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Outdoor photo booth: summer parties, rustic weddings and open-air events on the South Shore

A summer party in the backyard, a rustic wedding under a tent, a corn roast or a street party: on the South Shore, good weather means being outside, and the photo booth can come along. But a booth is a piece of electronics with a screen, a camera and often a printer. Outdoors, you have to give it the conditions a banquet hall normally provides without anyone thinking about it. Here are the four things to settle with the company before you sign.

Weather: plan for rain, wind and heat

Rain is the obvious risk, but not the only one. Wind knocks over backdrops on stands and gets under light pop-up tents. Direct sun heats up the equipment and makes the screen hard to read. The humidity of a summer evening can bother the printer and curl the photo paper.

Ask the company what conditions it will work in and what happens if bad weather is in the forecast: can the booth move indoors, can the date be pushed, or is it cancelled, and what happens to your deposit in each case? It is much better to have that answer in writing beforehand than to negotiate it in the rain.

Power: a proper outlet, not a makeshift cord

A booth needs steady power, and the printer even more so. In a backyard, the house's outdoor outlet is often enough, as long as it is not shared with the deep fryer, the sound system and the string lights. At a rural venue, check with the owner whether there are outlets near the planned spot or whether a generator is needed.

A few precautions:

• Use one outdoor-rated extension cord of the right length rather than several cords chained together.
• Run the cord where nobody walks, or cover it with a cable protector.
• If there is a generator, keep it well away from the booth and the guests, because of noise and exhaust fumes.
• Ask whether the company's booths can run on battery, and for how long.

Shelter: protecting the gear and the guests

Even on a nice day, the booth should be under cover. A tent, a marquee, a gazebo or a covered porch keeps the equipment out of direct sun and a sudden shower. A few things to check:

• The ground must be flat and firm. On grass, a sheet of plywood or a mat under the booth stops it from tilting or sinking.
• The tent must be well anchored and big enough for the booth plus a group standing in front of it.
• A 360 platform needs a rigid, perfectly level surface with clearance all around: raise it early with the company, as it is not possible everywhere.

If the wedding is under a rented tent, set aside a corner for the booth in the floor plan from the start, just like the bar or the gift table.

Light: daytime, then evening

Outdoors, the light shifts during the event. In mid-afternoon, sun behind the guests turns them into silhouettes, and sun in their eyes makes them squint. Angle the booth so the sun falls on faces from the side, or keep it in the shade of the tent. Booths with a flash or built-in lighting cope better with these changes.

At sunset, everything changes: the golden light makes for lovely photos, then night falls and the booth's own lighting becomes essential. Ask whether the booth has built-in lights, and add a bit of light around it so guests can find it. String lights look great in the background, but keep them out of the lens to avoid glare.

Always have a plan B

The best way to avoid stress on the day is to know the fallback from the moment you book. Pick a covered spot where the booth can move: a garage, a barn, a porch, an adjoining room. Make sure it is close to an outlet and that the company agrees to set up there. For a rustic wedding, the booth's plan B can simply follow the reception's.

Which booth works best outdoors?

The open classic booth is the easiest to set up outside: compact and quick to assemble, it only needs a small shelter. The mirror booth, larger and more fragile, needs solid cover and very stable ground. The 360 platform can produce striking clips outdoors at sunset, but it is also the most demanding in terms of ground and space. For a rustic wedding with a retro feel, our article on the vintage wedding photo booth has ideas for dressing the booth. For price differences between booth types, see our guide to photo booth rental costs.

Preparing your request

When you contact companies, say upfront that the event is outdoors, describe the shelter, the power source and the ground, and mention your backup plan. A company used to open-air events will tell you right away what it can do. To receive proposals that fit, fill out our free quote request form.