New Year’s Eve is a party built around one moment, and everyone wants a picture of it. A New Year’s Eve photo booth gives guests a fun spot to gather before the countdown, a reason to dress up and a set of photos to share the next morning. Here is how to plan one.
Key takeaways
- The Standard Booth creates photo strips with 3 still images, and the Animated Booth creates looping GIFs, digital copies only.
- Both booths are self-serve and completely unattended, so the host can enjoy the party.
- Guests get photos by email or text, sent with built-in data on the booth, so no Wi-Fi is needed.
- A custom design on the digital photo strips is an optional add-on, so the year can appear on every strip.
Why a booth works on the last night of the year
New Year’s Eve parties run late, and guests arrive in their best outfits. People also tend to mingle more than at a seated dinner. A booth gives them something to do between drinks and dances, and it pulls shy guests into group shots with friends they have not seen all year.
It also takes pressure off the host, because the booth collects the pictures for you.
Pick the booth: strips or GIFs
The photo booth rentals page describes two booth types:
- Standard Photo Booth: creates photo strips with 3 still images, available as digital photo strips.
- Animated Photo Booth: creates fun, looping digital animations perfect for sharing online. Digital copies only. A GIF of a group tossing confetti or raising glasses is made for posting on New Year’s Day.
Both are DIY-friendly: self-serve, completely unattended and simple to use. Guests tap to start, get ready for 3 photos and then get their photos online. If you have never set one up, our DIY photo booth guide walks through the kit and the setup.
Plan the New Year’s Eve photo booth around midnight
The countdown is the peak of the night, so plan the booth around it:
- Early evening: guests stop for a photo while their outfits are fresh.
- The last hour: the line gets longer as the room fills up. Keep the area clear of tables and coats so groups can step in and out quickly.
- Midnight: most guests will gather for the countdown. That is a good time to move a few props close to the dance floor.
- After midnight: the best photos often happen now, with hugs, toasts and a happy, noisy crowd.
Keep the booth near the music but away from the bar and the main walkway.
A sparkly background
A plain wall can make even great outfits look flat. The backdrops page says backdrops are available in many different colors, including solid and sequins. A sequin backdrop catches the light and suits a night of champagne and confetti. Our guide to photo booth backdrop ideas compares drapes, sequins and boxwood walls.
On the photo booth rentals page, the 8’x12′ backdrop is listed under the optional add-ons. You can also put the booth inside an enclosure:
- Inflatable Photo Booth Enclosure: an 8′ tall x 8′ wide x 8′ long inflatable with built-in lights that can change the booth to any color, plus a remote control for lighting effects.
- Photo Booth with Canopy Enclosure: a fabric canopy that creates an inviting and elegant atmosphere.
An enclosure is easy to spot across a dark, crowded room.
Put the year on every strip
A custom design or logo on the digital photo strips is one of the optional add-ons on the photo booth rentals page. The Standard Design option allows you to customize one of our templates, and the Premium Design option allows you to submit your own custom logo, or work with our graphic designers to create custom artwork. Add these design options at checkout.
For New Year’s Eve, keep the design short: the new year, the party name or a simple greeting.
Light the room for the countdown
The lighting sets the mood long before midnight. Uplights let you choose any color with the push of a button, so the walls can glow in your party colors and the booth area stands out.
For the ceiling, the special effects lighting page says one compact projector can transform any dark room into a star-filled sky, and starry night lighting is particularly popular for evening events. On the dance floor, moving spotlights send beams of light that move to the beat of the music.
A monogram light can project custom designs, like names, initials, logos or patterns, onto a wall or the dance floor. Pick from the catalog or get a custom design, and the team emails a preview before shipping. A design near the booth gives guests a second photo spot.
How guests get their photos
Guests can choose to receive their photo by email or text. The messages are sent instantly using built-in data on the photo booth, so no Wi-Fi is needed. Each message has social media buttons to share the photo right away.
All the photos also go to an online photo gallery, which can be either private or shareable with guests. On New Year’s Day, send the gallery link to everyone who came.
Setup, delivery and returns
The photo booth arrives in 2 small packages, making it easy to transport. Your rental package will arrive at least two days before your event, and the standard rental period is 5 days. Each rental includes complete setup instructions, and 24/7 phone support is available. All prices include free shipping both ways within the continental U.S. You can schedule your rentals well ahead of time, so everything arrives with plenty of time for setup.
After the party, repack everything in the boxes it came in and attach the prepaid return labels. Rentals must be returned to any FedEx location within two days after the event, and the packages must go to a physical FedEx location, not a FedEx drop box. More answers are on the FAQs page.
Set up with good light, a sparkly background and a short design on the strips, a New Year’s Eve photo booth gives every guest a picture of the night. Book early and plan around midnight.
Planning a New Year’s Eve party?
Tell us the date and the venue, and the team can help you choose the booth, backdrop and lighting.
FAQ
What are good photo booth ideas for a New Year party?
Put the new year on every strip with a custom design, set the booth in front of a sequin backdrop, use the Animated Photo Booth for looping GIFs of the toast and send the gallery link on New Year’s Day.
Can the photo strip template show the new year?
Yes, with the optional custom design add-on. The Standard Design option allows you to customize one of our templates, and the Premium Design option allows you to submit your own custom logo, or work with our graphic designers to create custom artwork.
How many photos are on each photo strip?
The photo booth will take 3 photos per photo strip by default. These photo strips will be available in the online gallery.
People Also Ask
What props suit a New Year’s Eve party booth?
Party hats, tiaras, noisemakers, oversized glasses and hand-held signs with the new year are popular. Pick a few that match your party theme so the photos feel personal.
Which backdrop looks best at a New Year’s Eve party?
Something that sparkles in low light, such as sequins, works well behind party outfits. Keep it simple so the guests, not the wall, are the focus of each photo.
