Photography doesn't have to be for just the bride and groom. I've been to a few weddings recently that give their guests fun ways to take their own close-ups, and I love having my own creative and quality pictures to share after the events. Plus, there’s no better way to add an interactive aspect to the night. After all, what's more fun than grabbing your date and taking fun wedding reception photos? The point of these ideas isn't to get rid of the photographer (you still want a professional capturing the big moments of your day). The idea behind this creative trend is to give friends and family the chance to capture their own excitement. If you're like me and love candid shots, there's nothing better than these unique ways to capture everyone's goofiness, and leave you with wonderful memories of your fun-filled reception! Use our tips below, and you can add their photos to your own album! There are so many different ways to capture all of your good times! We've put together a list of 6 different ways to incorporate this new trend into your party, along with the do’s and don’ts.

6 Ways to Get Unique Wedding Reception Photos:

Tandem Tree Photography

Disposable cameras

This is a classic. And not to mention, relatively cheap! Disposable cameras are a great way to let your guests capture their moments. You'll also have the anticipation of getting them developed later to see what shenanigans everyone got into. Our Tip: Put a few cameras on the DJ table—talk about candid!

Polaroids/Instant Cameras

Polaroids offer a keepsake for your reception-goers by giving them their snapshots right away. It's a great way for guests to be interactive and have a simple party favor to take with them. Invest in a few instant cameras, and you know you’ll use them again! Our Tip: One of my favorite Pinterest-inspired ideas is to merge Polaroids and your guestbook. Have attendees snap a pic of themselves, sign their names, and insert it into an album for your enjoyment in the years to come!

Professional Booths

This is, without a doubt, my favorite party activity. Photo booths come in all shapes and sizes, but leave guests with the same thing: memorable laughs and timeless images.

1. Classic and Vintage

These provide the vintage-looking photo strip that you longed to leave the mall with back in the day with your besties—remember? The best part about these is that you have your images seconds after the flash. The downside is that you can only fit a select few in the booth with you.

2. Studio Style

This form is up and coming. The no-wall-studio-style "booth" allows you to fit all your friends without losing the professional quality you want. Some even provide a remote to snap the flash yourself! The downside to studio-style is the uploading process. You won't necessarily be walking with your keepsakes at the end of the wedding, but that's what social media is for anyway, right?

DIY Booths

If a photo booth just isn’t in your budget, consider making your own! All you need to do is provide a cute backdrop for friends to gather in front of. This could include a colorful sheet, a chalk board, balloons, streamers, empty frames, or even a newspaper from the big day! Remember that for these DIY ideas to work successfully, you'll need to find a fairly large and open space to set up. If you want to get a little fancier, you could provide a camera on a tripod, offer silly props like hats or glasses, and even put out mini chalkboards and chalk for guests to get especially creative with wedding advice. If you're planning on a DIY setup but still want a more professional look, you can look into renting umbrella lights, like they use in the studio. An even easier solution is to set a floor lamp behind the camera, facing the backdrop. Talk about an easy and amusing way to get everyone together and laughing. Our Tip: Reuse your ceremony backdrop! Streamers, flowers, and more DIY ideas are on-trend for ceremony backdrops, so don’t put all that hard work to waste! Make the backdrop easy to move so that you can reset it for new memories.

#WeddingHashtags

Another huge trend lately is—you guessed it—to get your big day #trending. With the advent of hashtags, you can find pictures from all of your wedding-goers in one spot. Come up with a creative catchphrase for your big day and encourage guests to use it when they Instagram, Tweet, or post to Facebook. This is easy, free, and fun for everyone to see the different vantage points of your ceremony and reception!

Photo Sharing Applications

If you want your photos to stay off social media on the big day, there are tons of apps out there to help family and friends share their snapshots. Amongst all the applications are a few dedicated specifically to your special day. A lot of these apps are free and easy to use. Check out our list below and give them a try before encouraging others to use them.

• WedPics
• Wedding Party
• Wedding Snap
• PhotoCircle
• CapsuleCam
• CakeFace
• WedSocial
• Snapable
• PhotoOpp
• Dropbox

Wedding Reception Photos: The Do’s and Don’ts

Do's:

-Do check out your options before you rent. Make sure that you have an enjoyable time with it yourself before you expect your friends and family to. -Do determine your rental time around the size of your reception. You want to make sure that all of your attendees can join in on the entertainment if they choose. So be sure to have a rental period that is accommodating. -Do provide props. Offer hats, glasses, mustaches, frames, or whatever it may be to make the pictures unique and laughable for some awesome keepsakes. Make them yourself or have a shopping spree in the dollar aisle! -Do place the booth in a convenient location. You don't want your guests to have to go far to join in on the excitement, but you also don't want it to be distracting either. Talk to your venue and see if they have recommendations. -Do remind attendees to snap themselves. You want everyone to have an enjoyable time, so encourage them to get a little goofy.

Don'ts:

-Don't wait until the last minute. Start weighing your options before the big day approaches. If you're renting, you want time to try the booth out beforehand. If you're going the DIY route, you'll want to have your plan together for easy setup. If you're using a hashtag, image sharing app, or disposables, you'll want enough time to be creative and prepared. -Don't forget to ask questions. If you're renting or hiring someone out, it is important to know provisions, prices, the how and when of setup and take down, if props are included, how to get copies of pictures, etc.

Most importantly...

Don't forget to join in on the fun. This is a great way to interact with party-goers and give them (and yourselves!) memories to cherish for a lifetime of happiness. What is your favorite unique wedding photography idea? You may also like... 5 Fun and Simple Wedding Reception Ideas 2015 Wedding Trends: The Top 40 15 Modern Wedding Songs: Covers of Classics