Photo booths, once as ubiquitous as pizza at roller rinks, are now cropping up at chic weddings everywhere from Los Angeles to New York. What’s the deal? While it’s always fun to have posed group shots, it’s even more entertaining to catch the bridal party and guests goofing off in one-of-a-kind candids. “It’s sweet, intimate and fun,” explains San Francisco-based photographer Anna Kilbridge (kilbridgephotography.com), who custom designs photo booth stations.

The Traditional Take

“The photo booth trend [started] towards the middle of 2007, but really exploded about a year later,” explains New York City-based wedding planner Christine Viola of Exquisite Affairs Productions (exquisiteaffairsproductions.com). And don’t make the mistake of thinking photo booths are only hot with hip, artistic brides and grooms—the movement has also caught on with traditional couples.

Want to serve up a vintage photo booth experience? Photo Booth Illusions (classicphotobooth.net) rents out booths for events across the country. In addition to offering a digital photo booth, they’re also one of the last companies to have photo booths that develop film on-site. Prices start at $1,250 for the digital booth and $1,480 for the classic booth. Included is a CD of images and a scrapbook with printed strips of each guest, along with their handwritten messages for the newlyweds to take home that night. “This is such an amazing keepsake,” explains Hayley O’Connor, a longtime employee.

Wallet-Sized Fun

For an outside-the-box (and booth) event, try a custom photo station. Like Kilbridge, photographer Thomas Marlow of Thomas Marlow Photography in Chicago (thomasmarlow.com) will create a custom backdrop based on your venue and wedding theme. “We translate your concept into a physical set that can include hand-painted backdrops, fixtures and lighting that brings your scene to life,” he explains. Guests are then invited to pose in front of the backdrop—think a prom photo but endlessly more hip and fun (and without silly wallet-sized prints for your parents). Marlow’s prices start at $1,500, and he travels around the United States.

While having a traditional photographer at your reception is definitely a must, the photo booth can offer up a unique and lively glimpse into your special day. “As far as portraits, the photo booth lets couples have their cake and eat it, too,” says Kilbridge.