Mark SkinnerAt my last family get-together, we tried organizing our own photo shoot, but the result looked more like an outtake reel than anything I’d want to hang on my fridge.
After a few too many thumb-in-the-frame disasters, I figured my events deserved better—something that actually makes the whole photo experience enjoyable.
That’s what led me to the world of photo booth rentals in San Diego. Honestly, watching even the most camera-shy relatives crack a smile behind a goofy mustache was a highlight I didn’t know I needed.
If you want your party pics to capture real laughs, spontaneous moments, and everyone looking their best (or at least their funniest), these photo booth rentals should definitely be on your radar.
How much do photo booth rentals cost in San Diego?
Photo booth rentals in San Diego range from $400 to $1,000, depending on rental duration and booth type. Added features, such as unlimited prints, custom backdrops, or digital sharing, may increase the price.
1. Pixster Photo Booth Rental
Address: 4901 Morena Blvd #810, 92117
Contact Details: +1 888-668-5524
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Pixster Photo Booth Rental is a solid choice if you want variety and fun at your event. Of all their offerings, the Open Air Photo Booth is my favorite. It’s spacious enough for up to 15 people, making it ideal for playful, crowd-pleasing group shots.
The Glam Booth is also impressive, with filters that give portraits a polished, Hollywood feel. If you want something different, the 360° booth is a highlight. It creates slow-motion videos you can share instantly, which is a real bonus for parties.
The sheer number of customization options really stood out to me. With over 150 backdrops, you’re almost guaranteed to find one that matches your event.
Businesses can even add their logo or branding to the photos, making the event feel more professional and memorable.
However, some clients did mention issues with custom prints and add-ons, so I’d recommend double-checking special requests in advance.
Great service, great setup
“I recently attended a convention where Pixster Photobooth was set up, and I was so impressed! The line moved surprisingly fast, and the whole experience was smooth from start to finish. I loved that we had the option to get both a digital and physical copy of our photo—it was super easy and convenient. One of my friends accidentally lost her photo strip, and when we mentioned it to the kind attendant at the booth, they didn’t hesitate—they reprinted not just one, but two extra copies for us! It was such a thoughtful gesture that made our day. Great service, great setup—Pixster truly went above and beyond! Highly recommend.”
– Marilyn Delgado, Google Review
Affordable, easy to work with, and great during the event
“Pixster provided a photo booth at our wedding, and they did a wonderful job. They were happy to come set up before the reception, billed us only for the hours they were “open” once we opened the dance floor, and brought lots of props. The best part was the deliverables- we received a scrapbook with photo strip copies along with handwritten messages from guests, a USB drive with copies of all the photos, and a web link to share with guests so they could download any photos they didn’t get printed out. It was easy to customize the photo strip format and create/upload a logo for our event, too! Overall, Pixster was affordable, easy to work with, and great during the event!”
– Jon Gold, Google Review
2. SD Photo Booth Rentals
Address: 1510 Front St, 92101
Contact Details: +1 619-928-5930
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM
SD Photo Booth Rental offers a variety of options to suit any event, including a Print Booth, Digital Booth, Glam Booth, and 360-degree video booth.
Each booth is equipped with a professional-grade DSLR camera and both continuous and strobe lighting. So every shot came out crisp and studio-ready.
At our gathering, the green screen was a huge hit, giving everyone the chance to pick their own custom backgrounds. One of my colleagues felt like a movie star with the GlamBot Red Carpet experience.
The prints themselves were ready in about eight seconds, keeping lines short and guests happy. By the end of our 4-hour event, over 500 prints had been made, and everyone left with multiple keepsakes.
Although the bolts are quite portable, it’s worth noting that they require a minimum of a 10×8-foot area for setup. This wasn’t an issue at our venue, but it’s worth considering if you’re planning a smaller gathering or hosting at home.
Absolutely incredible experience
“We had an absolutely incredible experience with SD photobooth! From start to finish, their professionalism and attention to detail were unmatched. The setup was modern with high quality props and a variety of fun options for our guests to enjoy. The team was prompt, friendly, and so accommodating, making sure everything ran smoothly throughout the event. The photos turned out beautifully, and the custom template they designed was perfect—it added such a personal touch! The instant prints and digital copies were such a hit. I highly recommend this company to anyone looking to add something extra special to their event. Shoutout to shady for an amazing experience!”
– Donia M, Google Review
Lovely and simple design
“I chose SD photo booth for my wedding and I am glad I did. Sam was very easy to get in touch with and was very responsive before, during, and after the wedding. He picked a lovely & simply design for the photos. On wedding day the props he brought were fun and all the guests really enjoyed the Photo Booth. The quality of the photos were great and you get an option of physical and digital copies which was a bonus! I would definitely recommend SD photo booth rentals to anyone. Sam was also very friendly and easy going during the event.”
– Maria Escoto, Google Review
3. Indybooth Photo Booth Rental
Address: 5270 Eastgate Mall, 92121
Contact Details: +1 760-573-8277
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Saturday – 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Sunday – Closed
Indybooth uses a kiosk-style, open-air setup rather than a traditional enclosed booth. This sleek and portable style allows them to set up almost anywhere and accommodate large groups within the frame—their record is 19 people in one shot.
The image quality seriously impressed me. I learned that Indybooth uses a high-resolution Canon SL1 DSLR camera, which delivers crisp, professional-grade photos.
Several guests expressed surprise at how much better the photos looked compared to those from other booths they’d used in the past.
Their booths can also create GIFs, Boomerangs, and short videos, giving guests creative options beyond static pictures.
Props deserve a mention too. Indybooth skips the usual flimsy plastic props in favor of hand-carved wood with metal sticks, plus some unique vintage pieces. I personally thought this gave the booth a stylish, artisanal feel.
However, after chatting with a few guests, I did hear a recurring wish for more standard or themed options—things like wedding props or holiday-specific accessories that weren’t readily available.
Great packages and reasonably priced
“Indybooth was a great service to work with! I spoke to them fairly early in the planning process… everything was super straightforward. Their packages were great and reasonably priced and I did not have a single problem with anything. I really liked them because of the quality of their photos and backgrounds. A lot of the photo booths have poor images, but they are top notch and I received a large gallery and photo album right after the reception! I would definitely use them again!!!”
– Jessica LaBuda, Google Review
Highly recommended
“My husband and I loved working with Indy Photobooth. Paul made the process really easy to select templates, backgrounds and make payments. We like Indy photobooth over the other companies because of their San Diego inspired templates, modern to choose from backgrounds and actual props (no paper props). The photobooth constantly had a line of guest because it was so popular. The guys working the photobooth did a great job giving guest direction on where to stand and would re-do the picture if it didn’t turn out well. We loved that they printed on the spot, the guest could email a copy to themselves and we got all the digital versions of the pictures shortly after the wedding. We would highly recommend booking Indyphoto both for your wedding!”
– Meghan Connor, Google Review
4. Mirror Me Photo Booth Rental
Address: 8861 Balboa Ave STE E, 92123
Contact Details: +1 858-336-8838
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Mirror Me specializes in the “Magic Mirror Photo Booth”—a full-length interactive mirror. When guests approach, the mirror greets them with lively animations and voice guidance, transforming selfies into a more engaging experience than a quick snapshot.
They also offer a 360 Photo Booth that creates slow-motion, 360-degree videos. It was fun to watch guests react to seeing themselves from every angle.
I also love that the team customizes each rental to suit your event. They’ll help you choose backdrops, props, themed décor, and custom photo overlays that perfectly match the mood.
I also appreciated their professionalism. Every event features an on-site attendant to ensure things run smoothly and assist guests. One client I spoke with emphasized that this attentive service is a significant reason people continue to come back to Mirror Me events.
Travel within 35 miles of downtown San Diego is included in the base price. However, if your venue is farther out, additional fees may apply based on the distance.
Many fun props to go around
“Mirror Me Photo Booth was a hit at our holiday party this year! The staff was professional and there were so many fun props to go around! They set up in the corner at the brewery we held our event at and all of the other guests that were not with our party were jealous of all of the fun our guests were having in the photo booth! I’ll definitely be booking them again next year!”
– Ericka Wendt, Google Review
Stands out from the typical photo booth
“We absolutely LOVED the Mirror Me Photo Booth for our wedding! It was such a huge hit—a lot of guests kept going back multiple times to use it! My husband and I also used it plenty of times to take pics with our family and friends. It’s so unique and fun, and the fact that it’s interactive makes it stand out from the typical photo booth.Our backdrop was also beautiful and it complemented our prints template (which is customizable!) and Carly & team did such a great job designing it to include our wedding colors and fonts! It was so cute!!! On top of that, our two attendants who were working our photo booth were AMAZING!!!! They were so nice, professional, accommodating, and they did an incredible job of handling the props and making sure the prop table was organized throughout the entire night. They also kept the line moving smoothly and efficiently. It was truly a red-carpet experience!! And speaking of props, the ones they had for use were so awesome!!! So many to choose from and not your average props you’d see for the usual photo booth. If you’re considering this for your wedding or event, go ahead and BOOK IT!!!! You will love it as much as we did. Thank you, Carly Bell, for being so wonderful to work with from beginning to end! You, your employees, and your Mirror Me Photo Booth made our wedding extra special, and now we have so many fun memories that’ll last a lifetime :)”
– Brittany & Jeff, Google Review
5. TheSDPhotoGuys
Address: 9433 Compass Point Dr S, 92126
Contact Details: +1 619-808-1195
Operating Hours: Open 24 hours
I recently experienced TheSDPhotoGuys at an event, and they truly raised the bar for photo booths.
Right away, I noticed the difference—their staff were professional photographers using Canon DSLRs, so our photos came out crisp and vibrant, even in challenging lighting conditions.
The booth itself had a minimalist, sleek design and was completely wireless, running on its own Mi-Fi internet. Although I did notice a minor delay when the signal briefly dropped, which could be a limitation if your venue has signal interference.
Regardless, printing extra copies was quick, and I loved being able to text photos to myself immediately. Other guests raved about how easy it was to share. One friend managed to send a picture to her mother right from the booth.
What really impressed me, though, was the variety of backdrops and custom templates. I chose the green hedge, but others opted for glittery sequins or a flower wall.
Very sweet and personable team
“I really enjoyed working with SD photo guys. It was a super easy process and their website was easy to navigate. The worker they had doing my wedding was very sweet and personable which made the experience even better. All my guests loved the Photo Booth and some of them even went back for seconds!”
– Chaviea, Google Review
Quick and quality photo printing
“TheSDPhotoGuys were a hit at our wedding! We had small last minute adjustments and Tommy was flexible enough to accommodate and impressed all of our guests and they couldn’t stop lining up for photos. We also had so many compliments on how quick photos printed, the photo & paper quality, and professionalism of our welcome photos and photobooth. Tommy and his team truly delivered on our wedding day.”
– Allyson & Alex, Google Review
