Almost 2 years ago we posted a an article discussing how much one could expect to pay to rent a photo booth. Well a lot has changed in last couple years but we still get asked about the price at almost every event we are at. Despite the ever increasing number of photo booth rental companies, most people do not know what to expect regarding renting a photo booth.
We conducted a quick survey of the photo booth rental companies in the Chicagoland area and quit counting at 20. This is a big increase over when we last looked at this at the end of 2010. A lot of people are attracted by the apparent fun, ease and prices associated with photo booths. Unfortunately, the barriers to entry to our business are fairly low, so anyone can purchase the equipment and software and rig up a makeshift photo booth. Given this dynamic, the prices and types of booths and services offered by this group was pretty diverse.
With the increasing number of providers, we found prices had declined at the lower end. We found prices posted from $650 to $1,200 for a 4-hour rental, with varying levels of services included in the price. What accounts for this wide range in prices? Like most services, you generally get what you pay for. In general, the more established companies were in the $900 to $1,000 range for a 4-hour rental. Newer entrants seemed to make up the majority of companies at the lower end of the price range.
The types of photo booths used by the companies varied widely too. The vast majority of photo booth rental companies are still using some type of fabric photo tent, although there are a few more companies using true hard sided photo booths like we do at 4 Flashes Photo Booths. The photo tent set-up is much easier and less expensive to acquire than the true hard sided photo booth for new operators.
There are no shortage of options for those looking to rent a photo booth in the Chicago area. We think potential renters should carefully evaluate what is included in the rental price. Are items like double prints, delivery, props, on-line gallery and flash drives included? How much experience does the photo booth company have? Believe it or not, executing a successful event takes a lot of work and good customer service is key. Many times lower price may equal less customer service and experience. What type of photo booth do you want for your event? Do you want something that looks like it is homemade or a professionally designed and constructed booth?
If you are looking for an experienced photo booth rental company that provides a great booth and top notch customer service 4 Flashes Photo Booths is here to serve you.
