Student gala and prom: the role of the photo booth

When to book

Student dates cluster into a few very dense periods: welcome parties in September, mid-term events, end-of-year galas in spring, and above all proms in May and June.

For a gala or an association party, 4 to 8 weeks is generally enough. For a prom, plan further ahead: on certain June weekends, all of Quebec holds its event the same night. It isn't only about our availability — that's also when venues, caterers and DJs get booked.

What the booth brings to this kind of night

A gala brings together people who have known each other for years and are about to scatter. The photo takes on a value it doesn't have at an ordinary party: it's the last image of the whole group.

In practice, three things happen almost every time. Photos circulate in stories that same night, which pulls in the people who were hesitating. The booth becomes a rallying point people return to several times. And the online gallery, open for a year, becomes the class album — the one that comes back out at the first reunion.

The throughput question

This is the technical point that matters most in this format. A student party doesn't spread out over time: there's a lull, then everyone arrives at once after dinner or after the speeches.

The booth handles up to 120 photos per hour, and a gala photo rarely holds one person — count four to six faces per shot. For a 300-person event, that passes without any noticeable queue. Above 400 or 500 attendees on a short evening, two booths are the better call: a lengthening queue makes people give up, and entertainment people give up on serves no purpose.

A student association's budget

Student committees work with voted, tight budgets they have to justify. Two features of our grid work in their favour.

First, the rental covers the whole weekend, with no hourly package. A party that runs two hours long costs nothing extra — where most Quebec price lists bill $100 to $200 per additional hour.

Second, pickup is free in Saint-Lambert and Quebec City. If someone on the committee has a car, the $450 CAD package, plus taxes, is the most economical option on the market for a full evening. If nobody can travel, delivery with setup and pickup adds $175 CAD within a 25 km radius.

In your class colours

The filter is what students notice most. Our designers build it from your elements — association or institution logo, colours, class name and year — and deliver it within 24h.

One tip from the field: include the year and the class name, not just the logo. Five years from now, that's what will give the photo its value. The rules for a good filter are in our guide on getting your filter right, and the full tutorial is on the create your filter page.

On the logistics side

Nothing special to plan: one power outlet is enough, setup takes 30 seconds, and the built-in 5G SIM card avoids depending on the venue Wi-Fi — which matters in a gym, a community centre or a hotel ballroom.

Nobody from the committee needs to stay beside the booth. Remote tech support is available anytime and our team answers the phone during your event. Full details are on the student photo booth page, and complete rates on our pricing page.