Nothing says nostalgia better than a Polaroid. It’s why this fun instant photograph is seeing a resurgence. They’re fun, quirky, and a great way to memorialize events of all shapes and sizes, including weddings while imparting a distinctly vintage flavor. But the problem with Polaroids is that the film is expensive and hard-to-find, and you may need lots of photos to get your shot just right. So if you’re looking for a fun alternative to a Polaroid wedding photo booth, an iPad photo booth app could be the perfect solution.

iPad Photo Booths are the New Black

If when you think of photo booths, you think of a big, clunky cabin-style booth with a curtain, think again. Those traditional photo booths are going, well, the way of camera film rolls. And, they’re being replaced in much the same way…by dynamic digital photography. iPad photo booth apps like Onebooth are quickly surpassing them.

A Small Footprint with High Mobility

If you want a photo booth at your wedding, you no longer need to worry about finding the real estate for a giant box that blends in with nothing.

Instead, you can create a tastefully decorated selfie station that capitalizes on the fun of a Polaroid wedding photo booth and easy-to-use digital photos. Moreover, it doesn’t have to take up a lot of room, or even be completely stationary, and your wedding photo booth can have a distinctly DIY feel, while still capturing all the feels from your big day.

The only equipment you need is a simple iPad stand and/or mobile photo booth ring like the Mobile Max. As an added benefit, using a mobile ring also allows you to take the photo booth to the action instead of directing all of the action to the photo booth.

Digital Props & Frames

If part of the fun of a Polaroid wedding photo booth is the opportunity to grab some silly props and frames, you can still do that. But with an iPad photo booth, you can also add them in digitally with stickers and overlays. You (or a graphic designer) can create and upload graphics that will entertain your guests for the whole event.

What’s more, if you are still in love with the vintage look and nearly instant image development of a printed Polaroid, that’s something easily within your reach with an iPad wedding photo booth. All you need is a Polaroid-inspired photo layout and a compatible printer like the Canon Selphy.

Why the iPad and Polaroid Wedding Photo Booth is on the Rise

Wedding photo booths are all the rage right now. If you haven’t seen one at a wedding yet, you will soon. According to WeddingWire, 25% of weddings include a photo booth. And as iPad photo booths grow in popularity, that number will only rise. Google searches for wedding photo booths are up 14% in the last 3 years.

The trend goes far deeper than good selfie fun. There are a ton of great ways to use a Polaroid wedding photo booth beyond guest engagement.

Frees up the Photographer

Wedding photographers are certainly there to document the entire wedding, but there are a few moments that everyone requests: cutting the cake, the first dance, and the toasts, not to mention the standard portrait requests. As a result, they don’t always have time to capture the candid moments, and similarly, they cannot afford to be distracted by the guests asking for pictures. A Polaroid wedding photo booth solves this problem.

Engages the Wallflowers

Maybe your wedding has a rockin’ dance floor, or maybe that’s not your style. Either way, you’ll have some people who are into the party you’re throwing, and you’ll have some who aren’t. But you’ll want everyone to enjoy themselves, and since nearly everyone likes to take photos, a photo booth can be just the ticket to engage these wallflowers in the festivities.

Digitally Friendly

When using a real Polaroid camera, people find themselves taking photos of the image to share on social media. An iPad photo booth means that images are instantly available for digital sharing, whether you select a Polaroid frame or not.

A Permanent Gallery

When guests use physical cameras and take Polaroids, either the guests get a copy or the bride and groom do, not both. When using an iPad app like Onebooth instead of a Polaroid wedding photo booth, guests can print a copy or access it digitally, and the bride and groom get a full gallery to download from the whole event.

Beyond the Static Image

Sure single-frame images are a lot of fun. But where a Polaroid wedding photo booth limits you to a single snapshot at a time, new technology means that images go beyond the jpeg. Now, in addition to those images, guests can choose from short videos, slow motion, GIFs, and Boomerangs. It makes for even more fun. Learn how to shoot the perfect Boomerang here!

A New Guest Book

Imagine a guest book that truly comes alive. What if people printed a photo out to include next to their message and scrapbooked at your wedding? Or better yet, what if guests left you a short video sharing well wishes and what they loved about the wedding? If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video multiplies that exponentially. A Polaroid wedding photo booth might not deliver on it, but an iPad app like Onebooth can make this happen.

So, Is a Polaroid Wedding Photo Booth Right For You?

Now that you’ve seen what an iPad app photo booth can do to bring your wedding to life, will you ever go back to the Polaroid? After all, while Polaroids are fun, an iPad can take this to the next level and make the fun bigger, better, and put it in living color.