5 Reasons You Need a Photo Booth for Pictures With Santa

Pictures with Santa are so. much. FUN!

But pictures with Santa have changed. Remember the scene in “A Christmas Story” when Ralph and little brother Randy went to a department store to an elaborate setup with Santa up top and a biiiiiig slide for kids to go down? When’s the last time you saw a setup like that?

While getting your picture taken with Santa might not be as big of an ordeal as it used to be, it’s still very much a thing. But how you have those pictures taken has changed. Santa (and his helpers) don’t wait for you to come find them; nowadays, you’ll find Santa at just about any Christmas event planned during the holiday season.

While you can do a DIY set up to take your own photos with Santa, we have an idea that will give your party guests some fun, memorable prints: hire a photo booth.

Don’t think a photo booth is worth the rental cost? Read on to see why photo booths are such a great idea for getting your picture taken with Santa.

1. Photo booths have been around for a long time… people know how to have fun in them!

Even if the setup a photographer uses is similar to what a photo booth setup looks like, if you call it a photo booth, peoples’ inhibitions seem to dwindle a bit. Throw in some props and you have instant fun! How much fun would your party guests have if the guests and Santa used props in their photo booth pictures?

So if you want some fun, relaxed, candid photos with Santa at your company Christmas party or holiday event, consider a photo booth.

A collage of three photos of people having their pictures taken with Santa. — Photo booths often offer a more casual environment than studio portrait setups. Smile how you want, pose how you want, and shoot, give Santa a smooch if you want! Photos by Say Ya! Photo Booth. Visit them on Instagram or Facebook.

2. You can choose a backdrop to match your event décor.

Most photo booth companies have many different backdrop offerings. Some even offer custom designed photo booth backdrops!

But you don’t have to feel limited to just a solid screen. If space, time, and lighting allows, most photo booth companies will let you design your own backdrop—even if that includes Santa’s sleigh! So go on, think big.

A festive holiday scene set-up with a gingerbread village backdrop with small evergreens and Santa's sleigh in the foreground. — The sky’s the limit when it comes to your Santa photo booth setup. Add the sleigh, trees, and a backdrop. Photo by Say Ya! Photo Booth. Visit them on Instagram or Facebook.

A decorated Christmas tree stands in front of a simple background of black and red curtains for a photo booth setup. — For this event, they put a beautifully decorated Christmas tree against a simple red curtain backdrop as vivid as Jolly Old St. Nick’s suit. The sparkling garland and classic white lights add festive holiday flair. Photo by PicBox Photo Booth Company. Visit them on Facebook.

3. You can get printed AND social sharing options.

When it comes to having pictures taken with Santa, most people want the print, and that’s it. And that is perfectly ok!

But what if you want to create an online experience to further the message of your event or brand? That’s where photo booths with social media sharing capabilities come into play.

These photo booths with digital downloads or social sharing options let you share your pictures direct to your social media channel of choice. Shoot, some even offer gifs! The possibilities here are nearly endless. If you choose a photo booth with social media sharing, be sure to have guests tag your company, event, or use a special hashtag so you can follow the experience online.

Be sure to ask around, though, as not all photo booth companies offer the social sharing option.

4. Easier for kids

Let’s face it, some kids get freaked out at the idea of sitting on Santa’s lap. Even if they recognize him as Santa, he’s still a stranger up close.

When it comes to Christmas party photo booths with Santa, you have a few options for getting pictures with the kids.

First, you can take the traditional route of the kid on Santa’s lap or standing next to him. For a lot of kids, this works great. Others… not so much.

In order to keep all the kids (and their parents!) happy, consider creating a photo booth setup for the whole family to enjoy. Wary kids will be more open to participating if mom and dad or their friends are all in the picture with them.

A large group of people wear silly glasses and other props while having their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus. — Santa and Mrs. Claus posed with the kids (and their silly glasses!) on a comfy couch with the rest of the family behind them. Photo booths can allow for large setups, meaning the whole family can have their picture taken with Santa. Photo by Shutter Booth Charlotte. Visit them on Instagram and Facebook.

5. You don’t really need Santa.

Gosh, we hope that statement doesn’t put us on the naughty list. But there’s some practicality behind that statement.

If hiring Santa for your Christmas event isn’t in your budget, you still have some great options with photo booths to make it look as though Jolly Old St. Nick was there.

Santa Replacement #1: Backdrops

Back to the topic of backdrops… some photo booths might have a backdrop with Santa on it. So you just pose in front of a picture of Santa and call it a day!

Other photo booth rentals might offer green screens, so you can choose from their library of backgrounds, or perhaps even design your own.

Santa Replacement #2: Props

Every photo booth has props. And most Christmas party photo booth rentals offer Christmas-themed props as part of their package. So while Santa might not be there, maybe you can wear his hat.

Six people pose in a photo booth in front of a bright, sparkling silver backdrop. They are all wearing funny holiday photo booth props and smiling or making silly faces. — No Santa? No problem! We think these props work *great*. Photo by Shutter Booth Charlotte. Visit them on Instagram and Facebook.

If the photo booth doesn’t offer Christmas-themed props, ask them if it’s ok to bring your own. If you go the DIY-route, check out any arts and crafts store or yes, even Target or Walmart.

Santa Replacement #3: Custom Photo Booth Print Design

If you opt for printed photos at your holiday party photo booth, ask the photo booth owner if they offer designs on their prints. Many photo booth companies offer designed prints in their packages. Here’s a bonus: some of them even let you add branding! As always, ask these questions to get the most out of your event budget.

How to find a photo booth for your Christmas party

Need help finding a photo booth near you for your holiday event? Here are three easy ways to find a photo booth near you:

Go to your search engine (ex: Google or Bing) and type in “photo booth near me”. The results will populate with local photo booth businesses for you to research.
Go to Facebook and search for “[your city] photo booth”. Below the search bar, scroll sideways to look for “Pages” and you’ll find a list of pages for photo booth companies.
Go to Instagram, tap the search icon and type in either “photo booth”. Scroll sideways below the search bar and tap on “Places”. Not all of these will be local to you, but many will. Another way to search on Instagram is to search for the name of your city, scroll to “Places,” and tap on the name of your city. This will give you a searchable map. If your local photo booth owners have added their business location, they will appear on this map.

If you’re taking photo booth pictures with Santa, send those prints home in a festive photo folder

At Studio Style, we design and manufacture a full line of photo folders and cardboard frames—and yes, we have LOTS of Christmas designs. Just choose one to go with your event, or design your own. Not sure where to start? We can help! Send us a message or call us at (800) 346-3063.

Happy party planning! 🎄🎅🎁

5 Reasons You Need a Photo Booth for your Pictures With Santa