The Model 12 booth used by Calgary's The Photobooth Co. was developed by San Francisco based Photoworks Interactive.

There's an image of you kissing your grade 10 sweetheart. And another one of you and your best friend making piggy noses for the camera. There's even one of you alone, trying to look sophisticated at 16. (Look at the hair!)

Photo booth photos. They remind us of our youth. They freeze us in candid moments of silliness or affection. We are nostalgic for them — so nostalgic that photo booths are no longer relegated to mall corridors and bus stations. They're in bars and nightclubs, and even people's homes. And now they're all the rage at weddings.

Vancouver's Anna Namshirin is one bride that is photo booth-crazy.

"I've loved them since I was little," she says. "My girlfriends and I always used to cram into the booths at the mall and take funny pictures together and I still have all of those shots. I was willing to do anything to squeeze one into our wedding budget!"

Vancouver newlyweds Anna Namshirin and Matt Reid had a photo booth at their wedding reception (which was used to snap this picture) to add an element of fun.

Namshirin, who got married Feb. 23 in Burnaby, B.C., says she wanted a photo booth at her reception not only because it would add an element of fun, but because she felt it would give her guests a unique wedding experience.

"I knew it was going to be something different," she says. "I think ultimately, most brides want a wedding that is fun and memorable — a photo booth is a fun way to combine both goals."

Although the idea of having photo booths at weddings has really taken off in the U.S., it's a fairly new trend in Canada, says Namshirin, who aside from being a newlywed, works as a "wedding coach" for Ladner, B.C.-based Fairy Godmother Weddings.

"For weddings, I think it is a new and exciting thing," she says. "Everyone knows what a photo booth is and more than likely everyone has been in one, but to actually be able to bring it to your reception and give your guests something fun to do during cocktail hour or once they're tired from dancing is something else."

Photobooth Vancouver, the company Namshirin hired for her wedding, is one business that is capitalizing on the trend. Angela Haugo, a wedding photographer and journalism student, started the company last year when she realized there were no local companies offering photo booth rentals.

"Photo booths have become very popular in the U.S., and brides here were having a hard time finding a local source for photo booths that were within their price range," she says.

Although Haugo's company rents photo booths for bar mitzvahs and corporate parties, weddings make up the bulk of her business. "Our booths are built with weddings in mind — they have an elegant design and have a classic black finish. They fit within the decor of most weddings so there really is no need to decorate them."

She adds that some couples will place props inside the booth, such as hats and feather boas, to encourage silliness.

Although some companies rent vintage photo booths, Photobooth Vancouver uses a custom-made digital photo booth that can take high-resolution 8 megapixel images.

"This gives the clients the ability to keep digital copies of the pictures forever," she says, pointing out that both black-and-white and colour photos are offered.

The units are heavy, so the company uses in-house movers to transport the units to events. The cost is $300 per hour, which includes an attendant who makes sure everything is running smoothly. Haugo says couples generally rent a booth for four- to eight-hour periods, depending on the style of their reception and the number of guests. The number of pictures that can be taken is unlimited.

According to Haugo, some guests use the photo booth in lieu of traditional wedding favours. "The photo is a great favour and will likely be the most remembered favour offered to your guests."

Wedding couples also receive a copy of all of the photo booth pictures on CD-ROM. They have the option of creating a custom guest book.

Calgary's The Photobooth Co. is another Canadian company that's in on the trend. The company, launched in September 2007, is already booked solid for July and August.

Owner Robin Audenart says her company is the first in Canada to use a Model 12 photo booth developed by San Francisco based Photoworks Interactive — a type of photo booth that is gaining popularity in the U.S. Currently, there are 25 photo booth companies in the U.S that use the Model 12. It has the feel of a vintage photo booth, but the photos themselves are digital.

"It's a lot cooler than the photo booths you see at the mall," says Audenart. "But if you like the vintage look, you can get that by choosing to print in black and white."

Audenart, who charges $1,500 for four hours of manned photo booth rental with unlimited photos, says many Canadian brides are unaware of the photo booth trend.

"Getting the idea out there is the big thing. You have to use it to see how fun it is. People really get excited about them," she says. "You go behind a curtain and no one sees you and suddenly you can be whoever you want to be."

Haugo says many couples tell her the photo booth is the hit of the reception. "Guests love the photo booth. It is a great way to break the ice and get people mixing and laughing. It really is the hit of the party."

What was the reaction at Namshirin's wedding?

"Everyone loved the photo booth… Many people probably hadn't been in one in a long time, but no one forgets how much fun they are and how they put you in a relaxed but silly mood," she says. "Smile for one picture, tongue out for another picture, eyes crossed and finally back to a laugh for the last shot."

The author is a Canadian freelance writer.

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