Weddings have so much potential for creativity and fun! And one of the best ways to make a wedding amazing is to make it interactive. Games, dancing, toasts, even the wedding cake are part of an interactive event. But the wedding photography still remains somewhat exclusive. Sure, you can use your phone, but it’s not really something that you can share with the happy couple. At least, not easily…
This has led a lot of couples to choose disposable cameras for their wedding. Everyone can grab a camera and document the event from their own perspective! In theory, it’s an amazing and fun idea, but we have to ask ourselves - is it a good idea to have disposable cameras at your wedding? Let’s look at the pros and cons of having disposable cameras and figure out if they are the best choice for you!
Wedding Disposable Cameras: The Good
There are so many good reasons to have disposable cameras at your wedding. While this list is not exhaustive, it does give you an idea of how having disposable cameras available for guests at your wedding might be a great idea!
Disposable Cameras are fun!
Cameras are fun, but there’s just something about a disposable camera that brings out the best and sometimes worst (in a good way) in people. Their simplicity means that anyone can pick up a disposable camera and start shooting. Everyone can be a photographer and it can inspire some people to create some really cute and fun poses while making great memories for you and your spouse. Plus, having disposable cameras available just seems to really liven up the reception crowd! The fun factor of a disposable camera is a major pro when considering whether or not to buy disposable cameras for your wedding.
Disposable Cameras are Cheap!
I’ve seen couples try to use instant cameras at their weddings. Fuji Instax and Polaroid cameras can range from $60 to $120 each and then you have to purchase the film which roughly costs between $ and $3 per photo depending on which format you are using. Couples choosing to go with instant cameras at their weddings often discover that people have to wait around to have a turn and they can burn through a lot of film really quickly. Disposable cameras range between $10 and $20 per camera many times (though you can buy them in bulk cheaper) and come with 27 exposures. You’re getting the camera and the film at a fraction of the cost of instant.
Disposable Cameras are Easy to Use!
A shutter button, a flash charge button, and a winding wheel are all that make up a disposable camera. You charge the flash, press the shutter release, and then wind the film to the next stop and that’s it! If you buy regular consumer disposable cameras for your wedding, you’ll find the instructions are even printed right on the camera. If you purchase decorative cameras from Etsy or Amazon, those may be covered up, but the cameras are still ridiculously easy to use!
Disposable Cameras are Super Durable
Let’s be honest, many of your guests are going to be feeling pretty good once the open bar starts pouring at your reception. You wouldn’t want them handing your Instax or Polaroid cameras in that condition. One drop could send your $100 investment right into the trash when the camera breaks. While disposable cameras are cheap, they are surprisingly durable thanks to the extremely simple design and their plastic lens. You can drop them repeatedly and often the only thing that might happen is the flash stops working. Which doesn’t render the camera completely useless, merely limited in its function.
Disposable cameras are easy to buy
Cheap, durable, and they are still EVERYWHERE! Walmart, Target, and many pharmacies still carry disposable cameras. And you can easily purchase them online! Amazon carries them as well as Etsy and many other online retailers. If you’re looking for info on where you can buy a disposable camera, check out THIS ARTICLE.
You can also check out our Disposable Camera Packages for Weddings! We offer disposable camera packages in 5, 10 or even 20 and the price includes developing and digital delivery through an online gallery. All of our wedding disposable camera packages come with brand-new Kodak cameras loaded with the best film for shooting in darker areas like reception halls or at night. Of course, you should still always use your flash!
Wedding Disposable Cameras: The Bad
While there are a lot of pros to having disposable cameras at your wedding, there are a few things you should be aware of. The good news is that being aware of them can make your disposable camera experience much more enjoyable! Here are the things you should watch out for:
Your Guests may get crazy
I recently developed, processed, and scanned disposable camera film for a customer who had used these disposable cameras at a wedding. While there were many many amazing photos of family and friends, one particular individual decided to walk around and take photos of everyone’s crotches. He even snapped photos under the table. It was an entire roll, 27 exposures, of crotch shots. The customer/bride was extremely upset. I doubt any of those photos made it into the wedding album!
There may be a lot of Finger Photos…
Because you are looking through a viewfinder on a disposable camera, you aren’t actually seeing what is coming through the lens. Combine that with the smooth design (no protruding lens) of a disposable camera and you’re going to end up with a lot of people’s fingers drifting into the picture. I process a lot of wedding disposable cameras and I see a lot of fingers in pictures. Well, you can’t really tell it’s a finger, just a skin-colored blurry blob on the right side of the frame. Fortunately, many of the images can be cropped down to get rid of the finger, but sometimes, it just takes up too much of the image.
To Flash or Not to Flash
The biggest issue I see with disposable cameras that come back from weddings is that the images are always very very dark. People forget to activate the flash button or fail to understand that it has to be pushed each time you’re about to use the camera in most cases. The dark nature of most reception halls makes the flash absolutely necessary and even then, you have to understand that the flash is only good for so many feet. When indoors at the reception, guests should use the flash every single time! When outdoors and in the shade, there’s a good chance you should still use the flash. For most disposable cameras, the only time that you absolutely do not need the flash is when your subject is standing in very bright daylight. So if you have the opportunity to inform through an announcement or making a sign or whatever, make sure your guests know about using the flash!
Without flash…
With flash…
The Cost of Developing
Many couples come back from their honeymoon and discover a large box filled with all of the disposables they had at their wedding and are often sticker-shocked when they discover the cost of developing! Film processing prices are on the rise to get your film processed and scanned could cost as much as $20 or more per roll. When you have 20 or 30 cameras, that adds up to a lot of money and is a somewhat hidden cost and problematic for many who choose to use disposable cameras.
The good news is that WE PROCESS DISPOSABLE CAMERAS! We can develop, scan, process, and even print your images for you at an extremely reasonable price! We provide special care for our wedding customers and give extra attention to detail and image processing to make sure your images turn out beautifully! For orders of 30 cameras and up we even offer a special bulk discount! Message us to find out more!
Is it a good idea to have disposable cameras at my wedding?
While you have to weigh the pros and cons of wedding disposable cameras and consider your guests and your budget, we think it’s a fantastic idea to use such fun and interactive media at your wedding. Communicate with your guests and assume they have no idea how to use a disposable camera. You can use social media to hype the presence of disposable cameras while using it to inform your guests how to properly use the cameras. And, don’t forget to budget for the cost of developing your disposables. We have a new product offering coming soon that will allow for you to buy a package of cameras AND includes developing/scanning/prints!