There are many types of photo booths available today, and picking the right one can make or break the energy at your event. From open-air setups and classic enclosed cabinets to 360 video booths and magic mirrors, each style brings something different to the table. This guide walks you through 15 popular photo booth styles so you can choose the perfect fit for your wedding, corporate event, or party.
1. Open-Air Photo Booth
The open-air photo booth is the most widely rented style on the market right now, and for good reason. Unlike an enclosed cabinet, an open-air setup has no walls, which means it fits larger groups, integrates seamlessly with any venue decor, and gives your guests a more social, interactive experience. The photographer-style backdrop hangs behind guests while a camera mounted on a sleek stand captures the shots.
Open-air photo booth rentals are incredibly flexible. You can swap out backdrops to match a wedding color palette, a corporate brand, or a holiday theme in minutes. Because the setup is visible from across the room, it also doubles as a visual centerpiece that draws guests in throughout the night. If you are looking at photo booth rental for events, an open-air model is usually the safest crowd-pleasing choice.
According to The Knot, interactive entertainment like photo booths consistently ranks among the top wedding reception upgrades couples invest in, and the open-air style is cited as the go-to option for receptions with large guest counts.
2. Classic Enclosed Photo Booth
The classic enclosed photo booth is exactly what most people picture when they hear the words “photo booth.” A curtained or solid-walled cabinet seats two to four guests, a strip of photos prints out in seconds, and everyone walks away with a physical keepsake. This traditional photo booth style carries a strong dose of nostalgia that still resonates at events today.
Modern enclosed photo booth rentals have come a long way from the vintage coin-operated machines you used to find at malls. Today’s versions offer touchscreen interfaces, DSLR-quality cameras, custom print templates, and instant digital sharing. The enclosed experience also gives guests a sense of privacy, which tends to loosen inhibitions and results in more genuine, funny moments.
For weddings, the classic photo booth works especially well as a cocktail-hour activity. Guests can slip inside, goof around with props, and pull out a printed strip before dinner is even served. If you are curious about what a full setup includes, check out our breakdown of wedding photo booth packages to see what you get with a professional rental.
3. GIF Booth and Boomerang Booth
A GIF booth captures a rapid sequence of images and stitches them together into a short looping animation that guests can share straight to their phones. The boomerang-style variant does the same thing but adds a back-and-forth motion effect that is instantly recognizable on social feeds. Both styles fall under the broader GIF photo booth category and are wildly popular at weddings, brand activations, and birthday parties.
What makes a GIF booth such a hit is the shareability factor. Guests receive their animated clip within seconds via text or email, post it from their own accounts, and your event gets organic reach without any extra effort on your part. For corporate events and brand activations, a branded GIF booth is one of the smartest ways to put your logo in motion across social platforms. BizBash frequently highlights GIF and boomerang activations as among the most talked-about event entertainment options at trade shows and product launches.
The setup for a GIF photo booth is similar to an open-air station, so it fits into almost any venue layout without a hassle. Pairing it with a fun backdrop and a prop table turns it into an instant party focal point.
4. 360 Video Booth
The 360-degree video booth is one of the most visually dramatic photo booth experiences available right now. A motorized arm with a camera circles the guest or group on a platform, capturing a slow, cinematic clip from every angle. The resulting video gets delivered as a polished, shareable file that looks like something out of a movie trailer.
360 video booth rentals have become a staple at high-end weddings, celebrity parties, and major corporate events because they produce content that stands apart from a standard photo. Guests step onto the platform, strike a pose, and walk away with a clip they will genuinely want to show people. At Epic Events Booth, our 360 Video Booth experience is one of our most requested rentals for weddings and brand activations across Arizona.
If you are weighing whether a 360 booth fits your budget and event style, our in-depth look at video guest book booths covers how video-based experiences compare to traditional photo setups for weddings.
5. Magic Mirror Photo Booth
The magic mirror photo booth is a full-length mirror with a touchscreen interface built right into the glass. Guests walk up, follow the on-screen prompts, strike a pose, and the mirror captures their photo and prints it on the spot. The whole interaction feels futuristic and elegant, which is why the magic mirror booth has become especially popular at luxury weddings and upscale galas.
What sets this mirror photo booth style apart is the guest experience from start to finish. Animated graphics, voice guidance, and signature capture (guests can sign their name directly on the mirror screen) make every interaction feel personalized. The prints typically come out in a full-size 6×8 format, which guests prefer to hang on a wall at home rather than tuck into a pocket.
For event planners who want something that looks like a piece of decor as much as an activity, the magic mirror photo booth delivers on both fronts. It fits naturally in ballroom corners, near staircases, or at entrance foyers where it catches guests’ attention the moment they walk in.
6. Slow-Motion Video Booth
A slow-motion video booth, sometimes called a slow-mo booth, records guests at a high frame rate and then plays the clip back in dramatically slowed-down motion. The effect turns an ordinary wave, a confetti toss, or a jumping group shot into a visually stunning video that feels cinematic. Slow-motion photo booth rentals have surged in popularity because the output looks polished without requiring any editing skills from the guest.
The slow-mo booth works at virtually any event type. At weddings, couples use it to capture a first look or a choreographed entrance. At corporate events, teams film slow-motion product reveals or branded moments. At birthday parties, balloon pops and champagne pours filmed in slow motion are always crowd favorites.
Delivery is instant. Guests receive their slow-motion video clip digitally and can share it right away. Because slow-motion video footage is relatively uncommon in everyday social sharing, these clips tend to get significantly more attention when posted online compared to standard photos.
7. Glam Booth (Black and White Photo Booth)
A glam booth applies professional-grade studio lighting and a black-and-white filter to create photos that look like they came out of a high-fashion editorial shoot. The result is a dramatic, sophisticated image that guests are genuinely proud to frame and display. This black and white photo booth style has become a favorite at weddings, quinceaneras, and charity galas where a polished aesthetic matters.
The secret behind the glam photo booth is the lighting setup. Ring lights or softbox-style LED panels flood the subject with even, flattering light that minimizes shadows and brings out fine details. The monochrome processing then strips away distracting color and focuses the eye on expression and composition. Guests who feel camera-shy in normal setups often love the glam booth because every shot looks intentionally artistic.
At Epic Events Booth, our Glam Booth experience is one of the most requested options at weddings because it produces keepsakes that actually match the elegance of the day. You can learn more about how photo booth options in the Phoenix metro area compare across event styles and budgets.
8. Digital Photo Booth (No Prints)
A digital photo booth captures high-quality images and delivers them entirely via digital channels: text, email, QR code, or AirDrop. There are no physical prints involved, which keeps the rental cost lower and eliminates paper waste. Digital-only photo booth rentals have become increasingly popular for corporate events, brand activations, and eco-conscious weddings where sustainability is a priority.
The speed of delivery is a major selling point. Guests scan a QR code and have their photo in their camera roll within seconds, ready to share anywhere. For brand activations, a digital photo booth can be set up with a custom-branded overlay so every image a guest shares includes the company logo, event hashtag, or campaign artwork.
Digital photo booths also tend to be more compact and easier to position in tight venues because there is no printer hardware to accommodate. If you are planning a corporate event and want ideas on how to use photo booths for brand awareness, our guide on brand awareness through photo booths is worth a read before you book.
9. Roaming Photo Booth
A roaming photo booth puts the camera in the hands of a professional attendant who walks through the event with a handheld setup, capturing candid photos and short video clips of guests wherever they are. Instead of waiting in line at a fixed station, the booth comes to guests at their tables, on the dance floor, or out on the patio.
This roving photo booth style is ideal for cocktail hours, outdoor festivals, and events with a flowing layout where a stationary setup would be inconvenient. Because the attendant is mobile, the roaming booth captures moments that a fixed station would miss entirely, like toasts, spontaneous dance circles, or kids running around with sparklers.
Roaming photo booth experiences pair especially well with a fixed open-air or 360 booth. One captures the big planned group shots while the other documents the organic, unscripted moments that guests remember most.
10. Photo Booth with Green Screen
A green screen photo booth uses chroma key technology to replace the backdrop behind guests with any digital image or video in real time. Guests can pose in front of a tropical beach, a city skyline, the surface of the moon, or a custom branded backdrop without leaving the event venue. Green screen photo booth rentals are particularly effective for themed parties, corporate events, and travel-related activations.
The customization potential of a green screen booth is nearly unlimited. For a corporate event, the background can display the company headquarters, a product launch visual, or a branded scene. For a themed birthday party, guests can be transported to outer space or a favorite movie setting. Because every guest gets a unique, customized-feeling image, the green screen experience feels more personal than a standard backdrop setup.
Green screen photo booth software has improved dramatically and today’s systems handle complex lighting conditions without the telltale fringing artifacts that older versions produced.
11. Selfie Station
A selfie station is a simplified, self-operated photo booth experience designed for minimal footprint and maximum throughput. Guests step up to a mounted tablet or screen, tap a button, and receive their photo digitally in seconds. There is no attendant required, no print queue, and no complicated setup. Selfie station rentals are popular for large events, conferences, and multi-day activations where continuous staffing of a full photo booth is not practical.
The selfie station category has expanded significantly. Today you can find versions with ring light attachments, custom-branded touchscreen interfaces, instant social sharing, and even AI-powered filters that apply makeup or themed overlays automatically. While a selfie station lacks the wow factor of a 360 booth or a magic mirror, it delivers reliable, on-brand content capture at a lower price point.
For couples on a tighter wedding budget, a selfie station paired with a good backdrop and a props basket can still generate a lot of fun guest photos throughout the evening.
12. Photo Mosaic Booth
A photo mosaic booth collects individual photos taken by guests throughout the event and assembles them in real time into a large composite image, often a portrait of the couple, a company logo, or an event graphic. As more guests take photos, more tiles fill in, and the final mosaic print can be presented as a one-of-a-kind keepsake at the end of the night.
The photo mosaic experience is especially meaningful at weddings and milestone celebrations because the final artwork literally contains everyone who attended. Each guest’s photo becomes part of something larger, which creates a strong sense of community and shared memory. Wedding Forward notes that personalized wedding keepsakes that incorporate guests directly are among the most cherished mementos couples hold onto long after the event.
Printing and framing the final mosaic as a large-format piece makes for a meaningful gift or display item that costs far less than a custom painting but carries just as much sentimental weight.
13. Hashtag Printing Booth
A hashtag printing booth pulls photos from a specific social media hashtag and prints them on demand at your event. Guests post their own photos using the designated event hashtag, and the booth monitors the feed and queues them for printing. This approach combines guest-generated content with the tangible satisfaction of a physical print.
Hashtag booth rentals work especially well at large public events, music festivals, and brand activations where guests are already likely to be posting on social media. By incentivizing hashtag use with the promise of a free print, event organizers can dramatically increase the volume of organic social sharing tied to their event.
The setup does require a reliable internet connection and a bit of advance planning to establish the hashtag and moderate the feed, but the payoff in organic content generation is substantial.
14. Video Guest Book Booth
A video guest book booth lets guests record short personalized video messages for the couple or honoree instead of signing a traditional paper guest book. The clips are edited together into a single digital video file that can be watched repeatedly for years to come. This modern wedding photo booth alternative has rapidly become one of the most requested add-ons at weddings and milestone birthday parties.
Unlike a written guest book that often goes unread after the first week, a video guest book captures voice, laughter, and personality in a way that text simply cannot. Guests tend to open up on camera in ways they would not write in a book, which makes the final compilation feel genuinely emotional and entertaining.
For couples interested in how a video guest book fits alongside other wedding entertainment options, our full guide on video guest book booths as a modern wedding alternative walks through the experience in detail.
15. Luxury Wedding Photo Booth
A luxury wedding photo booth is not a single hardware style but rather a curated experience that combines premium equipment, polished attendants, custom branding, high-end print materials, and seamless execution. This category of wedding photo booth rental is designed for couples who want every detail of their event to feel intentional and elevated, from the backdrop fabric to the print finish to the way guests are greeted at the station.
Luxury photo booth experiences often include features like velvet rope setups, floral or acrylic custom backdrops, foil-stamped print strips, personalized photo albums for the couple, and branded overlays that match the wedding invitation suite. The difference between a standard rental and a luxury photo booth is often felt in the intangible details, the quality of the attendant, the responsiveness of the vendor, and the way the finished prints look next to the floral centerpieces on the table.
For couples planning a wedding in Arizona, the team at Epic Events Booth specializes in exactly this kind of elevated, fully customized experience. Whether you want a glam booth, a 360 video station, or a classic open-air setup with a custom floral wall backdrop, the right luxury photo booth adds a layer of sophistication that guests will talk about long after the night is over. You can also explore premium photo booth equipment options in Tempe if you are curious about the hardware that powers professional setups like these.
If you are comparing luxury vendors, resources like WeddingWire can help you read verified reviews and compare packages across multiple providers in your area before making a final decision.
Which Type of Photo Booth Is Right for Your Event?
Choosing between so many different photo booth types can feel overwhelming, but it comes down to three questions: What kind of output do you want (photos, video, GIFs)? What is the vibe of your event (casual, formal, branded, nostalgic)? And what level of guest interaction are you hoping for?
For weddings, the open-air booth, luxury wedding photo booth, glam booth, and video guest book booth are consistently the top choices. For corporate events and brand activations, GIF booths, 360 video booths, green screen setups, and digital stations tend to perform best. For parties and social gatherings, slow-motion booths, magic mirrors, and roaming setups create the most excitement.
If you are still unsure, talking to a professional rental company is the fastest way to narrow it down. An experienced vendor will ask the right questions about your venue, guest count, and goals, and then point you toward the types of photo booth experiences that will land best for your specific crowd. For couples specifically, reviewing wedding photo booth packages from a few vendors side by side is a great way to understand what is standard and what is truly premium.
For Arizona couples and event planners, Epic Events Booth offers a full lineup of photo and video booth experiences, from the 360 Video Booth to the Glam Booth, all backed by a team that genuinely cares about making your event unforgettable. Explore our options and arizona wedding photo booth rental contact us today for a free quote and let’s find the perfect setup for your event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of photo booth is best?
The best type of photo booth depends on your event and goals. For weddings, open-air booths and glam booths are perennial favorites because they produce beautiful prints and fit large groups. For corporate events, 360 video booths and GIF booths generate highly shareable content. If you want something truly unique and cinematic, a 360 video booth is hard to beat for the wow factor it creates with guests.
What are the different kinds of photo booths called?
Photo booths go by many names depending on the format. Common types include open-air booths, enclosed or classic booths, magic mirror booths, 360 video booths, GIF booths, boomerang booths, glam booths, slow-motion video booths, green screen booths, roaming booths, selfie stations, hashtag printing booths, video guest book booths, photo mosaic booths, and digital booths. Each name describes a different combination of hardware, software, and output style.
What are the latest trends in photo booths?
Right now, the biggest trends in photo booths include 360 video experiences, video guest book booths, AI-powered glam filters, roaming booth attendants, and fully branded digital-only stations for corporate events. Slow-motion booths are also growing fast because of the cinematic quality of the output. Couples and event planners are increasingly prioritizing experiences that produce shareable video content alongside traditional photos.
What are common types of booths?
The most common types of photo booths rented at events today are open-air booths, enclosed classic booths, 360 video booths, GIF and boomerang booths, magic mirror booths, and glam booths. Open-air setups are the most versatile and widely used across all event types. 360 video booths are the fastest-growing category due to the dramatic, shareable video clips they produce for guests.
