Aisle Hire It is infamous for their amazing Photo Booths!
I was lucky enough to have one at my wedding and I will still say to this day, that it was the best “investment” for my wedding! Not only does it keep your guests entertained, but it also gives everyone a keepsake from the day. Not too mention all the laughs and silliness as the night gets later and the drinks start flowing!
Other than hiring out Photo Booths, the Aisle Hire It team also have beautiful Marquee letters as well as Neon Signs – a trend that we don’t see tiring out soon for weddings!
Today, Megan and Roxanne (another sister team, yay!) are sharing a bit more about their day to day lives, Photo Booth Records and how they came up with the name “Lola” for their InstaBus!
Take it away ladies…
Hi guys, please introduce yourselves.
M + R: We are Megan and Roxanne. We run Aisle Hire It. We hire out unique photo booths, marquee letters and neon signs.
Hooray: Tell us a little more about yourselves
M + R: We are sisters. Megan and her husband Brett, started Aisle Hire It and Roxanne joined the team as it grew. We are both moms to boys so our days are full of chaos and noise but we wouldn’t change a thing.
Hooray: We love a sister team! Is it easy to find a balance between work and sister life?
M + R: Working together has its challenges and we can butt heads every now and then as sisters do but mostly it’s fun and laughter. We have inside jokes and know how to cheer each other up if there is a bad day.
Hooray: How did you get into the wedding industry?
M + R: When Megan and Brett got married they were looking for something unique to add to their decor. Brett made their first marquee letters – a B&M – and designed and built the Instabooth as a photo booth for their guests to enjoy. Word spread and people loved the idea and it grew from there.
Hooray: What inspires you?
M + R: We try and keep track of international decor trends to see what people are wanting in terms of decor for their weddings. We try and keep in mind what is trending but also what we can bring to the industry that is unique. We hand make all our products our self and nothing is mass imported from China.
Hooray: Do you love getting custom orders? What has been your favourite to date?
M + R: We love custom orders! Having a client that is not afraid to think out of the box is fun. Our most popular marquee letter orders are always the couple’s initials and then the words LOVE or DANCE.
We have had a guy propose to his girlfriend with the words MARRY ME lit up in letters. We also once had a bride who wanted the word MOONSHINE to match her celestial-themed wedding.
In terms of custom neon signs, we had an order for the couple’s married name (The Kennerly’s) and it was so special to see those photos from the wedding and also to imagine how they will display it in their new home together one day.
Hooray: Running your own business can be hard, do you have a daily routine?
M + R: After getting the kids off to school, we settle down to do emails and then any deliveries or collections that need to be done. Being family, we love the flexibility that running our own business allows. If there is a sick child or any other household emergency that creeps up, we can run off and take care of it without having to ask “The Boss” for leave. We try and wrap up the days business by 2pm so that we can have the afternoon to spend with kids and family.
Hooray: What do you love most about your job?
M + R: The people that we meet are so unique and each client has such different needs. We work with brides and grooms who are so excited about their big wedding day. They come with their ideas that they are building their vision around and we work together to help it come together. We also have corporate clients who leave us to make the creative decisions for them. They tell us what they need and we do the rest.
Hooray: If there was one thing you could change about the wedding industry, what would it be?
M + R: There are so many unique suppliers that contribute towards a wedding, we wish there could be a more diverse pool in Durban like there is in Cape Town and JHB.
Hooray: If you had to get married (again) what would be the ONE non-negotiable?
M + R: We would have all our food and drink suppliers serving out of vans. Think the Gin Tin and Fudart, to match Lola, our VW InstaBus.
Hooray: Where did the name Lola come from?
M + R: Lola our VW kombi was made in 1970. That same year, the British band “The Kinks” released their hit single “Lola”. We thought it was the perfect name for her.
Hooray: How many Photo Booth props do you have in total?
M + R: It is difficult to estimate how many props we have in total as we are constantly adding to our collection!! We lose a few along the way as some drunken wedding guests love to sneak off with them and some get quite damaged but we are constantly buying new ones and refreshing our stash to suit the current season, themes and trends. Thank goodness for Everlasting!
Hooray: Where do you see yourself and your company this time next year?
M + R: Hopefully more unique products to offer and maybe even in another Province.
Hooray: If you could be anything else in the wedding industry, what would you be and why?
M + R: Meg would love to run a unique drinks truck and Rox would love to be a florist and work with flowers and greenery.
Hooray: Do you have a neon sign “quote” that you are dying to make?
M + R: There are so many we would like to make but the next few new ones will probably be more generic and not so geared towards weddings like our “Better Together” and “It’s Love”. We want to appeal to more people planning birthdays, baby showers etc.
Rox is dying to make some pictures or symbols – think red lips or a pink flamingo.
Hooray: Tell us about your most embarrassing moment on the job.
M + R: We once had a guest try and climb into the backdrop asking where the photo booth was. Not super embarrassing but happens all the time – the family resemblance is strong so people get confused about who is who and we are always greeted as each other.
Hooray: Do you have any friends in the industry? Tell us who and how they impact you in this beautiful business.
M + R: We have so many friends in the industry! Everyone we work with is like a friend. We are very lucky to have such a cool network in Durban.
Hooray: Tell us about the last time you were really, really proud of yourself/job you completed.
M + R: We were contacted by a very big corporate client who required our services in the North West Province. We loaded 25 marquee letters and towed the InstaBus all the way up to Sun City. We spent hours setting up and ran the InstaBus for 2 days and came back home safely all on girl power!
Hooray: Lastly, what wedding trends do you foresee for 2020?
M + R: We think the popularity of the photobooths will remain as strong. People love the fun it adds to the event and the photo strips are such a great keepsake. I think 2020 is going to be the year of the neon lights!
Right, let’s have a bit of fun…
PHOTOBOOTH RECORDS:
The most people in one photo:
Our open-air photo booths like the Instabooth – you can squash quote a few people into the frame. We have had up to 20 people cramming together for a photo!
The Instabus has a bit less room available but we have had guests sitting on laps and lying on the floor. It’s always a laugh as people get squashed.
Most common pose used in photos?
Most common pose would definitely be a kiss or a pout! The ladies love that one. Guys seem to love to do a very serious pose- think blue steel – or cheers with their drinks in their hands.
Most common props used:
Guests LOVE the sailor captain hat! For some reason, it’s always the one that gets nicked. People also love the emoji faces we have.
Most insane pose used in your Photo Booth?
Things can get a bit crazy late into the evening and we have seen many body parts flashed at the camera, especially at a Scottish wedding! After a few drinks, people become quite naughty and it can get quite awkward for the photo booth operator!
Megan and Roxanne, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us today.
We cannot wait for the next party or wedding day where we can make many more memories in your photo booths!
If you would like to get in touch with Aisle Hire It click here.
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