Monday Meeting: The Boardwalk Photo Booth Company

 We had the great opportunity to talk with our good friend Shawn Cox, owner of The Boardwalk Photo Booth Company, who's been involved in the wedding industry for over twenty years! Take a look at this great question and answer session we had with him and let us know what you think about the amazing pictures as well!



AC: How did you first become involved in the wedding industry?

SC: I started as a local disc jockey back in 1989.  I worked in radio for Z104 & 2WD for about 12 years and was also a full-time wedding DJ and managing partner for one of the local entertainment companies.  Radio was fun and a great experience, but in the end I just really enjoyed weddings.  I loved meeting new people every weekend and it was extremely fulfilling to walk away from a wedding reception knowing how big a difference you made to the bride & groom on such an important day.  The wedding industry has been a part of my life for over 22 years now!  I actually met Carolyn at a wedding and we had our pictures taken in the photo booth on the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier on one of our first dates.  Life hasn't been the same since.  In December 2009, Carolyn and I were talking about the industry and realized that there wasn't a local photo booth presence, and we knew that the trend had been building in Hollywood and in cities like Chicago and New York.  We shopped around for readily available "photo booths" and even looked into the franchises, but weren't impressed with anything.  We wanted to create a much more authentic photo booth experience for our clients, so in the end, we decided to have our vintage-inspired photo booths fabricated to our specifications.  We intended to have the photo booth as a fun side business, but things escalated quickly, forcing me into an early retirement from the DJ business to focus soley on all things "photo booth".  Now we have four photo booths in our collection.  Three of them are the digital photo booths that have made us so popular.  The fourth is actually an antique chemical photo booth from 1959 that spent much of it's life at Sylvan Beach Amusement Park in upstate New York.  As a company, Carolyn and I felt it was important to pay homage to the history of the photo booth, which dates back to 1925, so the old booth has been a welcome addition to our office at Wayside Village. 


AC: What can be some of the benefits of having a photo booth, along with a photographer at your event? 

SC: First and foremost, the photo booth is not a replacement for a professional photographer.  A photographer is SO important as he or she captures the magic of the event from beginning to end.  The photo booth should be considered a replacement to the traditional "party favor".  People often choose to exclude putting disposable cameras each table in lieu of the booth.  Guests are welcome to take photos over and over again - there is no limit, so in the end they get to take home tons of photos imprinted with the bride & groom's logo and wedding date.  We also create a scrapbook on site the clients often use as their only guest book.  Imagine how awesome it will be in twenty years when a couple pulls out the scrapbook and sees all of their guests exactly the way they looked on their wedding day.  The scrapbook is so much more valuable than a book of signatures and ends up being quite the prized possession.  


AC: Would you say there has been an increase in demand for photo booths for recently?


SC: Absolutely.  We certainly feel that they are becoming a staple item at weddings.  It's still such a "new" thing.  The photo booths receive constant praise from guests as "the best idea EVER".  We hear it at every single event.  We have to admit that it wasn't our idea, but we are doing our best to perfect it.

AC: What advice do you have for a bride and groom when they're looking for a way to make their event unique?

SC: Well, a photo booth is definitely a unique addition, but there are so many great design elements available for weddings now.  Hampton Roads has some of the very best vendors you'll find anywhere.  From uplighting the walls and pin spotting the tables to elaborate ice bars and swanky lounge furniture.  The sky really is the limit these days.  If a client can dream it, the vendors in our area can pull together and make it happen.  We see it every weekend.  "Don't be afraid to be different".  That's our advice.  It's 2011, and it's cool to throw tradition to the wind and have FUN! 

    Both of these great outdoor shots were taken by Shawn!