Planning & budgets
How Many Hours Should You Hire a Photo Booth For?
The right photo booth hire duration is the window when guests can genuinely use it. Start with your event schedule rather than choosing hours from the guest count alone. Meals, speeches, arrivals and repeat visits all affect how much useful booth time you will get.
Separate event time from booth time
Your celebration might run for six hours, but that does not mean the booth needs six operating hours. Mark the moments when guests are free to leave their tables, socialise and take pictures. Those windows are the starting point for a useful booking.
Also distinguish operating time from delivery, setup and pack-down. Ask when the attendant needs access and when the booth will be ready for its first session. Confirm whether setup is outside the paid operating window and whether an early setup followed by a wait has an additional cost.
Map the natural breaks in your event
For a wedding, check the reception entrance, meals, speeches and dancing. For a birthday, think about arrivals, food and the cake. At a corporate function, allow for presentations and any periods when guests move to another room.
Opening too early may mean many guests have not arrived. Starting too late may miss people who leave after formalities. A well-placed shorter session can be more useful than a longer booking that overlaps long stretches when everyone is occupied.
Use an example timeline to ask better questions
Imagine a reception with arrivals at 6 pm, dinner and speeches from 6:30 to 8 pm, and informal celebrations until 11 pm. One option to discuss is an 8–11 pm operating window. Another is an arrival session plus a later session, if the supplier offers split operation.
This is an illustration, not a MemoShot package or a promise that three hours will suit every event. A split schedule may involve paid idle time. Ask the supplier to price the actual run sheet, including any requested pause, rather than assuming a pause extends the finish time.
Allow for guest numbers and repeat visits
A group session serves several guests at once, but arranging the group, choosing props and collecting prints all take time. Some guests return with different friends. Others may need more assistance or prefer a quieter moment.
Give the supplier your expected attendance and the kind of participation you want. Ask whether the proposed window is realistic for that booth format and whether the busiest periods need a different plan. Avoid relying on a fixed sessions-per-hour calculation without checking how the actual booth operates.
Check what changes the final price
- Available package durations and the cost of extra operating time.
- Charges for early setup, idle periods or a split session.
- Travel, venue access and any late collection requirements.
- Print, backdrop and attendant inclusions.
- Whether an extension can be arranged and who may approve it.
An extension on the night is not guaranteed. The attendant, venue or equipment may have another commitment. If you expect a longer celebration, discuss the likely finish time before the booking is confirmed.
Finish with one agreed run sheet
Record the setup access time, booth opening time, any agreed breaks and the final session time. Give the venue and supplier the same version. Nominate one organiser who can answer questions on the night and communicate changes promptly.
Compare current MemoShot packages, then send your event date, location and schedule with your enquiry. Our Brisbane photo booth cost guide explains other factors to compare alongside hours.
