The Classic Photo Booth: How We Revived a Booth You Can No Longer Buy
In March 2024, we purchased a used, fully enclosed photo booth from a model that is no longer made, and brought it to Canada to revive it.
The manufacturer had stopped producing it. Its technology was outdated, and its electrical system was built for UK power, not ours. To most people it was a booth you could no longer buy. To us, it was an opportunity. We rebuilt it from the inside out, and as far as we know, it is the only one of its kind operating in Canada.
Less than a month after it arrived, it made its first appearance at a Netflix event in Toronto, the wrap party for the series The Madness, where we wrapped the entire booth in Netflix branding. Within a year it had become one of our most-requested booths, and when we went to add a second, we could not, because the model simply was not made anymore. So we built our own, using the original as the blueprint. This is the story of our Classic Booth.
The short answer
The Classic is a fully enclosed photo booth we revived from a discontinued model. We bought a used one from a friend in the UK in 2024, rebuilt its technology and electrical system for Canada, and launched it at a Netflix event in Toronto less than a month later, the wrap party for the series The Madness. As far as we know, it is the only booth of its kind in Canada. When it became one of our most-booked experiences and we could not buy a second, we built one ourselves from the original. It seats up to three, suits weddings and corporate events across Toronto and the GTA, and can run in elegant black or fully wrapped for branding.
A recommendation from a friend
The opportunity came through a good friend in the UK who also owns a photo booth business. He had a used enclosed booth available and believed this style was going to become one of the next big things in the industry.
We had seen photographs before agreeing to buy it, so we understood the basic design: a rounded frame, a roof, and flexible exterior panels that create a private space around the guests. It reminded us of the enclosed photo booths people grew up seeing in shopping malls, but elevated for weddings, corporate events, and modern brand activations.
At that point, enclosed booths had not yet returned to the centre of the event industry. Open-air booths had dominated for years because they were easy for crowds to watch and worked with many backdrops. Bringing in an enclosed booth was not a response to a flood of requests. It was a friend seeing an opportunity and convincing us we could do something meaningful with it. Fortunately, we trusted him.
Rebuilding it for Canada
The booth arrived in good physical condition, but much of its internal technology was older and had originally been designed for the UK. UK electrical systems use a different voltage and outlet style than Canada, so this was not a booth we could simply unload and take to an event.
We replaced and updated the computer, touchscreen, camera, and lighting system. We converted the electrical components for Canadian power and rebuilt the internal setup around the same professional equipment standards we use across our collection.
We also replaced the original black exterior panels. We liked the timeless look of a black enclosed booth, so black stayed central to the design, but we created new removable panels that can be swapped as they show wear. That matters with equipment that travels and is assembled constantly: even when the booth works perfectly, worn panels can make the whole experience feel tired, and we would rather replace them before they reach that point.
We also wanted the exterior flexible enough for corporate events. The removable shell can be fully wrapped in custom graphics, so the same booth can move from an elegant black-and-white wedding one weekend to a completely branded activation the next. The frame gave us a strong foundation. The work we did around it turned it into a Snaptique booth.
From the UK to Netflix in less than a month
The Classic arrived in March 2024. Its first event was a Netflix event in Toronto on April 2, the wrap party for the series The Madness. For it, we wrapped the entire booth in custom Netflix branding, black and red with the show's artwork, turning a booth that had arrived weeks earlier into a fully branded activation. That gave us a short window to complete the electrical conversion, replace the technology, prepare the exterior, produce the wrap, and make sure the booth could be operated confidently at a major corporate event in the heart of Toronto.
By this point in our story, introducing something new no longer meant learning in front of the client. We tested the booth, understood how it assembled, and made sure the camera, lighting, software, and printing workflow were ready before it went onsite. The booth may have been new to our collection, but it could not feel experimental to the guests using it.
That first event also showed one of the qualities that would make the Classic so versatile. The enclosed shape had a nostalgic familiarity, but it did not feel dated. With professional equipment and a polished, fully branded exterior, it fit naturally into a current corporate event. That combination, familiar but elevated, became one of its greatest strengths.
Why we called it the Classic
The name came from the shape and the feeling it creates. The curved enclosure reminded us of the classic mall-style photo booth, where guests stepped behind a curtain, sat close together, and waited for a strip of photographs to appear. Our version offers a more refined experience, but it creates some of that same feeling. It is timeless rather than themed.
In black, it can feel elegant and understated at a wedding. Fully wrapped, it can become a bold branded installation at a corporate event. The structure does not demand one particular design style, which lets it take on the character of the space around it. That adaptability is part of why it has worked at so many different events.
What changes when guests step inside
An enclosed booth creates a different experience from an open-air one. The Classic is designed for smaller groups of up to three people. Once they step inside, the surrounding event becomes less visible and the experience feels more intimate.
Interestingly, guests often pose more deliberately in the Classic. There is less pressure from a crowd watching behind the camera, and the enclosure creates a small space that belongs only to the people inside it for those few moments. Guests lean into the photographs, arrange themselves carefully, and become more expressive than they might in an open room.
Many clients also choose black-and-white photography for the Classic. It suits the timeless shape and gives the images a polished, almost editorial feeling. But the photographs are not limited by the nostalgic look of the booth. Inside, we use the same studio-quality approach as our other print experiences. Clients can choose classic 2 by 6 photo strips or full 4 by 6 prints, with artwork designed specifically for the event. The Classic references the photo booths people remember, but the image quality, customization, and print experience are entirely current.
Built to travel
One of the smartest parts of the original design is how easily it breaks down. At an event, the finished booth looks like one complete circular structure. For transport, the frame dismantles into individual bars that fit into protective containers, and the flexible panels roll into carrying tubes. One trained person can transport, assemble, and dismantle it.
That matters more than it sounds. Many enclosed booths are large, rigid structures that need extra people, oversized vehicles, or complicated load-ins. A booth may look beautiful once assembled, but if it cannot move efficiently through venues, service elevators, and loading areas, it becomes hard to operate consistently. The Classic gives guests the feeling of stepping into a substantial private booth without us having to transport it as one enormous object.
The enclosed booth returns
When we brought the Classic to Canada, we hoped our friend was right about its potential. The real surge came in 2025. We began seeing more clients drawn to enclosed booths, while manufacturers and other companies started introducing new versions of the style. The privacy, nostalgia, and distinctive shape that had once made these booths familiar were becoming desirable again.
Looking back, our timing placed us just ahead of that renewed interest. We did not bring the booth in because a trend report told us enclosed booths were about to return. We brought it in because someone we trusted understood the industry and encouraged us to think bigger. By the time the wider revival became obvious, our Classic had already been operating at Canadian events for nearly a year. We had already learned how clients liked to style it, how guests behaved inside it, how to brand it for activations, and how to move it efficiently from one event to the next.
Sometimes being early comes from predicting the future. Sometimes it comes from listening to the right person.
The booth we could no longer buy
As demand grew, one Classic was no longer enough. We wanted a second, but the original manufacturer had stopped producing the model. There was no new version to order.
Fortunately, the original design was excellent. Rather than redesign it just to make it different, we used our first booth as the blueprint for another, built by our own team. There were no major problems to correct. The frame dismantled efficiently, the panels travelled well, one person could assemble it, and the completed booth created exactly the experience we wanted. Building the second was less about improving a flawed design and more about preserving a very good one that was no longer available.
It also marked an interesting turn in the Classic's story. The first booth arrived as a used frame from a friend overseas. After rebuilding and operating it, we understood it well enough to reproduce the structure ourselves. What began as a fortunate opportunity became a permanent part of our own collection, and as far as we know, the only booth of its kind in Canada.
One of our most-booked experiences
Today, the Classic is Snaptique's second most-booked booth across our Toronto and GTA events. There is no single event that explains its popularity. It has simply become one of those experiences that works again and again. At weddings, the black enclosure adds style to the room while giving guests a more private place to pose. At corporate events, the entire shell can be wrapped so the booth becomes part of the brand environment, as it was for Netflix. Its smaller interior encourages groups to interact closely, and its curved exterior gives it presence even before anyone steps inside.
It is nostalgic without being a replica. It is enclosed without feeling bulky. It can be subtle or completely transformed. Most importantly, it is fun to use. Guests step inside, the surrounding event briefly disappears, and the photographs capture the energy of that smaller moment.
FAQ
What is a Classic enclosed photo booth? It is a fully enclosed, rounded photo booth with flexible exterior panels that create a private space around guests. Ours is a revived version of a discontinued model, rebuilt for Canadian events, and as far as we know the only one of its kind in Canada.
How many people fit in the Classic booth? It is designed for smaller groups of up to three people, which is part of what makes the experience feel intimate.
Can the Classic booth be branded for corporate events? Yes. The removable exterior shell can be fully wrapped in custom graphics, so it can move from an elegant black wedding booth to a fully branded corporate activation.
What kind of photos does the Classic booth take? Studio-quality prints using professional camera and lighting. Guests can choose 2 by 6 photo strips or 4 by 6 prints, in colour or black and white, with custom artwork for the event.
Is an enclosed booth better than an open-air booth? Neither is universally better. Enclosed booths like the Classic give guests more privacy and suit smaller, more intimate posing, while open-air booths suit larger groups. The right choice depends on your guests and venue.
Explore the Snaptique Classic Booth
The Classic enclosed booth is available for weddings, corporate events, brand activations, and celebrations in Toronto and across the GTA. Choose its timeless black exterior for an elegant event, or transform the full shell with custom branding. Inside, guests can create studio-quality 2 by 6 photo strips or 4 by 6 prints in colour or black and white.
Classic photo booth rental page: Classic Photo Booth Rental
See all Snaptique photo booths: Choose Your Booth
About the author
Chantalle Gallego Co-Founder, Snaptique Photo Booths
Chantalle co-founded Snaptique in 2014 with her husband Dominic, after the two of them built their first photo booth for their own wedding. Since then, Snaptique has grown to a collection of 25 booths across 12 styles and has produced more than 1,600 events across Toronto and the GTA, from weddings to brand activations for Google, Meta, TIFF, Lamborghini, and Sephora. Chantalle leads the creative direction of Snaptique's booths and writes about photo booth experiences, event design, and helping clients choose the right booth for their event.
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Reviewed by
Dominic Gallego Co-Founder, Snaptique Photo Booths
Dominic co-founded Snaptique in 2014 and leads its production side, designing and building the company's booths in-house, including its restored vintage vehicle booths. He reviewed this article for technical and factual accuracy.
Our editorial standards
Every Snaptique article is written from our own firsthand experience running real events since 2014, reviewed by a Snaptique co-founder for accuracy, and kept current. We only publish details we can stand behind from booths we operate and events we have actually worked.
First published: July 27, 2026
Last reviewed: July 27, 2026
Experience note: Based on Chantalle, Dominic, and the Snaptique team's firsthand experience rebuilding and operating Snaptique's Classic enclosed booth since 2024.