You’re probably thinking of which souvenirs you’re going to be giving away on your wedding. And chances are, since this is going to be your biggest day, you’re thinking of give-aways that might be too pricey and impractical. Key chains, snow globes, miniature items and the likes, most of these things are just going to end up in the trash.
Your visitors are not asking for gifts. What they prefer is to be fed well and just to have good memories of the event with friends and family. I remember one occasion when I was at the wedding reception of my newly wedded friends. They’ve spent lavishly for this party. I’m talking great venue, high quality food, and a big number of guests. Many of us were close college buddies who were happy to be there as if it was a reunion at the same time. But most of us were a bit bored. There was just too much programs, such as games and speeches, conducted by the event hosts to the point that it disrupted the intimate catch-ups the we were trying to have.
In the middle of that reception, when things really started to get boring, me and some friends decided to go outside the venue for a quick smoke. We came across this photo booth on our way out. They had a blank canvas backdrop and some whacky costumes at the side. So we thought to give it a go. What came next was perhaps the most interesting moment of that reception. Soon, some of our other friends decided to jump in and join the fun. We were having our pictures taken in that booth while having a blast with the props they had like wigs and huge eye frames. A few minutes later, those pictures were printed on a photo paper and handed to us. It was edited to have a more memorable background and the date and our wedded friends’ name was printed on it too. It was the perfect wedding souvenir. I still have it with me after how many years have passed. Even though we have our camera phones and could have just taken selfies, the booth added an excitement that made it more personal for us.
The photo booth was by Fotoloco. They expressed themselves as “the first, fast, and fun onsite photo booth” and became popular quite fast when they first launched in 2006. Fotoloco became a hit business back then. They had a simple operating plan of having the guests enter a photo area with a backdrop, pose in front of the camera then just press a button to start taking pictures. These pictures were then printed postcard-styled and given to the guests. The photos taken were also available for download from Fotoloco’s online gallery. They were perhaps one of the pioneer businesses that gained popularity through social media exposure with client reviews and not just word of mouth. They became the go-to photo booth provider for special events, weddings, birthdays, and big corporate celebrations.
But as I have heard, competition in this line of business became aggressive and they simply were not able to keep their competitive edge. This was a business model that was easy to replicate and that’s what most event organizers did. The organizers included this service as an add-on package, thus eliminating the need for a third party photo booth provider.
Nevertheless, Fotoloco’s introduction of this unique concept became a necessity for special gatherings as it provided the most memorable of all souvenirs.