It’s rare that you will attend a wedding these days that doesn’t incorporate some sort of activity for the guests.  You have seen Wish Jars, Candy Bars, Crossword Puzzles and even Dance Instructors at receptions but the #1 choice for interactive fun is a Photobooth.

Photobooths made their debut at weddings roughly 10 years ago and they have steadily gained momentum through the years and for good reason. What’s not to love about a Photobooth? They are fun, silly and appeal to all ages not to mention your guests get to take home the photos as momentos of the party. Today, we are talking with Picture Me Photobooth founder and owner Nanette O’Connor who has a passion for her business and wedding guests!

Here is a really sweet picture of Nanette with her children who she explains, “…are instrumental in many aspects of my business. Carley is very creative and artsy so she is mostly behind the scenes and Adam helps with with all my events, setting up and a lot of computer and graphics help.”

(Image Courtesy of Britta Van Vranken Photography)

I had a little Q and A with Nanette so here’s the lowdown!

KG: How did you get into the Photo Booth Business?

NO: In September of 2010,I attended my nieces wedding in Minnesota. She, like so many other Brides had a beautiful wedding, and at her reception was a Photo Booth. Not your old fashion little metal photo booth. This booth would hold up to 12 people. I knew the second I step into that photo booth, that this was what I had been searching for, for the past 10 years. Everything about the booth was perfect. I returned home to Tucson the following day and couldn’t get to the computer fast enough to see how many photo booths were already in Tucson. How many did I find? Zero…I could find photo booths in Phoenix, but nothing like the custom made booth that I had just seen. Then, I remembered that my daughter have a few photo booth strips in her room from various parties that she had attended here in Tucson. After comparing the quality of her photo booth pictures and the ones that I had just brought home from Minnesota, I knew that I just had to do this. Her pictures were blurry and dark. Mine were crystal clear and perfectly exposed. I knew immediately that Tucson needed a photo booth company that was top notch. And talk about fun? The photo booth definitely added so much to the reception There was no stopping me now. After hours of checking everything out. I bought my photo booth (from my new found friends in Minnesota) and have been in business since November of 2010.

KG: How popular are the Prop Boxes?

NO: The prop boxes are very popular, they add an extra fun element to the photo booth experience. People have fun using the props and letting their alter egos fly.

KG: Do you have any photographic experience?

NO: I have no photographic experience. My booth is equipped with state of the art equipment and the booth pretty much runs on it’s own, once I have it all programmed with specifics for the event that I am doing.

KG: What trends are you seeing for Photobooths at Weddings?

NO: I see a growing trend for Photo Booths at Weddings. After months of detailed planning the wedding ceremony is romantic and elegant. The Photo Booth ensures that the reception turns out to be what is most important for that part of the day…Pure Fun!

Here are some samples of the Picture Me Photobooth photos that guests get to take home with them:

Nanette, thanks for your help with this blog post and we are proud to call you a friend of Tucson Bride and Groom Magazine!

Picture Me Photobooth will be at IDo in Tucson this Sunday so go visit the booth and take home some fun pics!

Chatting Soon~Kelly

We are going to brag a bit today about Tucson Event Planner Anne Bryan, owner of Creative Events, LLC. She is well-known locally as an event maven and was featured in an article recently in the Arizona Daily Star!

One of the biggest decisions every couple has to make regarding location for their ceremony and reception.  Many brides and grooms choose to host their events at  a home; either the B&G’s home, a relative’s home, or a home that can be rented.

This option offers a different kind of vibe to the event than a resort does. There’s an intimate slant to it all and often, with Arizona’s amazing evening weather, many couples choose to entertain outside. Anne Bryan was asked to dole out some tips to readers regarding backyard decor.

In the article, Anne suggests “spiffing things up a bit but not going overboard or using something you wouldn’t normally want in your backyard”. Among my favorite ideas from the article is the suggestion to “change out the pool lights to compliment the décor” and to “use aromatic plants to enhance the mood”. Anne’s idea to use small lanterns for hanging on plants or bushes is solid advice because the lanterns protect both the plants and the guests from the flame while still adding a gorgeous glow to the area. Anne is an event planner that thinks of everything!

For the complete article and more of Anne Bryan’s tips, click here.

All Photos Courtesy of  Amanda Rockafellow Photography

We would love to hear what you have done or are going to do to prepare your backyard for your event!

Chatting Soon~Kelly