15 Picture-Perfect Graduation Party Photo Booth Ideas
Want to provide a fun way for guests to capture memories at your graduation celebration? Here are the absolute best graduation party photo booth ideas to try.
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Your graduation party is an event worth remembering forever!
And what better way to freeze these moments in time than with a graduation party photo booth?
Photo booths are perfect for grad parties because they entertain your guests AND leave you with tons of memories of your special day.
In this post, we’ll share some of our best photo booth ideas that will make your grad party photos stand out.
Graduation Party Photo Booth Ideas
The most important element of a graduation photo booth is the backdrop.
There are SO many ways to put together a good photo booth backdrop, but here are our favorites:
1. Simple Balloon Arch
Keep things simple (and cheap) by going for a balloon arch as your photo booth backdrop.
You can get absolutely gorgeous balloon arch kits on Amazon for under $20. And they come in so many different colors!
Just hang it up against a blank wall or create a DIY backdrop if you’re feeling crafty.
Here’s another perfect example of how cute a balloon arch and a plain wall can be as a photo backdrop!
The colorful balloons stand out so well against the plain white backdrop!
It would also look super cute to get a balloon arch kit in your school colors for a grad party.
[RELATED: 11 Best Graduation Party Photo Display Ideas For Your Party]
2. Flower Wall
Another really stunning photo booth backdrop idea is to DIY (or buy) a flower wall.
Here’s a great tutorial video for how to create a DIY flower wall for your graduation party. It’s a time-consuming process, but the end result is gorgeous!
Don’t have time to DIY? There are some great flower wall options on Amazon as well.
3. Metallic Fringe Backdrop
How stunning is this fringe photo backdrop with balloons? This will definitely take a bit more time to put together, but it’s totally worth it for that outcome.
In order to make this, you’ll need to start with a base of multipurpose netting.
Then it’s time to tie in the fringe!
And luckily, the fringe is made out of a SUPER affordable material – plastic tablecloths! Just buy a few different colors and cut them into long strips.
If you want to achieve the same look as the picture above, add in some pieces of metallic fringe throughout your design.
Once your backdrop is complete, you can attach a balloon arch (like this one from Amazon) to the top corner.
Here’s a great tutorial for how to put this photo booth backdrop together.
We LOVE this grad party backdrop idea because you can customize it to match your school colors or any other party theme you like.
4. Natural Vines Photo Backdrop
Going for a more natural and minimal look? Opt for a plain kraft paper backdrop and add some pretty vines for texture.
Top off the look with some balloons in the shape of your graduation year. So cute and simple!
5. Graduation Year Balloons
Want a super affordable photo booth backdrop? Just hang a balloon arch against a plain wall!
Add in some graduation year balloons and you have a picture-perfect backdrop for your guests to take photos in front of.
Here’s all that you’ll need for this grad party photo booth idea:
[RELATED: 19 Graduation Party Centerpieces You’ll Want To Display On Every Table]
6. Tassel Garland Backdrop
If you want a super simple backdrop that will still look amazing in pictures, this tassel wall is perfect.
Just hang some tassel garland over any white photo backdrop.
You could get a professional-level photography backdrop or just hang a white sheet over a clothesline!
7. Pallet Photo Booth Backdrop
If you don’t mind doing a little DIY-ing, a pallet backdrop would be SO cute for a graduation party!
There are plenty of pallet wall tutorials on YouTube that will show you how to recreate this.
If you don’t feel like busting out the power tools, you can also search for pallet wall rentals on Facebook Marketplace or Google.
Once your wall is assembled (or rented), deck it out with flowers, garland, and a balloon arch. So cute for an outdoor graduation party!
8. Flower Stems Backdrop
Looking for a super sweet photo booth idea for a backyard graduation party? This flower wall would look SO adorable as a backdrop for pictures.
Just attach fake flowers to any white backdrop using hot glue or command strips.
For the backdrop, you could just use large boards of painted plywood or get a white photography backdrop with a stand.
9. Friends Themed Graduation Backdrop
If the graduate is a fan of the show Friends, you HAVE to do this fun grad party photo booth idea.
Take a plain black backdrop and add the Friends logo to it. Use the graduation year as the season and episode numbers.
Then place your backdrop behind a couch like the one they always use at the coffee shop in the show.
Or an even better idea would be to buy a futon that the graduate can use in their college dorm after the party is over!
10. Balloon Wall Photo Booth Backdrop
How creative is this balloon wall backdrop for a graduation party photo booth?
Blow up balloons to various sizes and use them to create a pattern for your photo backdrop.
You can attach them right to the wall with tape or use some multipurpose netting so that you have a portable backdrop.
Finish it off with your graduating year balloons and you have a picture-perfect background.
Recreate this graduation photo booth idea:
11. Greenery Wall With Balloons
We just love the look of this faux greenery wall with a balloon arch draped over the top.
You can recreate this look with a roll of fake grass draped over a stand.
Attach your balloon arch to the top and you’re good to go!
[RELATED: 23 Creative Graduation Party Themes Your Guests Will Love]
12. Tulle And Greenery Backdrop
Is this not the most stunning photo backdrop you’ve ever seen? This would be so perfect at a garden-themed graduation party.
Just hang some tulle / chiffon fabric from an archway and add stems of greenery.
If you don’t have any sort of archway handy, you could also use a clothesline to hang your fabric from.
13. Custom Colored Ribbons Backdrop
Want a photo booth backdrop that matches your school colors?
This ribbon backdrop from Etsy is totally customizable so you can pick any colors you’d like.
This backdrop would look so stunning when paired with a balloon arch, graduation year balloons, or just on its own.
14. Oversized Grad Balloons
When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with giant balloons as a photo backdrop.
You could go with the letter that spell out “GRAD”, your graduation year, or anything else that you think would look good in pictures.
Add some balloons, streamers, and other decor around your balloon letters to finish off the look.
15. School Flag Backdrop
We’re all about keeping things SIMPLE here at the College Savvy blog.
And what could be simpler than just hanging up your school flag as a photo backdrop?
You could either hang a flag from the school you just graduated from, or grab one from the school you’re heading to next fall.
Don’t forget some cute graduation year balloons to pose with!
Tips For Setting Up A Graduation Party Photo Booth
How To Set Up A DIY Photo Booth
Creating a DIY graduation photo booth sounds tricky, but it definitely doesn’t have to be!
These days, everyone has their own smartphones with cameras.
Just set up a smartphone tripod in the corner of your backyard or party space to be the photo booth spot.
This tripod with a ring light would be a great option for a graduation party photo booth:
Put out a table with some props if you want your party guests to use those.
Then just sit back and relax while your guests have a blast snapping pictures of themselves at the party!
Should You Rent or DIY Your Photo Booth?
To be honest, this is totally up to your budget and how much time you have to put into the graduation party planning process!
Putting together a DIY photo booth can be really quick and easy.
But if you don’t want to add any work onto your plate, you can also go with a rental service.
How Do You Keep Your Photo Booth Backdrop From Falling Over?
If you’re setting up your photo booth yourself, you’ll want to make sure it’s extra sturdy.
Your guests will probably be bumping into it as they get into place for pictures. You don’t want something that will easily collapse or break if it’s touched.
For most parties, we recommend just choosing a blank wall and hanging up a backdrop on there.
If you’re doing your party outside or don’t have a wall available, you can create a stand for your backdrop.
Hopefully this gave you some good ideas for how to set up your graduation party photo booth.
Planning a graduation party soon? Here are some helpful posts for you to check out:
