Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP 385: Experience Beats Equipment When Memories Are The Product

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Patrick Bastien with The Party Photo Booths by Events Media Social Experience a good neighbor?

Patrick believes great events are remembered not just by what people hear, but by how they feel stepping into the moment. In this episode, we sit down with the photographer-turned-founder of The Party Photo Booths by Events Media Social Experience to unpack how a single wedding experience—where the dance floor fell quiet but the photo booth stayed buzzing—inspired a business built on joy, crisp lighting, and seamless guest flow. Drawing on more than two decades behind the camera, Patrick shares why professional standards matter and how the right mix of lighting, software, and hospitality turns a simple setup into the centerpiece of a wedding, corporate activation, or community event.

Patrick breaks down the biggest myths in the photo booth world, including the idea that a ring light alone creates a premium experience. We explore what truly separates average from unforgettable: reliable technology, trained attendants, clear pre-event planning, and custom designs that make brands and celebrations look polished on every share. He explains his corporate-first focus during convention and holiday seasons, how Google reviews and event marketplaces support discovery, and why repeat business and referrals now drive the majority of bookings.

For weddings, Patrick reveals the small touches that elevate the night—from red-carpet staging to guided scrapbook stations where guests print a photo and leave a handwritten note before the evening ends. We also dig into the logistics that make events feel effortless: managing lines, creating natural flow, and setting a vibe that helps even shy guests feel confident stepping in front of the lens. If you’re planning a wedding, launching a brand activation, or refreshing your vendor list, you’ll leave with a practical checklist for choosing a photo booth partner—from evaluating lighting in sample galleries to confirming backup gear, staffing, and timeline integration.

If you care about guest experience and vendors who quietly raise the bar, this conversation delivers both insight and inspiration.

To learn more about The Party Photo Booths by Events Media Social Experience go to:
 www.ThePartyPhotoBooths.com

The Party Photo Booths by Events Media Social Experience
+1 (682) 597-6200

SPEAKER_01:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of a photo booth company? Well, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Patrick Bastian, with the Party Photo Booth. Patrick, how are you today?

SPEAKER_00:

Good. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm great. Now we're excited to learn all about you and your business.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. And thank you for having us here.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes, most definitely. Now, please start off by telling our listeners just a little bit about your company and your background. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I run a local-owned photo boot and event media company. We help people and businesses in the Frisco area, you know, with um actual uh photo boot experiences. You know, uh whether it's uh wedding corporates or uh community events, uh we focus on making a fun, professional, and stress-free uh branding experience uh for uh for these companies and uh the local vendors and so forth.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, now photo booths are such an interesting company to get involved with. So where does your heart for this type of industry come from?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, it's it's funny. Um I started uh I've been a photographer for over 20 years. And uh I I started with doing a lot of fashion and also weddings. A wedding was a big part of my business. And um it was uh about nine years ago, and where I was at a wedding and we were shooting, and no, I noticed no one was on the dance floor, no one's dancing. And I was like, wow, this is you know strange, but I heard a commotion in the background, and I turned around and I saw people at a photo booth, uh, just having a good time, laughter, and just having a great time, and all the activities was focused around this photo booth. And I was like, wow, this is you know interesting. And I knew nothing about photo boots at the time. So I went uh over and uh later on I talked to the photo boot operator, and um she told me a little bit about the business, and and I was like, wow, this is such an interesting um business to get into. And I decided I said, okay, you know what? Uh six it was six months later I bought my first photo boot. And um I went from there uh where uh started doing weddings and and and a lot of um celebrity parties, and that just kicked off, you know, kicked off my my business. And uh I started doing more photo boots than actual wedding photography, you know. So it just grew from there.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, what an interesting backstory. Now, since you've been in this industry for a while, what is the most common myth or misconception you come across today in your industry?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh yeah, well, I think the biggest misconception is that all photo boots and of events or all photos are basically the same. Uh, that's one of the things that I hear. People think, you know, you just need a a camera and a ring light, and boom, you have a photo boot. No, uh there's a lot of planning, a lot of software, lighting, and technology that goes behind it, and a professional experience that guarantees the uh the service, you know, and the experience to be top-notch and worry-free. You know, so we you know, we focus a lot on providing an experience to the to the end user. Like I said, whether it's your wedding, uh, your corporate um party, or just a branding activation, you know, we focus on on providing the utmost experience, you know, for that event.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, switching gears for a second here, because we know marketing is the heart of every business. Who are your target customers or audience? And in terms of marketing today, how do you attract them?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's a very good question. Um, in my number one target uh market is corporate. You know, um, we do a lot of corporate events, uh, whether especially like this season now, with uh with holiday parties, um, we do uh a lot of branding uh activations, uh a lot of uh um con a lot of uh what do you call those conventions and um those type of uh you know activations. Uh then second comes the wedding, you know, we're we're very focused on weddings as well. Um and and as far as marketing, I mean we we're fortunate enough to have very good reviews, very good Google reviews. Uh we uh we you know we you know use Google a lot, you know, for our marketing and and also the um uh uh I uh uh sites like Bach and TumTAC, you know, we're very big on that. Uh but um this year we've been fortunate. The majority of our events came from word of mouth and and repeat customers. You know, we have um all our corporate uh customers repeated from the past couple of years. Um so we've been very fortunate with that. Uh the weddings, uh word of mouth from the weddings uh it has been very big for us. So we're pretty fortunate.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. Now that is amazing to hear. It sounds like it certainly is a blast. Now, have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, geez, uh no, I I've always I I I think I've more fantasize about it, you know, and uh and it I always thought about what can I do, you know, what can what what what can I provide? What service can I provide, you know, uh as far as you know doing a podcast and so forth. So yes, I've thought about it and I love podcasts, I watch a lot, and and you know, I if I could figure out what I could give, you know, uh to my talent and experience and things like that. You know, if you have any suggestion, I'll take it.

SPEAKER_02:

Now back to your business here for a second. Please tell our listeners the number one thing you would like them to take away from learning about the party photo booth today.

SPEAKER_00:

Um the number one thing I I guess it uh is that uh if you know it like I said before, everything uh is based on uh providing that ultimate experience. Okay. And one one of the things is that you know, keep in mind not not everyone's the same. And we we really try to uh to provide that ultimate experience, provide the best technology, uh, provide the best service. Uh our staff is incredible, very personable, um, and they all everyone loves them, you know, and asks us, you know, to come back over and over, you know. So you have to look at what you know the company is providing, you know, what type of service. And we always try to give more than what the client expects.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, care to elaborate on that a little bit further as far as giving more than what the client expects. If I was the client, say, you know, for a wedding or another event, what would that look like for the client experience?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, yeah. So a lot, if for example, if you if we're doing a wedding, you know, the the bride and groom usually they just want a photo boot, you know, yeah, they want their their guests to receive a picture, you know. So we you know, we don't just provide a picture. First of all, we provide that experience. So if we're gonna give you a photo boot that's entertaining, it's part of the entertainment, you know, where uh just like uh our name, the party photo boots, you know, we want to create uh uh uh atmosphere around that. And uh besides that, we we make sure we provide extremely good quality photos uh with proper lighting. You know, uh I go out of my way with lighting, especially being a photographer. You know, that's very important to me. Uh, we go out the way where we'll provide um like a scrapbook, and we make sure that everyone who comes to that photo booth prints that exit photo, put it into that scrapbook, and we personally ask them, please write the bride and groom a little message, you know, uh write something in the scrapbook. And and um all our staff is very passionate about that, you know. So we'll we'll provide uh the high-tech equipment, make sure it's top-notch, red carpet, you know, the full visual stand. We don't just come with a photo book, we don't just come with a 360, you know, and just lay it there. We make sure that the presentation is key, you know. So yeah, yeah, yeah. I know uh a lot of my other photo books say, oh, you know, you spend a lot of money on equipment, uh on lighting and this and that, you know. I'm like, yeah, I just want to give a better experience. I want to give that, you know, um top-notch, you know, experience.

SPEAKER_02:

So well, thank you for filling us in on that, Patrick. And where can our listeners go to learn more about the party photo booths?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah, you could um if find us online at uh www the t-h-e party at photo boots with a s at the end.com. Uh also on Instagram and Facebook, we are the party mirror. So that's T-H-E-P-A-R-T-Y M-I-R-R-O-R, the party mirror. And um, you'll see a lot of our past events and um uh and the activations that we provide, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, Patrick, I really appreciate you being on the show today. We wish you and your business the best. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for having us. You know, really appreciate that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gmpfrisco.com. That's gmpfrisco.com or call four six nine two two one nine three four five.