How to Maximize Your Photobooth Rental

Photobooth has become a regular extravaganza during special occasions especially weddings and birthday parties. It's a great alternative to giving a pre ordered souvenir which we're not sure if the our guests will like or even use.

 

 

Being a fan of photobooths, I rented a photobooth for my daughter's 1st birthday as we want our guests to have a souvenir photo from the party. The rental was good for 2 hours with 30 minutes stop-time option. I decided to rent it only for 2 hours (compared to 3 hours during my son's 1st birthday two years ago) because we're holding the party at a pizza chain and the party reservation is only for 3 hours.

Anyway, when I reviewed the DVD copy of the photos from the party and counted the total prints, I was disappointed that there's only less than 40. That means we paid Php100 for each print and for me I could have bought a really nice souvenir with that amount.

 

From that experience that I came up with a list that I will arm myself with next time we will rent a photobooth service. I want to maximize it; ensure all my guests have at least 1 print each to take home and get the value for my money.

1. Inform your guests in advance (perhaps when you email the invites or through your event invites in FB) that you have hired a photobooth service.

2. Encourage your guests to line up and have their photos taken while waiting for the program or party to start.

3. Get a package with a stop-time option. This is to ensure your guests are with you during the highlight of your event and not lined up for wacky photos.

 

4. Base the hours of rental with your party duration. If your party is at a fastfood chain like Jollibee which is strictly 2 hours only, get a 2-hour package only. In fact, a 1-hour package would probably be OK.

5. Choose a layout of only 3 or 2 photos per print. It would not only make the prints less crowded but would also make the queuing time shorter ergo more photos printed!

 

6. Skip the Customized Backdrop option unless it's free. In one of my kid's events, I just used a generic backdrop of the photobooth provider and it looked just fine. Believe me, your guests will care more on how they look at the photos than what's the print behind them. This could easily save you Php500. 

 

7. Occasionally ask your program host or emcee to announce when the photobooth is still open, especially when there's less people waiting their turn.

8. Come up with a game or contest during the party for the "Wackiest Photo" taken from the photobooth. If you have an LCD projector, flash the photos and let your guests be the judge.

Hope other mommies find this helpful. Have a great time posing!

Baptism Ceremony at Christ The King (Greenmeadows)

Christ The King Parish Church at Greenmeadows is one of the most popular christening venues among residents of Quezon City and Pasig City. Aside from it's location which is near Libis where rows of restaurants offer bapstismal reception, Christ The King Church also has a huge parking area.

I would say this church is for parents who can afford a more expensive baptism ceremony. The location of the church itself in the posh Greenmeadows somehow foretells the fee for the ceremony which is pegged at Php600.00 for the first pair of sponsors. Additional sponsor is charged Php50.00 per head. This is for MASS baptism and is held every Sunday at 10 o'clock in the morning only.

For those who wants a solo baptism (which is what I will recommend), there is now a separate room for this called a Baptistry.

 

Back in 2006 when our eldest was baptized at Christ The King, solo baptism was available only to those who can bring their own priest and have the ceremony held on weekdays. We had no choice but to get the mass baptism where the whole ceremony was unorganized and quite in chaos because the officiating priest chose to stand at the altar and have the children brought there for the rites instead of going around. So imagine the horror for those with an army of godparents! The next candidate for baptism was already at the altar while the godparents of the previous child are still trying to make their way back. There was only 1 assistant too and nobody was guiding parents/godparents for the rites and keeping order.

Solo or special baptisms are held Mondays to Sundays except holidays for the fee of Php3,200. They require 50% non-refundable down payment for you to nail the date and time of the ceremony (9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm).

 

Requirements are as follows:

 

1. Photocopy and Original copies of Registered Birth Certificate

2. Photocopy and Original copies of Marriage Certificate of parents

3. Attire: Baptismal clothes and white cap.

4. Bring your own candle!

 

Church Contact Details:

 

CHRIST THE KING PARISH

Greenmeadows Avenue, Quezon City

Tel. Nos. 633-0280 and 638-4838

 

At Last, We Have Tried a Jollibee Kids Party!

Jollibee is without question the leader in the fast food kiddie party arena. They simply know how to delight both kids and adults. I don't know if it's the mascot or the general ambiance of Jollibee, but honestly, I haven't been to a boring Jollibee party.

The Hubby has always refused holding our kids' birthdays at Jollibee saying that guests can eat at Jollibee anytime they want. I convinced him this time by saying the party is for our child, not for anyone. I am sure our relatives and friends love us so much to not mind eating Chicken Joy for our son's birthday.

And so we proceeded with a Jollibee party. It's the easiest party I have planned in the last 7 years since I had my first child. Book and pay and that's about it! The only extra work I did was order a cake and prepare the loot bags.

 

The cost for the party amenities is Php1250 which includes the use of party venue for 2 hours, mascot appearance, game prizes, crayons and 30 balloons.

 

 

Other party materials like party hats, name tags, tray liners and loot bags are also available if you are willing to pay extra.

 

I chose to create our own loot bag because we did not follow any of their themes. As of this writing, they have 3 themes, My Best Friend Jollibee, Jollitown and Batman.  I know they have Barbie before but for whatever reason, it's not being offered anymore. Back to the loot bags, clients are allowed to bring their own as long as the packaging is generic.

 

 

 

Jollibee also owns Red Ribbon and therefore offers customized Jollibee cakes for Php900. The cake is optional and clients can bring their own. However, if the baker is not Red Ribbon, the cake cannot be served to the guests during the party. To make it short, it's for candle blowing only. (Yes, that's why we still have cake in our fridge 1 week after the party!).

 

Again, since we're having a different theme, we brought our own cake (thanks to Layers & Layers).

 

 

For the decors, the package includes 30 balloons but they are put on a stand and the venue will not be decorated. Although Jollibee Greenmeadows branch's party area is designed and furnished with party colors, I still think additional balloon decors will help. Hence, I brought simple balloon decors at least for the front area where the program will be held.

 

DIY balloon decors

The highlight of the party is the appearance of the Jollibee mascot. It's amazing how both kids and adults alike enjoy having their pictures taken with Jollibee like he's some sort of celebrity (technically, he is!).

 

 

I like how the Jollibee mascot entertained our guests for 30 minutes by gracing the photo op, going from table to table for more photos, and even doing a dance number. Really, Jollibee is the most popular party mascot. Award!

 

For the food cost, the lowest package is Php3870. There is an option to Create Your Own Meal as long as a minimum food cost of Php4000 is achieved.

 

 

From 1-10, I'd rate Jollibee with 9 as I feel they should improve their game prizes (they look so lame, small and cheap).

 

For those planning a party at Jollibee, they now have an online party booking system where anyone can plan, book and pay for their party in the comfort of their home.