Why did a retired first grade teacher start a Photo Booth business after a pickle ball accident?

How it all happened

Two weeks into retirement I dove for a ball on the pickleball court and landed on my right hand, dislocating four fingers. While recovering, I was looking for photo booths for my daughter’s wedding and the options were either too expensive or not easy to use.

I instead commissioned my engineer husband to build a stand, charger and lighting setup and it was a hit! The open-air photo booth allowed for larger groups of family and friends to get together and make memories. After several guests asked who we rented it from, the lightbulb clicked and I went from retiree to Founder and CEO of That’s A Party Photo Booth LLC.

I certainly wasn’t going to be back on the pickleball court anytime soon, so starting a business I’m passionate about was a good alternative. I’ve always been the person who gets people to take a picture together at parties and I cherish my photos of family. Just look at my fridge! That’s A Party is all about my two favorite things: making memories and having fun!

DIY to Pro Level

We’ve since evolved my husband’s home-made photo booth to a manufactured sleek and durable device that sets up in just under 2 minutes. This allows us to bring the party to almost any event.

In addition to weddings like my daughter’s that inspired this business, I’m aiming to bring photo booth fun to local businesses and educational events in Geneva, Illinois and the greater Fox Valley. After being a teacher for two decades, I know how important it is to engage students and parents during school sponsored events, and taking photos together is a great way to do this. My business will always provide priority scheduling and educational pricing for schools and even give planners of other events like weddings and corporate functions the opportunity to donate to a teacher’s supplies fund we’ve set up for local schools.