A deeper look at my first-ever market experience. From prep to lessons learned.
Last month I stepped into something totally new and exciting! I hosted my first-ever photo booth at a maker's market! As someone who’s spent years photographing weddings and portraits, this was a fun, new experience that scratched a creative itch I've been feeling for a while. Normally I’m used to capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments for couples and families at photo sessions or weddings. This booth gave me the chance to create a space where people could step in, have fun, and make memories in a totally different way. There were many logistics to figure during the planning process, but my eye for detail definitely kicked in, helping me map out every little aspect so I could feel confident and fully prepared for the event. I love making lists having a solid plan in place ensured everything ran smoothly and made the whole experience all the more enjoyable. I walked away from this event feeling inspired, already thinking about ways to improve and make my next pop-up even better. But first—let’s talk about how this all came together!
Prepping for the Market: Exciting, Exhausting, and Totally Worth It!
For a while, I had the idea in the back of my mind that hosting a pop-up photo booth at local markets would be a great way for me to stretch my creative muscle while also promoting my business to a new group of potential clients. When my friend, Chantal, shared that her small business, Rooted & Co. had partnered with Oh Hey Cafe! in Orlando to host a Galentine's Day Market, and that they were accepting vendor applications, I reached out immediately! After chatting with her, gathering all the details, and attempting some quick budget calculations (which, let's be honest, kinda flew out the window once I got started) I decided this was an opportunity I didn't want to miss.
I jumped straight into planning and spent the next couple weeks ordering supplies, shopping for materials, and mapping out exactly how I wanted the booth to run. I knew I wanted it to be interactive, fun, and designed to fit the Galentine’s theme, all while showcasing my photography services.
Here’s what I decided to offer:
🎀 A Free Photo Booth – Market-goers could stop by and snap their own photos at no charge. For those wanting a professional shot, I captured their portraits with my camera, and they could later purchase downloads from an online gallery.
💌 Polaroid V-Day Card Craft – A budget-friendly, hands-on activity that was a huge hit with kids! After I took their Polaroid, they could sit at the craft station and decorate their own Valentine’s Day card using stickers, stamps, and pens.
🌸 Polaroid Keepsake Picture Frame – A more elevated option where guests took a Polaroid and placed it into a glass floating frame with dried flowers to create a beautiful, take-home keepsake—perfect for couples and friends!
📸 Mini Sessions – A higher-end offering for those wanting a professional 10-minute session in front of my backdrop, including five complimentary digital downloads. These could be pre-booked or reserved on the day of the market.
Market Day: A Whirlwind of Fun and Creativity
The morning of the market started early, which was a bit rough considering I had been up until 3am the night before putting together all the final details. But once I was up and out the door, the excitement kicked in and I was stoked! I had packed everything the day before and double-checked my lists, so I knew I was fully prepared. My parents met me at the café to unload, and my mom stayed the entire day to help set up the photo booth run the craft station (a total rockstar!).
As soon as we finished setting up, the first guests arrived, and from there, the day flew by. So many people stopped by to snap photos, and watching them get creative with the Polaroid crafts made all the prep work completely worth it! I had so many great conversations throughout the day, chatting with market-goers about my photography services, connecting with families, and sharing lots of smiles and laughter as people enjoyed the booth. Seeing groups of friends and couples walk away with keepsakes from the day was incredibly rewarding, and I was so delighted to meet fellow vendors! Everyone was so welcoming, and I loved hearing about their businesses, sharing experiences, and making new connections in the local creative community.
One of the biggest things I took away from this experience was how naturally I fell into the fast-paced flow of the market. Thanks to my background in weddings and events, I’m no stranger to juggling multiple tasks at once, trouble shooting on the fly, while also maintaining a pleasant demeanor when interacting with customers. Though there were moments of back-to-back crowds, I never felt overwhelmed. Taking photos, answering questions, networking, processing payments, and keeping an eye on the craft station all felt second nature. I thrive in these dynamic environments, and instead of feeling stressed, I found myself fully enjoying the energy of it all. A huge part of that was thanks to my mom, who was there the entire day helping guests with their Polaroid crafts and keeping everything running smoothly. She was instrumental in making the booth a success, sharing the load so I could focus on capturing photos and interacting with guests.
Of course, with any first-time experience, there are always things to refine and improve. As I think ahead to future markets, I already have ideas for how to make my photo booths even better!
Looking Ahead: What I've Learned and What's In Store
This first experience with markets has me hooked and I definitely want to do more in the future. It was such a refreshing change of pace from weddings and portrait sessions, allowing me to stretch my creativity in new ways. Through this experience I developed a workflow and established some processes that I’ll continue to refine as I go. Of course, I also learned a few valuable lessons—things I can improve on and implement to make future markets even better!
Efficiency is key 🔑 Refining my market day workflow will be a top priority to keep things running smoothly during busy moments. As part of that, I plan to soon invest in a better POS system to make payment processing more seamless and efficient.
Prep, prep, prep 📝 Having a solid game plan in place ahead of time made all the difference. I created checklists, planned my budget (even if I went a little over), and mapped out the photo booth concept well in advance to avoid last-minute scrambling. Packing everything up the night before meant the morning of was a breeze and allowed for me to dive right into the event with confidence. Definitely a strategy I’ll stick with for future markets!
It’s not just about pictures—it’s about connections 🤝 While this wasn’t an event focused on making a profit, it was a fantastic opportunity to network, build relationships, and introduce people to what I do. I realized how valuable it would be to have more materials on hand to share more details about about my wedding and portrait photography services. Not only with market-goers, but with vendors as well. Connecting with fellow business owners was a huge highlight—meeting talented creatives, exchanged ideas, and even discussed potential collaborations. These relationships are just as important as any sale. All in all, it was a great way to connect with potential clients beyond just the booth experience.
THANKS! Let's Do This Again Sometime!
To everyone who stopped by for a photo, crafted a Polaroid, or just said hello—thank you! Your support meant the world, and I truly enjoyed connecting with each and everyone of you! I can’t wait to do it all again soon, and already have something in the works. So be sure to stay tuned for the next one. Until next time! ✌🏻
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