The Self Portrait Station - Phoenix Photo Booth

WEBSITE UPGRADE IN PROGRESS

2011-03-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

Hi! We are currently in the process of upgrading our website. Please bear with us! For pricing information, contact us at info@selfportraitstation or give us a call at 602.499.0049.

Thanks for your patience!

Vendor Monday - DJ Curtis Whipple

2011-03-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that we are starting a weekly feature on the blog that we're calling, wait for it... Vendor Mondays! Original, I know. We just wanted to be able to feature all our favorite vendors, so you know who to hire to make your event awesome! So be sure to check back each week to meet a new fantastic vendor!

This week we're featuring one of our favorite DJ's, Curtis Whipple. He's got years of experience rocking parties and events, and is the consummate professional. He would be the perfect addition to your event! Also, we're running a special promotion with him. Check it out on our website!

Curtis Whipple- DJ

Website: www.curtiswhipple.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/curtis.whipple
Email: curtiswhipple@cox.net

How/when did you get started? Started at age 14 in Winslow AZ. Had the privilege of introducing an appearance of Arizona TV legends Wallace and Ladmo at a retail promotion at my dad's department store. The experience sparked my passion and it's been 31 years since then.

Tell us about you business. I'm the anti-DJ... I don't wear an ill-fitting, out-of-date tux, I don't play the obvious, safe song choices, I don't make the guests do uncomfortable sight gags and bits. I use high quality sound, lighting and video projection to bring lots of value for the money and I create something energetic but not tiring, racy but not crude, interactive but not overbearing.

Tell us about one of your favorite events. Susan Marshall's wedding in 1987. She and I had dated shortly in college although it ultimately wasn't a romantic connection, we remained good friends. When she married, she wanted me to DJ for her wedding. Even though I had been at it for a few years, I was still approaching it from a hobbyist standpoint. I was in school and also working and hers was the first big budget event I had ever done. I used that pressure to really step up my game and I turned that event from a lovely wedding into the social event of the season. I booked other jobs from attendees to that event for several years and that golf club also became a regular customer for several years while I lived in that city. It was the first time I counted myself a professional DJ as I realized the power that music and a proper MC could have on a group of people.

If you could throw the ultimate party - no budget - tell us about the theme and some key things you'd just have to include. I go to parties so often that it's hard to answer that one. It's like being behind the scenes at a magic show- knowing how the tricks work... I hope this doesn't come off as arrogant or aloof but I don't need anything fancy- I've seen it. Good food, good friends and good music is all I need. Tommy Shaw from Styx and Jack Blades from Night Ranger would bring a couple of guitars and we'd all sit on the porch and sing every Beatles song we know.

What's your all-time favorite slow dance song? Toss-up between Van Morrison's Someone like you and Heatwave's Always and Forever.

Best get the party started song? Right now I use Taio Cruz' Dynamite because it has great energy and it has already kinda entered the collective consciousness. At a social occasion where you have 3 or even 4 generations of people, that first song needs to come out swinging. That one does the trick! Everybody knows it. That choice may change in a month though...

Anything new in store for your clients? I've always embraced new technology as it comes around but technology won't save an event if an entertainer stinks. My 'product' is a creative/artistic offering that is created and consumed in the same instant. I use the technology to free me to be the best entertainer I can be.

Vianca & Adam - Mesa Photo Booth

2011-02-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

We had a blast at Stonebridge Manor with Vianca and Adam's wedding guests last Thursday. The reception was gorgeous, under a big white tent with pink and gold accents. So lovely! Thanks for having us!!

A Valentine's Day Gift!

2011-02-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry, I completely forgot to post this in a timely manner! The lovely Cicely Miller-Rocha of Life Design Events put put out this Tweet (@LifeDesign) before Valentine's Day: "Next 10 comments on the Life Design Event Planning page will win a small gift for Valentines day from us! COMMENT HERE!" So I did. And look what she sent me! Thanks so much Cicely! It was a fabulous surprise, and totally adorable!!

A Whimsical Birthday Party! - Scottsdale Photo Booth

2011-01-31T14:52:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness. I have never seen a birthday party so grand. Last weekend we headed up to north Scottsdale for a birthday party for four adorable little boys. Cicely of Life Design Event Planning put on a fabulously fantastical party. The theme was a Mad Hatter Tea Party, and there were tons of fun activities for kids and adults alike. If you're looking to plan a whimsical, themed event, Cicely is your gal!

Mari & Nate's Wedding

2011-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic time at Mari and Nate's wedding at the Arizona Biltmore last weekend. My parents were in town for a visit, so my mom was my assistant! So fun! And don't you LOVE the red background?!

A New Years Eve party

2011-01-19T10:39:00.000-08:00

Oops, I forgot to post this one! Sorry! We had a blast spending the early part of our New Years Eve at the Hotel Valley Ho with Kristin's family and friends. It was her dad's 50th birthday, and we were so happy to have the booth there for them to enjoy!!

ARMLS Holiday Party - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-12-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

We spent Thursday evening at the Phoenix Zoo, with the lovely employees of the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS for short!). It was so fun! The zoo is all lit up for ZooLights, so the employees brought their families for a walk around the zoo, face painting, tarot card reading, and a few minutes in the photo booth! It was great!

A big thank you to all our Photo Booth clients!

2010-11-30T07:58:00.001-08:00

We can't thank our clients enough. This was the first year of operation for our photo booth, and we are so happy that we had so much work! To show our thanks, our clients from this year will be getting a little goodie box in the mail this week. Hire us next year if you'd like to get one! Thanks again!

Ashley & Joseph - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-11-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

Remember our little stint on Fox 10's morning show last month? Well, on our drive home from the show we got a call from wedding coordinator Sandy Bernhisel, who had a client who was looking for a photo booth like ours. We were happy to oblige! The wedding was at the gorgeous Arizona Biltmore in their Grand Ballroom. But are you ready for the absolute best part? Angelic Grove was in charge of the beautiful decor for the reception, and created a custom floral backdrop of paper flowers for the booth!! It was AMAZING! I'm sure they could be persuaded to make one for you... So fun!

Nicole & Hank - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-11-08T07:59:00.001-08:00

We had a fabulous time at Nicole and Hank's wedding at the Phoenix Country Club this weekend! The bride and groom were at Joc's birthday bash this summer, and decided they had to have the booth for their wedding. Their guests had tons of fun, and kept us busy all night! Thanks for including us in your celebration, Nicole and Hank!

Veritas Prep Dance

2010-10-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

We spent our Saturday evening hanging out with the kids of Veritas Prep. They had their dance at the Irish Cultural Center, a lovely venue with a fantastic patio. We were set up on the grass, just south of a collection of fire pits, over which they roasted marshmallows and made S'mores! How cool!

Veritas is a small charter school whose students are obviously awesome. They were super polite and had tons of fun, which you can clearly see in the pictures! Thanks so much for including us in your night!

Amanda's Sweet 16 - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-10-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at Amanda's Sweet 16 party on Saturday. The kids really had a great time in the booth, and took tons of fun pictures. Check them out! Thanks for letting us be a part of your 16th birthday, Amanda!

Fox 10 News - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-10-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived our spot on Fox 10's morning show! And we didn't even have to be on camera! We hired Jessica and Nathan, two very lovely models from the Ford Robert Black Agency to be our pretend party guests. Thank you, you did a fabulous job!

A huge thanks goes to Kristina of Arizona Weddings, who asked us to do the segment and was the fantastic narrator you'll see in the clip. The segment featured hot wedding trends. Chef Sean Currid of Cafe ZuZu at the Hotel Valley Ho made delicious Bananas Foster, Courtney of The Lollicake Company brought yummy cake pops, and Sub Zero Ice Cream made ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Awesome!

Ok, here's the clip! Enjoy!

Stephanie & Graham's 10.10.10 Wedding - Phoenix and Flagstaff Photo Booth

2010-10-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

What a fun night! We spent 10.10.10 with Stephanie and Graham up in Flagstaff at the Arizona Snowbowl. Their friends were a blast! They were into the booth from the start, and were constantly looking for new ways to tell a story in their pictures.

Stephanie and Graham are world travelers, and their friends came from all over the world to celebrate with them. Thanks for asking us to travel up from Phoenix to be a part of your big day! Thanks also to Kim Duncan of KD Event Designs for putting together a fabulous celebration, and for all your help! The staff at the Snowbowl were fantastic, thanks to you, too!

A Spot On Fox 10 News!

2010-10-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to let you know that the Self Portrait Station will be featured on Fox 10 News on Tuesday morning! The lovely Kristina of Arizona Weddings magazine has asked us to participate in a spot featuring hot trends for weddings. So excited! And a tiny bit scared to be on television. I think I'll let the hubs be the one in the spotlight. TV journalism runs in his family :)

Tune in around 9:30 to see us! I'll try to post the clip here after it airs, too, if it's not terribly embarrassing!

A holiday Open House!

2010-09-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce that the Self Portrait Station will be at my dear friend Lydia's Open House on the 19th! Lydia owns the fabulous Paperjoy, a custom paper shop in Arcadia. Her once a year Open House will get you big discounts on all her goodies, as well as custom holiday cards. Here's your chance to get your holiday cards done before December!

We're coordinating with Lydia to make your holiday cards even more awesome. We'll be set up at the Open House, so bring your family down and have a fun portrait taken. We'll give you a disc of images for you to print and bring to Lydia to add to your custom cards! So fun!! Hope to see you there!

Inspiration Boards - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-08-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

I really should have made an inspiration board for my wedding. A big bulletin board to pin all the pictures that inspired me. Maybe it would have kept me organized...

To help out all the lovely brides out there, lots of wedding websites post fabulous virtual inspiration boards. Snippet & Ink has a ton of great ones. Here are some of my favorites!

A Halloween Party! - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-08-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

The next big holiday is Halloween, and you can never start planning too early! I really want this holiday to get here soon, because that means it won't be 110 degrees anymore! Are you planning a big Halloween party? If so, the folks over at Martha Stewart have some great decorating ideas.

We at the Self Portrait Station think a Halloween party would be the perfect for a photo booth, so you're sure to get pictures of all the great costumes! Call us to book your party now!

New props! - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-07-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

I ordered some props for the photo booth last month. I was so excited when the mailman dropped off the box! I told you I was going to make Michael model them, but he refused, so I thought I would! Wouldn't these be so much fun for your next party?!

Fabric Backdrops

2010-07-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that we are now offering fabric backdrops!! Visit Fabricworm to see all the selections!

A Summer Birthday Party

2010-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

The creative talent behind Draw! Pilgrim has given us all a gift for her birthday month: a month of free downloads for a great summer birthday party! Now all you need is a photo booth!

CO+HOOTS Grand Opening

2010-07-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. Goodness. We had such a great time last night at the CO+HOOTS grand opening. I swear, it was the best attended grand opening I have ever seen. Tons of people, all night long! And they had so much fun, especially in the booth!

ONEHOPE Wine (delish!) and Truckin Good Food also helped to make this event fabulous. Thanks Jenny and Odeen for including us in your big night! Congratulations!!!

A Make-Believe Matrimonial Shindig - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-28T09:43:00.001-07:00

What a fabulous party! The Make-Believe Matrimonial Shindig, hosted by Gina of Fiori Floral, James Barnett and The Duce was a really interesting way to showcase a venue and vendors. There was a real fake wedding, tasty treats, lovely decor and, of course, the photo booth! With the help of James, who is not only a photographer, but an artist as well, we made the booth a little more interesting. James created some amazing old school cutouts for guests to use, and we decorated the backdrop to look like a beach scene. So fun!

If you're interested in having James create a custom cutout for your event, just let us know! We'd also love to talk with you about creating a custom paper-cut backdrop!

Beachy surf music was provided by the amazing The Surfside IV, who were unfortunately down one member last night.

Wedding ideas!

2010-06-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ruffled is a gorgeous blog where a bride can get tons of inspirational ideas to make her day beautiful. Especially wonderful are the free printables, and the DIY projects. Oh my!

Beautiful Bags

2010-06-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Lou Lou Belle Handmade makes some of my very favorite bags. They are perfect gifts for your bridal party, and they'll want to use them again and again! She will even create custom collections to match your colors. Check out this black, gold and cream themed wedding. Sooo gorgeous!

Joc's 40th Bday Bash - Phoenix Photo Booth Birthday Party

2010-06-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Whew, we're pooped! We had too much fun last night at Joc's 40th Bday Bash at the Hotel Valley Ho. The theme was old school hip hop. The guests had tons of fun in the photo booth, and we definitely used up all of our 500 print quota! Check out the chalkboards! I was so excited that they came in time for the party!

Thanks, Joc and Lesley, for including us in your great celebration!

Monique & Jonathan - Phoenix Wedding Photo Booth

2010-06-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

We spent last night with Monique and Jonathan during the cocktail hour of their wedding reception at Stonebridge Manor. So much fun! Monique took care of all the fabulous details: she made the backdrop, the frames and mustaches and lips.

Monique chose our photo booth's printless package, which is a great option for a bride on a budget! We come to your event, setup a camera, light and a backdrop. Then your guests click away! There's no limit on how many pictures they shoot. Within one week, the images will be available online for your guests to order. We will also send you a disc of the images you can use to make prints for yourself!

The guests had a blast! Thanks for including us in your celebration, Monique and Jonathan, and congratulations!

CO+HOOTS Open House - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to be a sponsor of the CO+HOOTS grand opening on July 2nd! CO+HOOTS is a creative coworking space for photographers, designers and writers and PR people in the heart of Phoenix. Stop by, check out the space and visit the photo booth. I'll bring the mustaches!!

Props - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not the biggest fan of props in a photo booth. Feather boas kinda make me cringe. But when I saw these, I just knew I had to have them. So I bought a few. Ok, more than a few. I'll let you know when they arrive, because I'm thinking I'll make Michael try them all on :)

Oh, and I got a couple of these, too. They shipped today, and should be here in time for my clients this weekend to use them if they so desire!!

Patterned Backdrops!! - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm really excited. I love fabric, I love pattern, and I am so pleased that we have decided to offer these two of my favorite things as backdrops for our photo booth! Now don't get me wrong, I love our clean, bright and fun paper backdrops. But I really think a little pattern could really take your booth to the next level!

How it works:
I've found a fabulous online fabric store that has all the latest and greatest fabric designers. You go online and browse all they have to offer. It can be a bit overwhelming, so don't hesitate to ask what I would recommend.

You select your favorite fabric that perfectly matches the decor of your event. You could even have your event planner do this part for you :)

Email me the link with the fabric of your choice, and I will do the ordering for you. We need a lot of fabric, a specific yardage, and I need it mailed to my house, so you can let me worry about the details. Easy!

We need one month to get the fabric ordered and do a little simple sewing, so plan ahead! These custom backdrops will start at $100. We'll even let you keep your fabric if you're a sewer and want to recover a chair or make some pillows to remind you of your big day! If you don't want it, no worries. We'll hang on to it (it may end up a pillow in my house!)

Here are some of current favorites:

Lizzy House Castle Peeps Castle Flourishes Cardinal Red

Monaluna for Birch Fabrics Circa 50 Tree Stripes Multi

Alexander Henry Fashionista Caitie Spice

Michelle Engel Bencsko Beyond the Sea Organic Urchin

Momo Freebird Balls Geranium/Ivory

Joel Dewberry Hand Picked Daisies Sunset

Joel Dewberry Picnic Plaid Berry

Amy Butler Home Dec Imperial Fans Green

Anna Maria Horner Volumes Gold

Joel Dewberry Wildflowers Pink

Arrowhead Country Clup Open House - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

The lovely Dawn of Arrowhead Country Club in Glendale asked us to setup the Self Portrait Station at an open house for brides at the country club on Saturday. We had a great time, and met some lovely brides-to-be! Also at the open house were Sweet I Do's, who set up a delicious candy bar (Michael couldn't stay away) and Infinity Entertainment, a neat interactive DJ company.

By the way, Dawn is amazing. She's only been working at Arrowhead for 15 days, and you should hear the things she already has planned! We can't wait to work with her again!!

A Make-Believe Matrimonial Shindig - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

We are so excited! We're participating in the Make-Believe Matrimonial Shindig on June 27th. It's showcasing a new venue, the fabulously cool the Duce in downtown Phoenix. The event is put on by the lovely Gina of Fiori Floral Design, the florist who made our wedding beautiful!

Other vendors include James J. Barnett, photographer extraordinaire, A Deux Bespoke Bridal Paper (gorgeous! check out the website!), yummy La Dolce Pesca, and Life Design Events. Beachy music is provided by The Surfside IV. Too fun!

Also, look for a new twist on our photo booth, courtesy of Gina!!

Visit the event's Facebook page to RSVP!

Summer Party Ideas

2010-06-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Check out Etsy's suggestions for hosting a fabulous DIY summer fete! Those mustaches would be so much fun in the photo booth!!

WEN Prom - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

We were invited to set up our booth at the Wedding & Event Network's annual prom at Encore Creative. So much fun! It took a bit for the crowd to get warmed up, but once they started having fun, we couldn't keep them out of the booth! Thanks for having us, and thanks to Damita of Proms Made Simple for coordinating the event!

A Birthday Party! - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Cara and Mike held dual 40th birthday parties and called it their "80th" birthday. Too cute! Their friends were a riot, and we had a fabulous time. Don't you love the orange backdrop?! Did you know we offer tons of colors to choose from?

March of Dimes - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

We had tons of fun at the March of Dimes walk in April. Such fun people! Thanks to Julie and Alison of The Event Concierge. We had a great time working with you!

A Test Party - Phoenix Photo Booth

2010-06-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

We made some tweaks to our setup, and thought it would be wise to test it out. So we invited some of our favorite people over for burgers and photo booth fun. We have some amazingly awesome family and friends!