Tip 1: Book During Off-Peak Season
Planning a wedding at any given time can be overwhelming, but expenses tend to skyrocket during the peak wedding season. Venues fill up fast, and vendors increase rates to meet demand. For San Diego weddings, the typical peak seasons are spring and fall.
However, the best deals on photo booths happen when demand dips during the Winter and Summer. Vendors like photographers, florists, and photo booth companies have more availability during Winter and Summer, so they offer discounts.
For example, opting for a Spring wedding photo booth rental on a Saturday night may cost $800. However, choosing the same booth for a Winter Saturday could cost only $600. By selecting a date with lower demand, you effortlessly save $200!
Booking during off-peak times involves coordinating with your venue and other vendors, but the savings of photo booths make it worthwhile. So if you want to score a deal on photo booth rentals in San Diego, start flipping through the calendar and consider a winter wonderland or summer soirée wedding!
Tip 2: Rent for a Shorter Period
Many excited couples book their photo booth rental for the entire wedding reception—we’re talking a solid 6 hours of photo taking! Although this may seem like an enjoyable idea, it’s important to consider that such extended access comes at a premium price.
Most of the photo booth action happens in short bursts, like when guests arrive and during specific reception events like first dances and toasts. You will capture most of the memorable shots in just 2–3 hours of photo booth operation.
For San Diego weddings, consider booking your photo booth rental for just the key moments. For example, have it delivered 1 hour before guests arrive to get some shots with the wedding party. Then schedule 2 hours during cocktail hour and dinner.
Shortening your photo booth rental to 3 hours can save you $100-200. You’ll still get lots of fun prints for your guest book and enjoy the booth during your reception’s liveliest times.
Tip 3: Stick to Basic Customization
When you picture your perfect San Diego wedding photo booth, you may envision lavish backdrops, fun props, and wholly customized prints. While these options add to the experience, they can also significantly increase the rental cost.
Most photo booth companies include basic customization like logo design and layout creation with their packages. This allows you to add your names, wedding date, and colors, and select a multi-photo layout.
Upgrading to extensive customization like personalized props, backdrops, filters, and other add-ons can increase your rental fees by 20-30%. That custom floral wall printout backdrop alone could be an extra $100!
Tip 4: Bundle Services
Here’s an insider tip to save big when booking vendors for your San Diego wedding—ask about bundling services!
Many wedding pros, including photo booth companies, offer discounted package deals when you book multiple services together. It’s more business for them, so they incentivize you with lower overall pricing.
For example, a popular money-saving combo is bundling your photo booth rental with videography or photography services. When booked together, you could get 10% off both services. A $500 photo booth paired with $2000 worth of videography would mean over $250 in savings!
Conclusion
With some strategic planning, you really can have your photo booth and afford it too. By booking during off-peak times, limiting rental periods, simplifying customization, and bundling services, you can easily save 20-30% on San Diego wedding photo booths. Focus on the experience you want rather than every add-on, and savor the Instagram memories for years to come without breaking your wedding budget.
