Photo Fun Party

Photo Fun Party is an interactive photo booth service from Lugano that works across Ticino, the rest of Switzerland and northern Italy. Guests put on silly props, step in front of the booth and get their photo printed on the spot, on a layout personalized for the event. The Italian-language site names weddings first among the events it serves, and has been online since 2015.

What the booth does

The homepage puts it simply: a photo booth takes pictures during an event, guests wear funny accessories, and they receive their photo on paper straight away. The site says the booth is "perfetto per matrimoni e feste private per grandi e piccoli" (perfect for weddings and private parties for young and old), as well as company events of every kind, exhibitions, cocktail parties, inaugurations and festivals.

The headline promises for every project are personalized photos, immediate sharing on social media, unlimited prints and very funny accessories, with the option to tie the whole thing to a brand or product. For a wedding, that brand becomes the couple: names, date and the look of the invitation on the print layout.

Prints and the guestbook

Each photo is printed and handed straight to the guests, or placed in a guestbook, according to the homepage. The business uses fast professional printers and layouts that it describes as completely customizable and adaptable to any kind of event, "dal compleanno dei vostri figli, al vostro matrimonio oppure al workshop aziendale" (from your children's birthday to your wedding or a company workshop). The guestbook option is the one many couples will want, since the prints end up in a keepsake book rather than only in guests' pockets; ask how it is set up and whether guests get a copy too.

Props and the interactive side

The props list is long and cheerful: hats, mustaches, glasses, masks, hammers, wigs, swords, pistols and more. The site says each type of event gets the accessories that suit it, and that specific props can be prepared on request, which is useful for a themed wedding.

The booth itself is meant to entertain. The site says it involves guests with "sguardi profondi" (deep looks), sound comments, messages and music. The page does not explain these features in detail, so a couple who wants a quieter setup for a formal reception should ask what can be switched off.

The site's tagline, "Fai decollare la tua festa o il tuo evento!" (make your party or event take off), sets the tone. It invites visitors to rely on "professionisti del settore" (professionals in the field) with a simple click, and divides its offer into company events of every level in Ticino and northern Italy, exhibitions, for which it asks for a personalized quote, and weddings and private parties.

Where it works

The homepage lists Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno, Mendrisio, Chiasso and Ascona, then widens the area to all of Ticino, Switzerland and northern Italy, naming the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Milano, Monza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese. For a couple marrying in Ticino with family on the Italian side of the border, or holding events on both sides, one supplier can cover both.

The contact details reflect that reach: four phone numbers, three Swiss and one Italian, plus the email info@photofun.party. The footer describes the business as "Interactive Photo Booth - Lugano".

The event gallery

The site keeps an event gallery with password-protected albums. A note explains that since February 2017 the photo galleries have been held in a separate cloud service, and that guests get the password from the event organizer. The listed albums run from 2015 to December 2018 and include several weddings (Matrimonio Thomas & Laura, Matrimonio Stella Benji, Matrimonio Andrea & Paola and others), a golden wedding anniversary, birthdays, company workshops and parties, a Halloween party in Lugano, and a ball in Zurich. That list shows a real wedding track record, although no albums after 2018 appear on the page.

The rest of the list gives a sense of the settings the booth has worked in. There is a party on 1 August 2015 for the Circolo Velico Lugano at the Ristorante "Alla Foce", the Festival della Formazione Ticino, a 30th anniversary party for an association, a company's 10th anniversary, a New Year's Eve party, a surprise party and a school's end-of-year celebration. The mix of restaurant parties, company events and family celebrations is close to what a Ticino wedding reception looks like, from the aperitif on a terrace to dancing late into the evening.

Prices and booking

The homepage promises "tariffe imbattibili" (unbeatable rates) for weddings and private parties, and links to a page of plans and prices and a booking page, but it gives no figures itself. There is also a menu item for video, photo and DJ services, which the homepage does not describe. Couples should open the prices page or ask for a quote with the date, the venue and the number of guests.

What to ask

The site is written in Italian and says nothing about English or German. A couple from abroad should write by email and ask whether the booking can be handled in English. The homepage also does not say whether someone from the team stays with the booth during the evening, how long the booth runs, what space and power it needs, whether it can be set up outdoors, or how travel outside Ticino is charged. The galleries show the booth at events in 2015 to 2018; it is worth asking for more recent wedding examples.

Who it suits

Photo Fun Party suits couples marrying in Ticino, or across the border in Lombardy, who want a lively booth with plenty of props, unlimited prints and a guestbook, and who are comfortable arranging it in Italian. The long list of past weddings in the gallery and the wide service area are points in its favor.

It suits less well couples who need an English-speaking supplier confirmed in writing, or a published price before making contact. It also leans toward a noisy, playful booth, which fits a party better than a quiet dinner, so couples who want something more restrained should say so when they ask for a quote.