Vendor Spotlight | Illini Photo Booth

I first met Lauren from Illini Photo Booth at the very first wedding expo I ever exhibited. My friend Kayla was with me at that day, and we had a good ol' time taking goofy pictures in the booth. I think wedding booths are a fun way to keep your guests entertained throughout the night, particularly if you have a lot of guests who aren't really into dancing. It also makes for a fun memento both for your guests and yourself, especially if you pair it with a scrapbook where your they can leave notes beside the photos. If you're considering having a photo booth at your wedding, definitely check out Illini Photo Booth, and tell them I sent you! 1. How long has Illini Photo Booth been in business? We have been in business a little over 3 years. We started in February of 2009 and have been successful way beyond our expectations.

2. How did your business come about, and what got you started? We attended a friend's wedding in the St. Louis area, and they had a photo booth at their reception. We had so much fun taking pictures throughout the night and thought that Central Illinois needed a local photo booth business. A lot of people were hiring photo booth companies out of Chicago. We wanted to provide Central Illinois with an affordable and high-quality product! We built the booth ourselves, and every detail took a lot of work and research. We hope guests notice that when they step in the booth and view their pictures afterward.

3. Why should couples hire Illini Photo Booth for their wedding? We are a small business and we care about our clients. We don't have franchise fees or a high overhead costs, so we won't talk you into something you don't want. We are low pressure and want your wedding to be amazing. I personally spend a great deal of time working on each wedding to make sure the graphics on the pictures are exactly how the bride and groom want them. I've spent a good 5-6 hours on one layout before. So whether your wedding is simple & elegant, or over the top, we make sure you're happy with what we provide.

4. What do you enjoy most about working at wedding receptions? When the reception first starts, everyone is on their best behavior. I like it when people start to get comfortable and do silly pictures in the photo booth and really get out on the dance floor. I love seeing guests have fun--which is probably why I love our business so much!

5. What sets you apart from other local photo booth companies? I think we're all trying to do the same thing; however, I think our physical booth really sets us apart. It is a sturdy structure and is not made out of curtains. This is especially good if there is an open bar at the reception and people have been partaking heavily! Our photo quality is amazing, too. We use a professional printer, so the prints you receive (in only 16 seconds) look like prints you would get from the store. As I mentioned before, I also spend a lot of time perfecting the design on each picture. I do some graphic design in my spare time, so I love that part of my job!

6. What current wedding trend do you enjoy the most? Besides having a photo booth? Hmm. It seems like there are a lot of themed weddings lately. When I got married, which wasn't incredibly long ago, we picked colors and everything revolved around those colors. Now, it seems like a lot of people are choosing a theme first and the colors sort of follow. I love walking into a wedding reception and knowing exactly what the bride and groom were going for. Sometimes it even feels like you've been whisked away out of Central Illinois. Since I have a one-year old, I don't mind feeling like I'm getting a vacation every once in a while!

7. What is one fun fact about you that brides might like to know? I spent more time planning my daughter's first birthday than I did our wedding. We planned our wedding in only 6 months. At the time, it didn't seem that strange, but after being in the wedding business a few years, I realize that was a very short amount of time. I planned my daughter's wedding for about 8 months, which I realize is a bit ridiculous. It turned out perfectly, though. My husband is surprised I haven't started planning her wedding already--how does he know I haven't?!

Thanks, Lauren, for answering my questions! And here's a photo from a wedding that Holly Birch Photography & Illini Photo Booth did together. And here's a sample of what you'll get from Illini Photo Booth at your wedding.