Capturing wedding moments with an instant camera is an ongoing trend and a great way to entertain guests.
An instant camera is not only easy to use, but also provides you and your guests with the instant gratification of printed photos. You can give these photos to your guests as keepsakes, solidifying the memories.
This article will help you pick out the best instant camera for wedding.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
8 Best Instant Cameras for Weddings
The best instant cameras for weddings include Instax Mini 11, Polaroid Originals OneStep+ and others. They all have good settings and features, are compact and will be easy to use for wedding guests.
Let’s take a look at the full list.
1. Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 – The Fresh-Presented Fujifilm Creation
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is the newest instant camera in Fujifilm’s Mini line. The camera contains upgraded features of its earlier predecessor, Instax Mini 11 (also included on our list).
I like that this instant camera does not go far beyond Instax Mini 11 price, with both being very similar (and affordable).
Your wedding guests will love Instax Mini 12’s compact and appealing design, simplicity, and ease of use. It also features a built-in selfie mirror, making it fun and enjoyable to play around with while taking group pictures.
However, if you want to spend a little less while having similar features, you can go with the older version of this instant camera, which is the second on our list.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- Features close-up mode
- No complicated settings
- Offers bundles with essential accessories
- Can’t disable flash
2. Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 – The Popular Go-To Instant Camera
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is a compact, lightweight plastic film camera that produces credit card-sized prints. It doesn’t break the bank since it’s one of the cheapest compared to other instant camera prices.
It has an automatic exposure feature that adjusts the shutter speed and flash based on the lighting conditions, resulting in well-exposed photos.
Moreover, it’s also equipped with a selfie mirror. It helps you to capture a selfie with your guests without hassle.
However, it might be not ideal for low light environments. Also, the prints are relatively small, which may be an advantage if guests are going to put the prints into their pockets or wallets, but not ideal for those looking for larger prints with higher resolution if you want to have them in your wedding guest book.
The camera is also available in a variety of fun colors, making it a perfect choice to match your wedding theme.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Easy to use
- Budget-friendly
- Compact and easy to carry
- Small wallet-sized photos
- Comes in variety of pastel colors
- Not ideal for low light
- Lacks manual controls, so advanced users may feel limited
3. Polaroid Now – A Classic Option
This Polaroid Now is a classic (and stylish) instant camera that combines all the necessary features and modern technology. It has a simple and intuitive design, with autofocus and automatic exposure to produce well-exposed and sharp images.
It is equipped with the autofocus feature, focusing on the details automatically and allowing you to concentrate more on creativity. In addition, you can capture two screens in one photo courtesy of the double exposure feature.
Now the main advantage:
Even if you (or your wedding guests) are a beginner, you can take snaps without much effort since the camera is quite easy to use and beginner-friendly.
Of course, all these features come at a cost: this instant camera is quite expensive compared to Fujifilm instant cameras.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Classic choice
- Easy to use
- Comes with a film bundle
- Double exposure (two frames in one picture)
- Autofocus feature
- Self-timer
- Relatively bulky shape
- Cost per print can be higher compared to others
4. Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 – Larger Prints, Perfect Choice For Group Pictures
The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a reliable instant camera that produces larger prints than the Instax Mini line. The camera’s wide-format prints are ideal for capturing group photos making it a perfect choice for a wedding.
Personally, many of my friends own it as an everyday instant camera, so I would say this camera is quite popular.
It has a simple and intuitive design, with features like automatic flash and exposure compensation to ensure well-exposed shots in a variety of lighting conditions.
Automatic flash will protect against poor lighting conditions. Also, it has an automatic exposure setting so you don‘t have to worry about prints being too light or too dark.
This instant camera is very easy to use so it will definitely be a fun entertainment for your wedding guests.
It is powered by four AA alkaline batteries.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Wide format film size
- Great for group photos
- Light and dark control
- Close-up lens
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- Clunky design
- May not be as portable as smaller instant camera models
5. Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic – A Stylish Option
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is a sleek and stylish instant camera that combines vintage charm with modern features. It produces high quality prints, with a classic square format
Why I think it’s a good option to have at a wedding? Because it’s classic and has a vintage look.
It offers advanced shooting modes like Bulb and Double exposure. Courtesy of the double exposure mode, you can even capture two images in one frame by pressing the shutter twice.
The camera also has a rechargeable battery and a tripod socket, making it more versatile than some other instant cameras.
It includes a ‘kids mode’ that enables you to capture running kids, pets, and other fast-moving subjects.
The camera is more expensive than some other instant camera models, with the prints being also on the expensive side of the market.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Classic and vintage look
- Modern features
- Automatic flash
- Double exposure mode
- Kids mode included
- Expensive
6. Polaroid Originals OneStep+ – Versatile Choice With Modern Features
The Polaroid Originals OneStep+ is a versatile instant camera that combines classic Polaroid styling with modern features. The camera produces high-quality prints with rich colors and contrast.
It offers a long 60-day battery life, allowing you to use it for the whole wedding event without fretting.
The camera has a powerful flash, which means you can capture bright images in even a darker indoor setting. Moreover, you can use the self-timer mode on the camera to capture yourself with your guests as well.
It offers both Bluetooth connectivity and manual controls, allowing users to adjust focus, aperture, and shutter speed to achieve their desired effects
As you may have noticed, there is a small learning curve with this camera, but you can get the hang of it with little practice.
Overall, I recommend this instant camera if you are thinking about using it after the wedding.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Powerful flash
- Suitable for a variety of settings
- Suitable for portrait and landscape photography
- Self-timer
- Long battery life
- Quite expensive per shot
- Relatively large and heavy
7. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo – A Hybrid Instant Camera
The Fuji Instax Mini Evo is a hybrid instant camera that allows you to save images on your smartphone and print on demand.
It might be a little more complex, but, I would say, smart instant camera.
It allows you to save images on the microSD card and print them later. However, you’ll have to buy the microSD card separately.
You or your friends can also test with a variety of colorful photo filters.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Hybrid instant film camera
- On-demand print
- Great retro filters
- Bluetooth and smartphone app for connection
- LCD screen
- Save photos to a microSD card for later
- Might seem difficult controls for some people
- MicroSD sold separately
8. Polaroid Snap – For Fun And Quick Snaps
The Polaroid Snap combines the convenience of digital photography with the fun of instant prints. This camera doesn’t only offer instantly printed photos, but you can also save them digitally and transfer them later.
It has a simple design with a 10-megapixel sensor and a built-in printer that produces 2×3 inch prints with a peel-and-stick backing. It also allows you to easily store and transfer digital copies of your photos.
The images it prints are vibrant and colorful without any toner or inks. The best thing is, your snaps are in your hands within a minute of capturing them.
You can also expand its memory by inserting a microSD card up to 32GB in space.
Advantages and Drawbacks to Remember
- Allows you to store photos
- Expandable storage space
- Self-timer
- Photos are ready within a minute
- Compact
- Different than regular instant cameras
Note: for every instant camera you are going to need instant film. We’ve covered the main instant film that is used for most of these instant cameras in this article.
How to Choose an Instant Camera for Weddings?
When looking for an instant camera, you should choose one that would be comfortable and easy to use for everyone. You should mainly look for these features:
- Sturdy build
- Compact
- Elegant look (depending on the wedding style)
- Preferred film quality and size
Make sure to test the quality of the instant film before the actual wedding. Also, if you are thinking about a guest book for instant photos, consider the size of the instant film to see if it’s a good fit for the book.
Should You Buy an Instant Camera for Your Wedding?
An instant camera is a fun thing to have at your wedding since it allows you to get your images in the printed format right after capturing them.
So, your guests can take the photos home with them as keepsakes. Or they can add them right to your wedding guest book.
Plus, they are lightweight, portable, and easy to use for everyone.
The instant and Polaroid cameras reviewed in this article are top-notch.
But, not all would be suitable for everyone. By now, you would know which one is the right fit for you.
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