A photo booth rental in Los Angeles typically costs $500 to $1,800 for a 3 to 4 hour event, with an attendant included. Open-air and enclosed print booths sit at the lower to middle end, 360 video booths usually run $700 to $1,600, and roaming booths that come to your guests generally fall between $900 and $1,500. The right choice depends less on price than on how you want guests to use it.
Here is how the main booth styles compare, what drives the price, and the questions that separate a good quote from a cheap one.
The four main types of photo booth
Open-air booth
A camera and lighting setup in front of a backdrop. Guests step up in groups, take a few shots, and usually get a print and a digital copy. It is the most common wedding booth today because it fits big groups and photographs the backdrop as part of the look.
Enclosed booth
The classic curtained box. It holds fewer people, but some guests love the privacy, and it has a retro feel. Prints are the main event.
360 booth
Guests stand on a platform while a camera on a rotating arm circles them and records short slow-motion video clips. It is built for social media sharing and draws a crowd, but it takes floor space and only one small group can use it at a time.
Roaming booth
Instead of a fixed station, an attendant carries the camera through the room and brings it to guests at their tables, on the dance floor and around cocktail hour. Guests get their photos (or, with a video booth, short video messages) on their phones by QR code. There is no line and no corner of the room to give up.
Typical photo booth prices in Los Angeles
These are typical ranges based on our research into published pricing from Southern California booth companies and national cost guides. Quotes vary widely with hours, prints and add-ons.
| Booth type | Typical LA price, 3 to 4 hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Open-air print booth | $500 to $1,300 | Big groups, printed keepsakes, a styled backdrop |
| Enclosed booth | $600 to $1,500 | Retro look, smaller groups, prints |
| 360 video booth | $700 to $1,600 | Social media clips, high-energy parties |
| Roaming booth | $900 to $1,500 | Reaching every guest, no line, small or crowded rooms |
| Premium or combined booths | $1,500 to $2,500 or more | Multiple formats, custom builds, long events |
Extra hours commonly add $150 to $300 each. Watch for add-ons that are priced separately: custom backdrops, print templates, props, guest books with print copies, and travel outside the vendor's service area.
Our own pricing is published. For weddings, a roaming photo or video booth is a $1,195 upgrade to any wedding package and covers up to 4 hours. For corporate and private events, our rate card starts at $995 for a roaming photo booth, $1,295 for a video message booth and $1,695 for a combined photo and video booth (4-hour starting prices, quoted through our event quote form).
Roaming vs enclosed vs 360: the honest tradeoffs
| Open-air or enclosed | 360 | Roaming | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor space needed | About 8 by 8 to 10 by 10 feet | About 10 by 10 feet or more | None |
| Lines | Common at peak times | Common, one group at a time | No line, it comes to guests |
| Prints | Yes, usually | Rarely | Usually digital by QR code |
| Reaches quieter guests | Only those who walk over | Only those who walk over | Yes, including older relatives at their tables |
| Backdrop in photos | Yes | Platform and surroundings | The real party around them |
| Power needed at a fixed spot | Yes | Yes | No |
Choose a print booth if physical keepsakes matter to you, if you want a guest book filled with photo strips, or if you have a styled backdrop you want in every shot.
Choose a 360 booth if your crowd is social media heavy and you have room for a platform and a line.
Choose a roaming booth if your venue is tight on space, if you want every guest captured (not just the ones who seek it out), or if you would rather the booth add to the party than pull people away from it. Roaming works especially well during cocktail hour and dinner, when people are spread out and less likely to walk to a corner.
The most photographed guests at a fixed booth are usually the same 30 people going back again and again. If you want photos of grandparents, coworkers and the quieter table in the back, a booth that moves is the better tool.
What should be included in a photo booth quote
- Hours of active booth time, plus whether setup time counts against them
- An attendant for the whole event
- Delivery of images: instant QR or text sharing, and an online gallery after the event
- Prints, if it is a print booth: unlimited or capped, and the print size
- Custom overlay or template with your names and date
- Props and backdrop, if you want them
- Travel and setup within the service area
- Insurance and a certificate for the venue, which many LA venues require
Ways to save without getting a worse booth
- Bundle with your DJ. One team means one load-in, one point of contact, and usually a better price than two separate vendors.
- Schedule it smartly. You rarely need a booth for the full reception. Cocktail hour plus the first stretch of dancing captures most of the fun.
- Skip prints if you do not need them. Digital delivery is instant and guests rarely lose it.
- Book early for peak dates. Saturdays in spring and fall fill up first in Southern California.
If you are also weighing a video option, see What Is a Video Guestbook? for how video message booths work.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a photo booth cost in Los Angeles?
Most photo booth rentals in Los Angeles cost $500 to $1,800 for 3 to 4 hours with an attendant. Open-air print booths are usually the most affordable, while 360 booths and premium setups sit at the higher end.
What is a roaming photo booth?
A roaming photo booth is a camera setup carried through the event by an attendant, who brings it to guests wherever they are. Guests get their photos on their phones by QR code, so there is no line and no fixed station taking up floor space.
Is a 360 photo booth worth it for a wedding?
It can be for a young, social-media-heavy crowd and a venue with spare floor space. It is less ideal for smaller rooms or for capturing a wide range of guests, since one small group uses it at a time.
How many hours do I need a photo booth?
Three to four hours is enough for most weddings. Many couples cover cocktail hour and the first part of dancing, which is when guests are most likely to use it.
Does EMP Created offer photo booths?
Yes. We offer roaming photo and video booths. For weddings it is a $1,195 upgrade to any package for up to 4 hours. For corporate and private events, roaming booth pricing starts at $995.