Garden Games vs Photo Booth: Which Is Right for Your Wedding?

When planning your wedding entertainment, you'll quickly discover there are hundreds of options available.

Two of the most popular choices are garden games and photo booths.

Both add something special to your day, but they create completely different experiences.

If you're struggling to decide which is right for your wedding, here's a comparison to help you choose.

What Do Garden Games Offer?

Garden games are designed to get guests interacting with one another.

Rather than watching entertainment, guests become part of it.

Popular options include Giant Jenga, Cornhole, Croquet, Giant Connect Four, Giant Chess and even Wedding Mini Golf.

They're particularly popular during the drinks reception while the couple are having photographs taken.

Pros

✔ Suitable for all ages

✔ Encourages guests to mingle

✔ Creates natural laughter

✔ Perfect for outdoor weddings

✔ Fantastic candid photographs

✔ Guests can join in whenever they like

Things to Consider

Garden games work best if your venue has outdoor space or a marquee with enough room to play comfortably.

Fortunately, many games can also be moved indoors if the weather changes.

What Does a Photo Booth Offer?

Photo booths focus on creating keepsakes.

Guests take photographs using fun props and receive printed pictures to take home.

Many couples also receive a guest book filled with copies of the photographs and personal messages.

Pros

✔ Guests receive instant souvenirs

✔ Fun props create memorable pictures

✔ Suitable throughout the evening reception

✔ Great for guests who love taking photos

Things to Consider

Guests normally use a photo booth for a few minutes before moving on.

It doesn't usually encourage the same level of interaction between larger groups as games do.

Which Is Better During the Drinks Reception?

For the afternoon drinks reception, garden games generally offer more entertainment.

Guests can spend as much or as little time playing as they like, and several groups can enjoy different games at once.

Because the games are spread around your venue, they also help make use of outdoor spaces that might otherwise remain empty.

Which Is Better During the Evening?

Photo booths often come into their own during the evening reception.

After the first dance, guests are already dressed up, relaxed and ready to have some fun with silly props and group photographs.

This makes them an excellent addition later in the day.

Which Creates Better Wedding Photographs?

Both create fantastic memories—but in different ways.

A photo booth provides posed photographs.

Garden games create genuine moments.

Your photographer will capture guests laughing, celebrating successful shots, challenging each other and enjoying themselves naturally.

These candid moments often become some of the most treasured photographs from the day.

Which Offers Better Value?

This depends on the experience you're hoping to create.

If your priority is giving guests something to actively enjoy for an hour or two, garden games often provide more continuous entertainment.

If your priority is giving guests a keepsake to take home, a photo booth may be the better choice.

Many couples even choose both—garden games for the afternoon and a photo booth for the evening.

Why Not Combine Both?

If your budget allows, the two complement each other perfectly.

Guests can enjoy mini golf and lawn games during the drinks reception before heading to the photo booth later in the evening.

That way, every part of your wedding has something fun happening.

Final Thoughts

There isn't a right or wrong choice.

If you're looking for interactive entertainment that brings guests together and fills your drinks reception with laughter, garden games and wedding mini golf are hard to beat.

If you're looking for fun souvenirs and posed photographs during your evening reception, a photo booth is a fantastic addition.

Whichever you choose, the most important thing is creating a relaxed atmosphere where your guests can celebrate alongside you.

At Clinton's Crafts, our giant garden games and wedding mini golf are designed to do exactly that—bringing people together and creating unforgettable memories from the moment your drinks reception begins.