Today we’d like to introduce you to Tawny Laney.
Tawny, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Photo booths have always captured some special and fun memories for our family, leaving behind photos that are still cherished today. I have photo strips from date nights in Dallas, The Aquarium in Corpus Christi with our daughter on her first beach vacation, the crazy ones with both the kids at Chuck E Cheese, and I’m pretty sure the TSA personnel are still laughing when I mistakenly thought the passport scanner that prints your ticket and photo at the airport was a photo booth and decided a good ‘duck face’ was fitting.
While attending a fundraising gala in 2012, my husband and I once again took part in the photo booth fun. Soon after, I decided a photo booth was a must-have for our next event. Exploring the options for photo booth rentals, we found the rentals were cost prohibitive, provided a webcam pixilated photo, took forever to print and many were using ink-jet printers, and didn’t allow for any personalization or customization to the experience. Now I understood why everyone didn’t have a photo booth at their events. It was at that point we knew there had to better options out there and we were on a mission to be the ones to provide it. In 2013, we started our research and had our first photo booth built. Picture This! Photo & Video Booth Rentals was born. We opted for a professional grade DSLR camera to provide high quality, crisp images and chose a specialty printer that auto cuts and produces archival quality prints with a protective layer to keep the photos looking great for the next generation to enjoy. We also researched all of our costs and the market to be able to price our services so that photo booths wouldn’t be limited to just high-end or commercial events but could now be part of all types of Weddings, School Events, Birthday Celebrations, Quinceaneras, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Family Reunions, or anywhere you had a gathering of people and wanted a memorable experience. Our first event was a Casino Night for the Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce–we booked two more events that evening. From there, our business grew exponentially almost overnight through word of mouth recommendations. We had raving fans everywhere!
In 2014, we were recognized with the prestigious “Best of Denton County” award for Best Photo Booth. When we received a note from Texas Senator Jane Nelson congratulating us for this honor, we were jumping for joy! This was so exciting…people loved us and our business. We had created an opportunity that allowed us to meet so many wonderful people and have more flexibility in our family time. This was the motivation to grow beyond our first booth.
Fast forward to 2018…we have five photo booths and have won Best of Denton County for the last four consecutive years. Our five star reviews and thousands of photos show how much fun we can make your next event. Just like all events are not the same, neither should your photo booth experience. We now offer enclosed photo booths, open air red carpet photo booths, and our newest addition is the BOHO Glamper– a cute little vintage trailer with a photo booth inside. We customize each photo strip template to coordinate with the color and theme of the event and provide high-quality assortment of props to enhance the photo booth experience. Each party-goer in the session gets a photo strip too (because it’s not fun or fair to make a group of people share two strips). One of our most popular options is the keepsake photo booth scrapbook. We print an additional photo for the book and ask guests to write a message, give a piece of advice, or even just caption the photo. It’s just another great way to preserve your memories from the event.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth road? For the most part that would be a yes but it’s kind of like driving down I-35. Some days its smooth sailing and on other days you pretty much nail every pothole in your lane. Our biggest struggles have been growing pains– when you have more requests for bookings than you have photo booths for. Naturally, I am a people pleaser and to have to tell a potential client that we are completely booked really hurts when you hear the disappointment in their tone of voice. Could I go out and have ten more booths manufactured to service our demand and have excess in reserve? Of course I could, but with Picture This! Photo & Video Booth Rentals it’s more than showing up with a photo booth and plugging it in. It’s actually a lot more complicated than that and the potential for issues is compounded when you are working with technology. You have to have the right staff in place to make sure every event is flawless, provide a consistent level of service, and take the time to know your clients so that you can exceed their expectations. Thus we are very particular in the staff that we hire to represent the brand we have built.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Picture This! Photo & Video Booth Rentals – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Picture This! Photo & Video Booth Rentals specializes in providing a photo booth experience that will keep your guests talking about it for years to come. There are several features that separate us from others. The first is our sole dedication to the photo booth industry. This includes participating in continuing education classes, attending expos for the advancements in photo booth offerings, and consistently testing and perfecting our equipment with the latest technology Next, while it’s quite common, we don’t provide complimentary services such as DJ, wedding coordinating, party rentals, photography, etc.–we focus on making our one service the best instead of trying to wear multiple hats. If a client needs a referral for another service, we have plenty to share. Lastly, our client reviews and comments typically revolve around the experience. From themed props to a fully interactive attendant, guests continually rave about how our services are budget friendly without a compromise anywhere else. One of the best things we are known for is our photo strip designs. We don’t use stock templates but create a unique strip for every event.
I may or may not have said it before, but we are very proud to have been selected as The Best of Denton County for Photo Booth Rentals for the last four consecutive years. This is such a great honor and each time when we have been notified, it’s just as exciting as the first!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The DFW metroplex has so much to offer. While I’m originally from Houston, I call DFW (specifically Aubrey) my home. We have everything your heart could desire from a variety of eateries, festivals, culture, and museums. Head out to the lake, visit a ranch, shop in some of the most luxurious stores, or sit down in a park and feed the ducks. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, there is so much to take in. I’ve lived here for over 20 years now and I still have places to see and things to do.
The thing I like the least…easy…traffic. Not because I’m a frustrated driver or that I don’t enjoy people watching in stop & go traffic but my biggest pet peeve is being late. So while I always plan accordingly, I add an additional 30 minutes to any of my travels for just in case moments. 9 times out of 10, I’m 30 minutes or more early to where ever I needed to be.
Pricing:
- Open Air Red Carpet Style Photo Booths & Enclosed Photo Booth Rentals have packages starting at $365
- BOHO Glamper (The cute little vintage trailer with a photo booth inside) has packages starting at $450
- Photo Booth services for weddings average $575 including the keepsake scrapbook option
Contact Info:
- Website: www.PictureThisDFW.com
- Phone: 817-300-7469
- Email: Tawny@PictureThisDFW.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Picture_This_DFW
- Facebook: Facebook.com/PictureThisDFW
- Twitter: Twitter.com/PictureThisDFW
- Other: www.BOHOglamper.com
Image Credit:
The action photo with the men getting ready to pose for the photo booth: Stephanie Rose Photography (www.Facebook.com/StephanieRosePhotography)
My profile photo: Lynn Schwab Photography (www.Facebook.com/LynnSchwabPhotography)
All photo booth pictures: Picture This! Photo & Video Booth Rentals (www.PictureThisDFW.com)
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
