Personality In Every Picture
It only takes a couple of seconds for the snap of the photobooth to capture the moment, forever freezing it in time. Each detail of your wedding is special, from the flowers to the decorations, each part of your day is beautifully curated, so why should your photobooth be any different? Join Melbourne Wedding & Bride’s Stef Grinberg as she chats to Sarah Stevenson, co-owner of Gotta Mate Events about elevating the photobooth experience and adding a touch of personality to your celebration.
Written by Stef Grinberg
Stevenson describes Gotta Mate as “a local service hiring out equipment that people need but don’t always have the space for themselves.” Run by Stevenson and her partner Simon Jacobs, two divisions fall under the Gotta Mate umbrella covering all your celebration needs. Gotta Mate Timber Co. looks after custom timber and acrylic giftware, while sister company, Gotta Mate Events is home to photo booths and event hire items. With a range of services Stevenson “get[s] to know our clients by understanding their event and tailoring the experience to suit their style, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all package.”
Meet the family!
Celebrations are an expression of joy, individuality and love, so keeping the client central is pivotal. For Gotta Mate, “equipment isn’t just equipment, they’re part of the team, one of the mates,” she explained.
With a personality assigned to each photobooth, “everything gets a name, a personality and usually a few terrible jokes … events should be fun from the very first interaction,” she said.
“We offer two very different personalities in the Gotta Mate photo booth family,” Stevenson explained, introducing the two in question: Posie and Spin Diesel.
Meet Posie:
“Posie is our wedding sweetheart, she’s an interactive Magic Mirror that captures photos … [with] plenty of opportunities for guests to reflect on their best angles,” Posie also has a personalised print layout feature. This is the booth for those who love a physical keepsake, both for themselves and their guests.
Meet Spin Diesel:
“He’s perfect for couples wanting something modern, energetic and a little more ‘spin-teresting’,” compared to traditional wedding photos. Step onto the platform and watch as the 360 Video Booth spins around you, producing exciting, energetic and shareable video content.
Now, which is right for you? Stevenson would say that if the Gotta Mate team “had to pick one specifically for weddings, Posie generally gets [their] vote because printed photos make fantastic wedding keepsakes and can be added to a guestbook … but for a high-energy reception or couples who love social content, Spin Diesel definitely knows how to ‘turn’ things around.”
With a chance to look at your dress from every angle, Gotta Mate offers more than the mirror can give you. Stevenson explains that one of her favourite options is a ‘blindfold dress reveal’ where the video booth captures “the genuine smile, surprise, happy tears and ‘this is THE dress!’ reaction as it happens.”
The process of hiring the booth itself starts with a brief event questionnaire, as “the more we know, the better we can picture what they have in mind!” Stevenson said. The team can help decide on your booth and tailors the event package to your celebration. Around two months before the wedding, the Gotta Mate team confirms all the finer details, such as when they “receive a copy of the wedding invitation, [giving them] inspiration to make the booth experience and print designs match,” she said.
Before the big day arrives, the Gotta Mate team suggests that the couple allocates a ‘booth buddy’ to assist with venue access and questions on the day “because the newlyweds have enough to focus on, we want the booth to be as smooth as possible!” Stevenson said.
Blink and you’ll miss it!
Photobooths are all about the experience. From striking that first pose, to the anticipation of the countdown, the flash of the camera and finally holding the photo, each moment creates its own special memory.
With an extensive selection of options tailored to each celebration, you can take home custom “printed photos, digital galleries, personalised templates and guestbooks … spontaneous moments become keepsakes [you] can look back on for years,” she explained.
“At the wedding everyone is watching the bride and groom, the photographer, the guests, the mother-in-law but the photo booth is watching everyone else … from the ultra-sweet photo of the grandparents still in love to the not-so-slow progression of that one drunk uncle over the night,” Stevenson said.
The photobooth is special, giving you and your guests the opportunity to see the night through a new lens! The interactive nature of the Gotta Mate range, Posie and Spin Diesel, “give[s] guests something interactive to enjoy throughout the reception without having to show off their dance moves,” she said, leaving loved ones with a collection of memories they can take home.
It’s reassuring knowing that “no matter what you need, now you’ve Gotta Mate for that!” Stevenson concludes.
Photography courtesy of Gotta Mate