Photo booths are popping up everywhere. From wedding receptions to bar mitzvahs and celebrity events, they’re the perfect party favor. If you’re contemplating a photo booth for your next event, but not really sure how it works—here are 10 fabulous reasons to justify a photo booth for pretty much any occasion.
Photo booths are totally affordable.
Formerly the domain of celebrity get togethers or massive sponsored events—the fast rise in popularity has made photo booths accessible for any special occasion. The average cost is $300-$500, depending on length of time and features you decide on.
Weddings, corporate events, sweet sixteens, mitzvahs—these are just some of the events that Edwin Martinez of Platinum Foto Events in New Jersey suggests. Basically any time you gather a group of people together you have a good reason for a photo booth.
They require zero work on your part, and rental times flex with your schedule.
Most packages range from three to five hour sessions. Rick Johnson of Best Booth Plus in Chicago explains that set-up time does not cut into your rental time. A staff member is with the booth the whole time, making sure things run smoothly. His four and five hour packages are split-able so, “you can open for cocktail hour, close for dinner, and open again after dinner for the remainder of your time.” Pretty sweet.
Models inside the 2015 Oscar Party Photo Booth at Vanity Fair
You can customize photos to match your event.
Want your photo strips to match your wedding palette? Best Booth Plus can deliver. A custom logo on the bottom of the photo strip to make it more memorable for guests? Done. Get creative and carry your party theme through in little details like these.
Need a better soundtrack for your next get-together? Jessica Suarez, playlist editor at Google Play, offers her secrets to a crowd-pleasing mix.
Summer-Party Playlist Basics:
Plan for at least three hours of music. Because you never want your playlist to repeat itself. Also a bad idea: putting your iPod on shuffle. “It’s important to think about setting the right vibe for that specific party, who will be attending, and what will get people talking or dancing,” says Suarez.
Consider volume. If you want to encourage conversation among your guests, make sure to lower the volume so that the music recedes into the background (and so people won’t have to yell at each other to be heard), but not so low that it will nod them off to sleep.
Focus on summer anthems. Weave in this year’s big hits, like Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars, with songs of summer from seasons past, like “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé, “California Gurls” by Katy Perry, and “Hey Ya” by Outkast. “When partygoers hear these top singles, they still get really excited,” says Suarez. Then sprinkle in classics that have summery themes such as “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys, and “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. “These songs are nostalgic and remind people of good times spent outside,” she says.If there will be dancing…
Start off with mellow tunes. Then switch to a more upbeat tempo as the party progresses. “You don’t want to overwhelm guests with pumping music right off the bat,” recommends Suarez.
You can’t play too many of the big hits. In other words, no one rushes the dance floor for a song they’ve never heard before.
Keep the mood and tempo consistent between songs. An example of a smooth transition between songs would be Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” into the British singer Jamie Lydell’s “Little Bit of Feel Good.” “Both artists possess soulful voices and the songs have a similar beat, even though they are separated by about 40 years,” says Suarez.
If you need to appeal to a wide range of ages…
Mix classics with current chart-toppers. How to do that with it seeming random? Focus on modern artists that have a retro sound and the originals who may have inspired them. “A barbecue, for instance, would be a great opportunity to have a Southern rock moment and play bands like Creedance Clearwater Revival and The Black Keys,” suggests Suarez.
Throw in a few covers. “This is a great way to introduce classics to the younger generation and introduce new artists to the older generation,” explains Suarez. Plus, she adds, they are another way to bridge the gap between a classic and a modern song. One of her favorites is Carole Cool’s reggae version of Diana Ross’ “Upside Down.”
Rethink kid-friendly music. Please step away from the Frozen soundtrack—there are other options that won’t drive adults batty. “Motown hits or Michael Jackson songs are instantly likable for the whole family,” says Suarez, who recommends going back to the 1980s or earlier to find catchy tunes that will be safe, lyrics-wise.
If creating your own personalized playlist still sounds daunting…
Try out two of Suarez’s favorite Songza playlists, one perfect for a dance party, Every Summer Dance Party, the other a great accompaniment for a laid-back barbeque, Lazy Summer.
Welcome to Event Planning 101, where the sun always shines, and nothing can go terribly wrong. There’s nothing that tough about being an event planner. You just have to plan and design an event from scratch, right? A piece of cake.
Wrong.
A beginner event planner envisions an ideal event, where everything goes as planned while a pro event planner knows that no matter how well you planned ahead there’s always going to be something that goes wrong.
The success of a great event planner is about knowing what to do when things begin to get out of hand. In other words, a great event planner will always be calm and collected, regardless of the circumstances. Don’t know a thing about event planning? Here’re a few tips to get you started.
1. Known Who Your Client Is
The first step to becoming an event planning wizard is to get to know your clients. This is a critical aspect of the job because all your preparations must be done according to your target audience. For example, if you’re planning a corporate party, it may be fine to introduce a moderate drinking or networking game to get things going, but you should probably refrain from this when planning a wedding.
2. Look Out For Major Holidays
When planning your event, make sure that you don’t schedule it close to an important holiday like Easter or Christmas. If you do this, the chances are that you are going to end up with a lot of empty seats and a lighter wallet. In order to make sure that your target audience attends your own event, check to see if there are other popular events going on at the same time. You don’t want them to have to decide between your event and another event.
3. Flexibility Spells Success
Perhaps one of the most painful lessons learned by amateur event planners is the need to become very flexible. Keep in mind that planning an event is part art and part science, meaning that if you go out there expecting things to go exactly according to your plan, you and your guests are going to have a rough time. Be flexible when it comes to selecting the location, hiring a structure, the menus, the band and everything needed to get your gig up and running.
4. Keep on Eye on Your Budget
Pay close attention to your budget when planning your event. Even if you have a large budget, you should not jump the wagon to buy a bunch of stuff. You may need that money to cover certain things, like a band or extra menus. Emergencies can always come up last minute so make sure you have some cash handy. Moreover, don’t go out there thinking that you can’t do anything on a tight budget, because no matter how small or big your budget is, there is always a solution. You just have to be creative.
5. Find Sponsors
Ideally, an event can be planned without the need of outside support. But, in real life, you’re going to need a lot of support from people who actually have money in order to get things started. How do you encourage outside sponsors to invest in your event? By telling them how you are going to pay for the event. If you come up with an accurate profit plan, like how much income you’ll get from selling tickets, they’ll be more impressed and more willing to invest in your event than by showing them just an overview. Also, make sure you share with them how many people are likely to attend and the target audience so they can visualize the event and the success of their brand if they sponsor the event.
6. Use Social Media
You should take full advantage of technology and social media in event planning. As baffling as it might seem at first, social media can really help you promote your event faster than any other means. Before jumping the social media wagon though, keep in mind that your event has a specific target audience and you should use only appropriate social media channels. For example, if you’re throwing a corporate event, it would be a good idea to use Facebook, instead of Instagram or Snapchat.
7. Create a Promotional Clip
In order to make the event more inviting, you should definitely try and create a promotional clip. And, to make it look even more professional, you should hire a studio to do the job for you. If you are on a low budget, you can try creating your own promotional material. Just remember to bring along a professional camera.
8. Give It Your Best
Don’t put your feet up just yet. Planning the event is the easy part, but making sure that everything goes like clockwork is the hardest part. Be sure to check out how things are going from time to time. If you see anything that might get out of hand, act on it before it is too late.
9. Select a Great Catering Service
It’s very important to do your due diligence and make sure you select a great catering service. Often, you get what you pay for so don’t shop only on price. Food can make or break your event so this needs to be a priority when planning your event. Check out the local services around you to see what they have to offer and don’t make a quick decision. Test out their food and make sure you are comfortable with the staff that will be available on the day of the event. You don’t want any surprises.
10. Offer incentives
Be sure to include some incentives for those who arrive early or purchase early. People generally love incentives and will probably enjoy your event even more. Offer prizes and giveaways as well to get your attendees excited.
BLOGS How to Plan & Host a Successful Summer Barbecue Party
Here you’ll find five steps to help you host an awesome indoor or outdoor summer barbecue. After the quick list, you’ll find a more in-depth version of the step-by-step instructions.
5 Steps for Successfully Planning a Summer BBQ
Choose a Location & Time: Location options include your house, various outside spaces (like a campground or a park), or a backyard. When choosing a time, weekends usually work best for everyone. Plan to have a four hour window of time so that people don’t need to stress about timing.
Invite People: For a small party (like one family or three adults), consider sending texts. For a larger party, consider sending emails or e-vites. Smaller parties are usually more manageable.
Decide What Food & Drinks to Serve: Stick to hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken skewers and veggie skewers for your main course. Soda, wine, and beer should cover the drinks. As for appetizers, some chips and a veggie platter are usually good places to start. Plan on about two or three items of each thing (three drinks, three grilled things, etc) for each person. Cookies or brownies are a really easy dessert option.
Preparing the Food: The meat and veggie skewers should, hopefully, be the only things that need to be cooked.
Consider Any Other Logistics: Such as…
Adjusting for Your Guests: As always, adjust according to your guests. If you have a bunch of vegetarians coming, focus on veggies more. If you have a bunch of red-beef lovers coming, you might consider forgoing the chicken. Got a bunch of children coming? Substitute the beer for juice boxes.
Don’t Forget the Utensils: You’ll need napkins, paper plates, cups, and cutlery.
Music: Have tunes! You might use a bluetooth speaker or another type of audio setup.
Deciding on the Location and Time
The Where & When:
Decide Where You Want to Have Your Barbecue: Great barbecue parties are easy, whether they are held in the back yard, apartment terrace, or outside spaces where grills are available. You can also bring your own small grill to the park, beach, or lawn of your building or park. A small barbecue on a crowded apartment terrace is just as much fun as a big one in the backyard! Are you worried about rain? No problem! Just grill and have everyone eat inside. It will still be fun, festive, and delicious!
Decide What Day & Time to Have Your Barbecue: The best days and times to have your summer barbecues are Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays, either late afternoon/evening (5-9), or during the day (12-4). Having a larger block of time this way keeps things feeling casual, and it allows your guests to do what they have to do on the weekends, while still being able to attend your barbecue.
Adjust Accordingly: Adjust the time to match your guests. If it’s an adult crowd, then call the party for later times, such as 6-10 p.m. or 2-6. If you are inviting families with children, then make the barbecue earlier; for example, 4-8 p.m. or 11-3.
Curating Your Guest List
Whom Should You Invite to Your Barbecue?
Decide whether or not you want a big BBQ or a small one.
A Big Shindig: If you are having a big barbecue, then invite everyone you know, and increase the number of hours of the party so that everyone will have an opportunity to stop by. If you are expecting a lot of people, then plan on accepting guests’ offers to bring drinks or simple desserts that require little set up or cleaning on your part. Some good examples that you might encourage people to bring are beer, soda, cookies, or brownies. Avoid having guests bring appetizers or side dishes, as this can get dicey. If a guest wants to bring their grandmother’s “famous” German potato salad (heavy on vinegar, eggs, and pickles), or a fruit pie that they “only” have to warm up in your oven for 10 minutes before serving, then politely tell them that you have all of the food handled, but can they please do you a giant favor and bring a six pack, some more ice, or some soda?
A Small Get-Together: Small barbecue parties are just as much fun as big ones and easier to do because you get more time to mingle with your friends. And there is less food to prepare and cook, as well as less clean-up. Also, the cost of the party is less. Many people prefer to have several smaller barbecues over the summer, as opposed to one large one. You can go as small as inviting over one family with kids or three adults. It’s still fun either way. Many experienced party hosts come to find that they actually prefer to have these smaller, more manageable barbecues.
Whichever You Chose: RSVP’s Are Important!
See Who Is Actually Coming: Make sure that you communicate with your guests to make sure that they are coming! This cannot be overstated when it comes to larger barbecues. Guests may say that they’re coming, but then they fail to show up (or they do not respond at all to your initial invitation). It’s easier to plan the right amount of food and drink once you know for sure how many guests are coming.
Follow Up—Twice: A little extra work on your part (e.g., a text a couple of hours before the party if it’s small or an email to everyone the day before if it’s a larger barbecue) helps greatly. When it comes to hosting large barbecue parties, many experienced hosts will send out e-vite or paperless post invitations, and then they will follow up twice to make sure that people respond and are still planning to attend.
What does a host need to consider before planning a summer garden party?
“I always start with the menu. Summer is the perfect opportunity to showcase beautiful British ingredients such as peas, broad beans, radishes, strawberries and raspberries.”
What do you think works better for a garden party: a sit-down, multi-course meal or finger food?
“I prefer to keep things simple and lay a table like a banquet, with large bowls and platters of food and stacks of plates and cutlery for people to help themselves to.”
What dishes work best?
“Simply prepared food, straight from the garden, is hard to beat. Sliced tomatoes with a little extra-virgin olive oil and scattering of sea salt, delicate herb salad and strawberry-ice cream all showcase summer flavours beautifully.”
Name your must-serve summer-party dishes
“Salt-baked sea-bream is always a real crowd pleaser, especially pour Pernod over the encrusted fish and light it. Grilling courgettes until blackened and charred and serving them with aged pecorino and a light drizzle of good-quality honey is a simple but perfectly balanced dish. In the height of summer, a large bowl of ripe strawberries, served with a jug of double cream and brown-sugar meringues (which can be easily prepared in advance) makes a lovely ending to an evening and will be enjoyed by all ages.”
What about beverages?
“After collecting and making many bottles of elderflower cordial, I still think it is my favourite. It is a very refreshing, floral syrup and very versatile; it can be topped up with champagne or sparking water.”
Which desserts work well in the summer?
“British berries are at their very best: both ripe and fragrant. I always find the choice a little overwhelming after waiting so long for everything to come into season.”
All hosts want to make sure all their guests are catered for – what exciting vegetarian dishes do you recommend?
“Blistering whole baby vine tomatoes over a barbecue and serving them with good-quality sheep’s ricotta and salmoriglio [an Italian salsa, a bit like gremolata].”
How do you decide on your guestlist?
“I invite my family and friends. Everyone brings their children and dogs, all tumbling over the lawn, and it’s a wonderful chance to catch up.”
What are your three must-haves to create the perfect dinner-party atmosphere?
“Good-quality ingredients will always shine through and make a difference; scented wild flowers to dress the table; and lighting should be soft and warm.”
Do you have any advice on table presentation?
“The key is to have plenty of ingredients like unwaxed leafy lemons, artichokes and whole cheeses out on the table, keeping the focus on food.”
Do you have any exciting recipes to share with our readers that they could recreate for their own garden parties?
“I’ve been working with British Summer Fruits to create a Taste of Summer Menu that showcases beautiful berries. We’re fortunate to have some of the best berries grown here in Britain. Tart, fragrant and sweet, berries are an adaptable ingredient for summer dishes, such as blackberry-cured salmon and strawberry and elderflower granita.”
“Good DJs do one of three things,” says Sujit Kundu, whose DJ management agency SKAM Artist celebrates 10 years in the business this year. “Sell bottles, sell tickets, or attract girls. But great DJs do all three at once.”
As DJs move from the fringes of the music world — hauling crates of records to remix — to arena-filling original performers, we spoke with Jermaine Dupri, Caroline D’Amoreand DJ Five, who are all represented by SKAM, to find out what it’s like to be a part of the music industry’s fastest-growing sector.
Hip-hop versus electronic
“The EDMers got respect for DJs, from an artist’s perspective,” Dupri, a mega-hit producer who formed Kris Kross in the ’90s and started managing Mariah Carey in October, tells Business Insider.
“But the crowd is doing basically the same thing with their fists up. There’s the buildup and then the drop in the mix. If you hear a Jay Z record in a hip-hop mix and you’re from New York, you act even more boisterous to represent where you’re from,” Dupri adds. He said DJing in hip-hop has a lot to do with nostalgia and where you were when certain videos and songs came out.
D’Amore likes the universal appeal of electronic music. After she elbowed her way into the DJ business (“Some guys would be like, ‘Yea, I’d sleep with her, but I wouldn’t hire her to DJ,'” she says), she turned to DJ AM, who helped her get her first pieces of equipment, and started playing electronic gigs, which have long been popular in Europe and Asia. In Tokyo, she opened for Will.I.Am at the MTV Music Awards.
That night, she got to hang out with Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie. “She came into the DJ booth and she goes, ‘Girl, you’ve got to turn around, blot your face and then turn back around when you’re ready to give them a good picture,'” D’Amore recalls.
Electronic dance music mines pop culture and music for material. D’Amore remembered a show where she played a remix of “Twist and Shout,” then got on the mic and asked anyone who remembered “a little movie called Ferris Bueller” to get up and do the dance.
The digital shift
Scratching vinyl on turntables was the critical skill when DJs enjoyed their first heyday in the ’80s.
“The digital shift didn’t make a difference to consumers,” SKAM founder Kundu says. “But it made it easier to be a DJ. Back in the day, Funkmaster Flex might be the first one to get a new disc ahead of his competitors, so his mixes would be fresher for a time. Now people can rip all the music they want, it’s on the Internet, so the edits they do become more important than the songs they mix.”
Mixing with CDs later became popular, but DJ Five, an “open format” DJ who “spins in all styles,” says the change between tracks isn’t as clean on CD. He works largely on his computer and sets aside time twice each week to download new songs for sets.
Dupri has a separate computer dedicated to DJ work. He downloads music before each performance to fit the “flavor” of the city he’s in.
“If people see me in the club all week, they think ‘Oh this guy parties all the time,'” Dupri says, “but I’m really in there doing research.”
If somebody requests a track mid-show, he says he can download it on the spot in two minutes or less.
D’Amore uses her computer to store her music library and manipulates the mix with a Pioneer CDJ digital turntable and a Pioneer DJM-900nexus mixer.
Booking and the business
Some musicians make money off their records, but not DJs. Cutting a record just gets a DJ’s name out to club owners and festival organizers. It builds a buzz and brings audiences out to shows.
The real money for DJs is in performances, and for them, Las Vegas is Mecca.
Many DJs negotiate weekly or bi-weekly performance schedules in Vegas, which covers all their expenses and gives them a regular income. Then they travel the world making more lucrative appearances. D’Amore flew to Atlantic City in December for less than 12 hours between some standing performances on the West Coast.
“Vegas is cool because it’s such a destination,” says D’Amore, who’s had six-month residencies at the Hard Rock Hotel at Rehab and Body English. “The audience is less pretentious than in the LA clubs. People from all over the world come, and when they go home, they build your fan base where they’re from.”
Playing Vegas also tends to bring a measure of celebrity exposure. DJ Five, who currently has Vegas residencies at Tao and Hyde, played a show attended by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for her birthday in October.
At the higher levels, having professional representation is essential. When DJs really hit the big-time, splitting time between Vegas residencies, music festivals and world tours, they want someone else taking their booking calls.
“Someone might offer you $2,000 when they should really be offering you $10,000,” Kundu says. “I know the difference. I’m the equalizer, and I can help get songs on the radio, TV, VEVO, MTV, iTunes to help you get that bigger offer for a show.”
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DJs only gained rock star status a few years ago, thanks largely to the rise of electronic dance music (EDM).
