The parrot heads were out in force on August 6 to continue a true summer tradition in Cincinnati: Jimmy Buffett. This boozy, perennial party crowd has been determined for the last 22 years to turn the Ohio Riverbank into a makeshift Key West beach and Interstate 275 into US 1. And though the weather was not exactly “tropical” by August standards, the sky was blue, the Landshark was flowing, and people were grilling their favorite cheeseburger in paradise. Of all the concerts Say Cheese is part of at Riverbend, this is perhaps the most enjoyable. Aside from the fact that people try to outdo one another with the most outrageous and conspicuous outfit to pay tribute to Buffett’s legacy, the photo booth candidly captures tipsy smiles, sun-burnt faces needing SPF 50, and some creative sunglasses. It’s a night full of good people watching and music that makes me wish I had a vacation home in Nassau or St. Thomas. Here are some booth highlights for your viewing pleasure. Fins up Cincinnati!
Photo Booth 101: What to consider when renting
So, you have been planning a wedding for months now and you have done a lot of research to find the right vendors. By now, you have checked off important items such as your reception site, photographer, DJ, limo service, and all the other components that make your dream day a success. Now it comes down to the icing on the cake – a photo booth. Maybe you have experienced one at someone’s wedding or at a bridal show. Either way, it seems apparent that renting a photo booth is a novel and worthwhile way to spend your wedding dollars and treat your guests to a night of memorable fun. Fortunately for you, there aren’t too many of us around. We photo booth companies are still somewhat a rarity within the wedding industry. That means you don’t have to search high and low to find the right vendor amongst dozens of choices like you would for say, a photographer. With that said, here are some aspects to consider when renting a photo booth.
Get Samples!
Believe it or not, there is a distinction in paper quality. True photo stock paper is thicker and glossier than less expensive varieties. Compare the sample paper to pictures you may have had developed at Walgreens or Target, which use the highest grade papers from Fuji or Kodak. Second, find out HOW the pictures are printed. Dye sublimation is the key work here. In basic terms, a picture that is printed through dye sublimation will not fade over time because color is thermally absorbed INTO the paper rather than “spread” on the surface. Here is a good litmus test: Hold the picture sample up to sunlight. If you can see blotches in the ink, that’s most likely a laser jet printer at work. Why is this important? Your photo booth pictures better stand the test of time, as your wedding day is a very important day in your life. You assume the photographer you hired will deliver quality prints to last a lifetime. Why should you expect anything different from a photo booth scrapbook? This will be your visual guest book after all!
Can the photo booth get into your reception venue?
Photo booths vary in size, so make sure the machine can gain access into your venue. For example, check to see that your venue has a handicap ramp and that doorways are wide and tall enough for the machine to pass through. The “pipe and drape” variety of photo booths do not encounter this problem because they can be set up on site. However, set up requires time, and that may add to the cost of rental. Assuming the photo booth can fit into the room, consider how much space it will require. Understand that you may need a table dedicated to making a scrapbook and that a line of people will likely form throughout the night. Combined, these factors can lead to a crowded space, so make sure your floor plan will properly accommodate this reality.
How is the booth constructed?
Camera and printer technology are important. There are photo booth rental companies out there using “off the rack” components to keep costs low. However, a commercial grade printer can handle a more demanding workload, printing pictures faster with higher resolutions and hold more film. Also, it helps if your photos will come out pre-cut, so the attendant on hand does not have to do so manually. All of this adds up to more pictures taken with less wait for your guests. A Say Cheese photo booth prints and cuts two identical copies in only 11 seconds, allowing hundreds of pictures to be taken during the allotted rental time.
Also consider the mobility of your photo booth. For example, can the booth be moved for a cocktail hour? If the booth requires assembly, then the answer is likely to be no.
How far away are the people in the picture?
This is important to consider because the closer the face, the more “personality” you will see in your guests’ pictures. Otherwise, it can look more like a posed picture with a digital camera. It’s important to control how far away people are from the camera. Otherwise, you can have pictures with minuscule heads and bodies. The magic of a photo booth lies in its uncanny ability to elicit silliness, romance, and unique faces from your guests. This is the “fun factor” of renting a photo booth, so you want to maximize what that looks like. In other words, it’s all about the face. That is where the personality of your guests shines.
Read the contract.
Do your homework and look at the details before you commit to any one company. Some companies advertise a low rate and add on charges for items such as set up, idle time, extra prints, CD’s, scrapbooks, and travel. Also, pay attention to the deposit. Some companies may require a 50% deposit upfront to secure your date. This can affect your budget by taking hundreds of dollars away that were meant for other items. We only require a flat $200 deposit to secure your date, not a percentage of your total rental cost.
Seek references.
Experience and reputation for quality service are vital when choosing any vendor. Speaking for ourselves, we have serviced hundreds of weddings and other events like corporate parties, mitzvahs, proms, and the like. This is our sole focus and we have gained a lot of experience over the years. Therefore, we can give competent advice and tell you what to expect. We provide quick correspondence to emails and phone calls. Also, we have 14 photo booths to provide greater availability for your rental date.Do your homework, and happy planning!
Red, White, and Rock July 1
It’s amazing how 64 degrees can feel like winter during July. It just goes to show you how the body adapts to changing temperatures. Not to mention it was weird seeing so many people wearing jackets when being naked wouldn’t have kept you cool enough during the last Party @ Sawyer Point, when it was about 93. Nonetheless, people showed up in droves for the $2.00 beers, free music from Prizoner (these guys have been rockin’ since 1980!), and free pictures in the Say Cheese Photo Booth. In terms of crazy pictues, this was by far the best party of the summer so far. Check out all the pictures on our Facebook page. Happy Fourth of July and be safe!!
June 17 with The Websters
Wednesday’s party means we are now 1/3 of the way into Cincinnati’s best after work party for summer, better known as Party at Sawyer Point. This time, the Websters took the stage for “Retro Night”, playing lot’s of good cover and some originals off their two CD’s. You can hear their music here. Frontman Quinn added a nice little touch with the megaphone, going Velvet Revolver on the crowd, playing everything from Depeche mode to Gorrillaz. Funk, heavy rock, hip hop, pop - everything is game for this local band and it really speaks of their talent as musicians. Cold beer, hot weather, a Red’s win, good music, and free pictures in the Say Cheese photo booth put another great FREE party in the books. Here are some pics for you.
Dave Matthews Band
Say Cheese was on hand again to provide free photo booth pictures for concert attendees, this time for a perennial Cincinnati favorite: Dave Matthews Band. Thanks to some good timing and a canopy, folks were able to get their smile on and crank out some pictures before the monsoon came. The heavy rain arrived right when the band played its first song and didn’t let up until the concert ended, turning the lawn area into a muddy, mucky, ”that’s what they make washers and dryers for and I only paid $80 for these shoes, let’s have good time” fantastic place to see a concert.
DMB is known for their live performances and they certainly lived up to their reputation for yet another year at Riverbend. While playing most of their songs from their latest CD (Groogrux King), the band mixed in many of their past hits, turning five minute studio tracks into fifteen minute jam sessions (no kidding). One major highlight included a banter between saxophonist LeRroi Moore and Carter Beauford on drums that lasted a good ten minutes or more. The more it rained, the more fun it seemed people were having and I think DMB is one of the few bands that keep the devotion and attention of thier audience despite weather like we had Tuesday night. These guys are simply fabulous live.
So all in all, a great night. The Say Cheese photo booth was able to stay dry (thanks to a canopy) while everyone who saw the concert got appropriately soaked and loved every minute of it. This is what we are about. This is what motivates our company to do what we do: help people have fun and create lasting memories. Everyone who looks at their photo strip will remember how great that concert experience was. Hopefully, when they look at their mud-stained shoes, they will say it was worth the price of admission. Hey, at least the photo booth was free.
Coldplay and Say Cheese giving out freebies
Say Cheese is once again teaming up with Q102 this summer to provide free photo booth pictures for select concerts at Riverbend. Last night the team was on hand for the Coldplay concert, a band everyone at Say Cheese is a big fan of. What a great show! Coldplay delivered nothing short of an awesome live performance. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the night was when the band actually came out into the audience (to their surprise) seated in the lawn to play a few acoustic tunes for the crowd. Other crowd pleasers included a pleathora of yellow balloons being released for their song “Yellow”, a cell phone wave, and a mass of confetti to rival Mardis Gras. They really seem to be a humble group of guys considering the status their band has acheived. They appreciate their fans, so much so that everyone received a free CD on their way out. We are looking forward to another summer filled with good music, good times, and pictures that only our photo booths can crank out. Celebrate life and Say Cheese!
Photo booth, Naked Karate Girls, and Fun…Oh My!
Say Cheese at The Oscars
On February 22, we joined numerous other companies, along with 55 WKRC and WCPO-TV, to help People Working Cooperatively raise thousands upon thousands of dollars to help families around Cincinnati in dire need of home repairs. Located at the Hilton Netherland Hotel downtown, It was our second year of participation with Oscar Night, the only officially recognized Oscar celebration in the Tri-state area.
There was a silent and public auction, and everyone in attendance was able to watch the Live Academy Awards broadcast on a giant silverscreen. Every supporter received “star” treatment with a red carpet entrance into the hotel, their own goodie bag, gourmet three course meal (the Clooney Porkopolis chop was incredible by the way), champagne, open bar, chocolate galore, dancing, casino games, and unlimited use of the Say Cheese photo booths on hand. It was a night filled with fundraising with friends, all for an EXCELLENT cause.
PWC doesn’t just remodel someone’s floor plan; they remodel lives. We at Say Cheese count it a privilege to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to genuine help a fine organization like PWC. Say Cheese is about capturing the good times in life in pictures and we consider helping people in need to be a good time.
Why our photobooths are the rage
By virutue of the fact that you are reading this blog right now, you are probably interested in renting a photo booth for your next party. Maybe that party is a weddding reception, birthday party, mitzvah, or prom. You have heard through the grape vine that these things are cool to have at a party and so you want to find out why. Well, let me give you a “snapshot” as to why renting with Say Cheese is money well spent:
Everyone loves pictures
People always have and always will be in love with pictures. Pictures remind us of important events and people in our lives. We relive the good times with friends and family through them. All of us have heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Though it may seem cliche’, it’s true. That’s where we come in. For some reason, people let their guard down in a photo booth. Their personalities shine through as they cut loose with their friends and family. Eyes become crossed, tounges stick out, and suddenly friendly competition sprouts up to see who can create the goofiest, almost regrettable photobooth picture of the night. Oh, how many times people have asked me to describe the goofiest picture I have seen! It seems I get that question every weekend. Maybe it’s the curtain; maybe it’s the drink in their hand. Heck, it’s probably both. But I do know this: people have crazy fun in a Say Cheese photobooth and they create unique pictures that do not come about by traditional means.
It’s an awesome party favor
For those getting married: We have been doing this long enough to realize that choosing the right party favors is not only tricky, but costly. So if you are looking for a party favor for your guests, you found one that is hard to beat. We can promise you that this will be the hit at your wedding reception, the standout item that everyone will be talking about. And best of all, you’ll be getting all the credit! Your guests will also love our original fridge mangets, drink coasters, and key chains. We try to offer favors that people will find sentimental value in. It’s all about the memory! That’s why we say “Rent the fun, keep the memories”.
Our Reputation
We’ve been around, well before the various ”pipe and drape” companies started to sprout up. There’s a reason why you may hear us on the radio, see us on television, or see us at so many different bridal shows. We know what we are doing and we treat you right. We stand behind our product and service. Our photobooths are the real deal, with COMMERCIAL grade cameras and printers that work – all the time. Say Cheese for reliability, outrageous fun, and memories to last a lifetime.
HUGE Indianapolis Wedding
If you ask most people what they consider to be a large wedding, they will probably throw out numbers like 250 or 300. No doubt, that’s a lot of mouths to feed and one giant wedding cake. Now multiply that by about three and that’s the type of convention, I mean, wedding we were part of this past weekend in Indianapolis. Derek and Jordan tied the knot and decided to invite 940 others from their church to share the love at the Hyatt Regency hotel downtown. We supplied two photo booths and judging by how long each line was (about 50 yards by the way), you would have thought we were handing out free vacation packages instead of photo strips. With a 17 second print cycle, however, folks were able to create fresh memories for two separate scrapbooks with the efficiency of an assembly line. And everyone received a fridge magnet for their photo strip. This was certainly a wedding to remember. Oh, and hats off to the staff at the Hyatt who did a great job feeding the masses!