth and Glam Booth are staffed.
When comparing, look at what’s included rather than the headline price alone. With a staffed booth, the attendant, gift box, pose guide and online gallery are part of the package.
Quick guide: which way are you leaning?
- Big evening party, lots of mixed ages, want it all handled: staffed.
- Want a photo guest book: staffed, with Guest Book Management.
- Want it running from the afternoon at a venue near Leeds: Party Pod.
- Relaxed, phone-happy crowd who don’t need prints: Digital Pod.
- Tighter budget, venue near Leeds: Party Pod.
Weighing up the two self-service options? Our Party Pod vs Digital Pod guide compares them in detail.
Read more in our ultimate photo booth hire guide.
FAQs
Does a self-service booth need anyone to look after it?
No. It’s set up for you and guests use it on their own. It’s still worth asking your venue coordinator to keep an eye on the area, as you would for any part of the room.
When does the attendant arrive for a staffed booth?
Our team arrives an hour before the booth opens, so everything is set up and tested before your guests reach it.
Can we have a self-service booth outside the Leeds area?
The Party Pod and Digital Pod cover venues within 15 miles of our base in Swillington, Leeds, or further when booked with an EventsDJ DJ. Otherwise, a staffed booth is the way to go.
Not sure which is right for you? Request a quote or use the form below, tell us your date, venue and rough guest numbers, and we’ll suggest the best fit.
