Photo Booths at Weddings – Fun or Lame?

Let’s cut to the chase: you’ve just arrived at your friend’s wedding reception at a hotel ballroom and you are greeted by fairy lights, a 5-tier cake, acoustic covers of Ed Sheeran songs… and there it is — in the corner, sandwiched between the dessert table and the exit to the washroom.

A photo booth.

Now before you roll your eyes (or sprint over to grab a prop shaped like durian), let’s settle the debate once and for all — are photo booths at weddings still fun, or are they just a cringe relic from 2013?

📸 The Case for FUN:

1. They’re Basically a Guestbook… but with Lipstick and Drama

• Tangible memories
• Guests looking less dead-eyed than in table shots
• Actual smiles (and not the forced kind when the emcee shouts, “Table 18, look here!”)

2. Props = Instant Icebreakers

Have you seen two aunties fighting over a pink feather? I have. And it was glorious.

The props — from moustaches to “Team Bride” signs — somehow transform even the stiffest uncle into a part-time TikTok star. They get people talking, laughing and letting loose, especially during that awkward pre-dinner window when the couple’s still doing last-minute touch-ups.

3. You Get to Keep Something That’s Not a Useless Door Gift

I once brought home a wedding gift [28. 3 Wedding Favour Ideas Your Guests Will Actually Love] that was… a keychain shaped like a shoe. I have no idea where it is now. But that photo strip of me and my friends wearing ridiculous wigs and holding up “Single and Available” signs? Still on my fridge.

And in Singapore where everything has to be IG-worthy or it didn’t happen, that tiny photo strip is a great memory and soft-launch content.

4. It’s Fun for All Ages

Kids love it. Boomers love it. Millennials get nostalgic. Gen Z gets content. It’s the one activity at a wedding that’s truly multi-generational.

Try getting everyone on the dance floor — not the same success rate.

😬 The Case for LAME:

1. When It’s Squeezed Into a Sad Corner

You know the type. The backdrops are half-wrinkled. The props look like they were printed on cardboard five years ago. The lighting? Don’t even get me started.

It’s giving budget, not beauty. Bad photo booths can cheapify the vibe — and yes, that’s a word I’m using now.

2. Props That Haven’t Been Updated Since Forever

If I see one more “I came for the cake” sign or heart-shaped sunglasses, I will scream into my salad.

2025 brides, please — upgrade your props. Let’s get cute Singapore-themed ones (a bubble tea emoji, a kopitiam uncle hat, a sash that says “I applied for your BTO [50. Is applying for a BTO the same as getting engaged?]”) and ditch the clichés.

3. Not Everyone’s Into Being Goofy

Some people hate being photographed. Or they just don’t want to be immortalised in a floral crown holding a rubber chicken. That’s okay! Not every guest will use the booth — but you’re paying for it, so it’s worth asking if your crowd will even bother.

🎉 Verdict: Still Fun — If You Do It Right

Photo booths aren’t lame by default. They’re lame if you put zero thought into them. But when done well? They’re a vibe. A memory. A moment.

• Curate the props (no more 2012 leftovers, please)
• Invest in good lighting + a clean backdrop
• Make it match your wedding theme — whether it’s rustic romance or clubby champagne vibes
• Get digital + printed copies for that online-and-offline combo
• Optional: Let guests leave a message on the back of the photo — bonus nostalgia!

Final Thoughts (aka Samantha’s Hot Take):

At the end of the day, your wedding is your show. If you want a neon backdrop and props shaped like nasi lemak, go for it. Make it yours.

A good photo booth isn’t about being trendy or ‘aesthetic’. It’s about giving your guests — and yourself — a way to laugh, loosen up and actually remember the night (even after that third glass of Prosecco).

So, photo booths? Not lame. Not if you own it.