Recently my husband and I had a big bash for our going away party. Although this wasn't our wedding, it was a big deal for us and we wanted a photo booth to have something to take with us and remember the evening and all of our beloved friends and family after the fact. I desperately wanted a photo booth, but REALLY didn't want to shell out the $1200 - $1500 that it would take to hire someone. I racked my brain and a very smart photographer friend suggested a mini-polaroid camera. Alas, my brain went wild with the possibilities.
In doing research online we opted for a Fuji Mini series (pictured above) as this is actually a new camera, and the film is fairly inexpensive and easy to find (about $1 per photo). The camera itself was only $79.99 and if I would have been proactive and shopped online ahead of time I've seen them as low as $54.99. Not bad considering the comparison to what most photo booths go for these days and it's lower maintenance and something you can keep forever. For the Mini the pictures are wallet sized so this is also something to consider when choosing your camera.
We set up a table that was covered in scrapbook supplies and asked our friends to "make us a page" in our book. I think this would be a fabulous and fairly hands off idea for couples who are on a budget! You could spin this many ways, whether you opt for a vintage Polaroid, or just go for the Mini. Just make sure that film is available and easy to find to purchase before deciding on your camera. I would also suggest having someone man the table or photo area to make sure people understand how it works and don't take 500 shots of them doing weird animal poses. Nonetheless this is a great idea and our guests had a blast and are still commenting on it to this day.