The usual advice for any photo booth install is to clear a weekend, call an electrician and train your staff. For a SmileMore placement, however, you can skip all three. The booth rolls through a standard door and plugs into one outlet. It also takes roughly a 5 by 5 foot corner and never needs an employee. Your bill for delivery, the machine, every roll of paper and every fix comes to $0. So here’s what really happens before, during and after a photo booth install. We’ll also cover the one part that takes patience: the waitlist.
Before install day: two minutes and a photo
Most of the work happens before anything arrives. Fortunately, almost none of it is yours.
- You describe the spot. Roughly how busy it gets, when you’re open, and a phone snapshot of where you’d put it. Two minutes, tops.
- We review it. This is also when we jointly pick a per-session price for guests, because no two venues get the same one.
- We design the wrap. Your colors, your logo, and your name on every strip the booth prints.
- We schedule the install. Because we install in batches, this is where timing comes in (more on that below).
That photo of the corner matters more than people think, because a camera sees what a description skips. In fact, it tells us about light, walkways, outlets and sightlines from the entrance, all in one shot.
How to pick the right corner
A booth is the attraction first, not filler for an empty wall. So the best spot is somewhere guests see on purpose, not a leftover nook behind the restrooms. Use this checklist when you take that photo.
| Check | What you’re looking for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space | Roughly 5 by 5 feet, plus room for a small group to gather | Groups squeeze in together, and that’s half the fun |
| Power | One standard outlet nearby | No electrician, no new circuit |
| Route in | A standard door and a clear path to the spot | The booth rolls in rather than being carried |
| Sightline | Visible from the entrance or the main path | People can’t choose what they never notice |
| Exits | Nowhere near a fire exit or required walkway | Keeps your fire marshal happy |
| Weather | Indoors, out of rain and direct sun | Florida humidity and summer storms are hard on any electronics |
Not sure about a spot? Send two photos, and we’ll tell you which one we’d pick. You can also read how the whole venue partner program works before you decide.
What happens on photo booth install day
Install day is short and, frankly, a little anticlimactic. That’s the goal.
We arrive with the booth already built and tested. It’s our own design, assembled by our team rather than ordered from a distributor, and it runs test prints in our Davie office before it ever leaves. For our first placement at Nova Southeastern University, every panel was individually wrapped for the drive.
Then we roll it in, set it in the agreed spot and plug it into one outlet. Next, we run test sessions: a pro camera, a dye-sub printer, three photos and two printed strips. Finally, we confirm that remote monitoring is reporting before we leave.
Your staff don’t need training, either. Instead, they need one sentence for curious guests: “Yes, it’s ours, and yes, it’s permanent.”
After install: what you’ll never have to do
This is the part owners like best. Better yet, it stays that way for as long as the booth is there. Once the booth is in, here’s what stays off your plate for good:
- Restocking paper, since we handle it.
- Paying for repairs, because they cost you $0.
- Troubleshooting, as we monitor every booth remotely.
- Tracking sales, since you get a monthly report.
- Collecting your share, because it arrives with that report.
- Running promotions, as the monthly SmileMore Challenge invites guests to post their strip and tag your venue.
Your corner, our booth, zero homework
Snap a photo of the spot and tell us your hours. We’ll handle the wrap, the install and everything that comes after it.
The first week is where tuning happens
Here’s a counterintuitive point: install day isn’t the finish line. The first week teaches you more than any floor plan.
At NSU, we stood back and watched real guests in that first week. Ask them, and they said the booth was simple. Watch them, and you’d see a beat of uncertainty at the screen before the first tap. That pause never came up in conversation. So we pushed an update that shows newcomers exactly where to start.
That’s the real lesson of week one. Small fixes come from observation, and the observing is our job. Your staff keep doing theirs.
Moving the booth later, if you need to
Spaces change, of course. You might renovate, rearrange for a busy season or need the floor for a big event.
At NSU, the safety office gave the green light only after we promised the booth could be wheeled aside whenever the fire marshal or a big campus event needed the floor. We said yes, and when it moves, our crew moves it, never theirs. We offer the same to every venue. Also, if the booth simply doesn’t fit your space, we move it out. That’s the entire risk on your side.
One more practical note, though, since owners ask. Storm prep is part of the plan too. During the Atlantic hurricane season, if you’re shutting the building or moving furniture away from windows, tell us and we’ll help secure or shift the booth.
Why installs happen in batches
We’re growing quickly, so we install in limited batches. As a result, a new photo booth install can be a few months out.
In Florida, that timing matters. Holiday party venues get chosen in September and October, while snowbird season runs roughly November to April. So if you want a booth for either one, get on the list well before you need it. Our crew drives out of Davie, so the bulk of installs are in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade. If you’re elsewhere in Florida, ask anyway, and we’ll tell you honestly how long it would take.
Curious how the money works once it’s running? Read our breakdown of the photo booth revenue share. Or start with the basics in our guide to a free photo booth for business owners in Florida.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an electrician before the booth arrives?
No. The booth runs on one standard outlet, so there’s no new wiring to arrange. Just make sure an outlet sits close to the corner you’ve chosen.
Can the booth go upstairs or down a long hallway?
Often, yes, since it travels on wheels and clears an ordinary doorway. Send us a photo of the route along with the photo of the corner. Then we’ll confirm the path before we schedule anything.
Does the install interrupt business for the day?
It shouldn’t. Install day is short, and we plan the timing with you in advance. In fact, most guests won’t notice anything until the booth is ready for its first session.
What if we renovate after the booth is installed?
Tell us the dates, and we’ll move it ourselves. We can shift it to another spot during the work or take it out entirely, at no cost to you.
Picture a Friday night a few months from now. Four friends squeeze into the corner that used to hold a dusty potted palm. The strip drops, somebody shrieks at their own face, and your logo leaves the building in a back pocket. See if your space qualifies, and that corner could be next.
