Photo booths squeeze into view
USA Today 6/22/2005 |
That novelty known as the photo booth is back in the picture.
Event planners, bridal couples and birthday boys and girls are renting booths for weddings, bar mitzvahs, proms and parties. They're even popping up in bars and restaurants to attract customers.
The booths have become Hollywood's latest trend; celebrities such as Quentin Tarantino and Dave Navarro are buying them for their homes. But "when the curtain closes, everybody becomes a superstar. Their true personality comes out," says Matthew Carter of Photo-Me USA, a booth supplier.
The appeal is pure nostalgia. "I constantly have people pulling out pictures from their wallet. When they remember getting in the booth, they have to smile," he says. Rental rates start at about $3,000 a day.
"It's a way to add entertainment, besides a band," says Houston event planner Elizabeth Swift Copeland, who got a booth for a pre-wedding bash. "Parties need that extra punch."
© 2005 USA Today
Contributed by Brian