Captured Celebrations Earns Two Global Nominations at the 2026 Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards
- Liz Colon
- 2 hours ago
- 11 min read
When I started Captured Celebrations in June 2023, I never imagined that two and a half years later I would be writing a blog post about earning not one but two international nominations at the biggest awards competition in the photo booth industry. But here we are — and I am beyond grateful.
Captured Celebrations has been officially shortlisted in two categories at the 2026 Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards: Best Newcomer (1–2 Years in Business), sponsored by Curator Live, and Best Corporate Event (Up to 2 Years in Business), sponsored by JYS Props. With over 500 entries submitted by photo booth companies from around the world, being selected as a finalist in even one category would have been an honor. Being shortlisted in two feels surreal.
This recognition is deeply personal to me. As a single operator, as a Latina business owner, and as a mom building something meaningful from the ground up in Los Angeles, every milestone like this reminds me why I started this journey in the first place.
What Are the Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards?
For anyone unfamiliar with the Booth Mastermind Awards, they are the premier global competition celebrating excellence and innovation across the professional photo booth industry. Now in their fourth year, the BMAs have grown from a small awards ceremony into a worldwide movement that recognizes the people redefining how audiences capture and remember moments — from large-scale corporate activations and brand campaigns to weddings, social celebrations, and everything in between.
Entries are evaluated by an independent panel of industry judges who assess professionalism, creativity, guest experience, business growth, and the real value delivered at events. The 2026 awards received over 500 entries from photo booth companies spanning multiple countries, making the shortlist more competitive than ever.
Being shortlisted alongside talented operators from across the globe is something I do not take lightly. It tells me that the work we are doing here in Los Angeles is resonating far beyond our local market.
Best Newcomer: How Captured Celebrations Got Here
The Best Newcomer category recognizes photo booth owners who have taken the leap to turn their vision into a thriving business. The judges are looking for entrepreneurs who have shown creativity, drive, and commitment to building something sustainable — and who have poured their energy, time, and resources into launching something truly special.
My story starts with a quinceañera. When I was planning my daughter Rio’s quinceañera celebration, I noticed a gap in the market for culturally competent, bilingual photo booth services that truly understood Latino families and celebrations. That experience planted the seed that eventually became Captured Celebrations.
I launched the company in June 2023 while still working full-time as a Renewal Specialist. I had no team, no investors, and no industry connections. What I did have was a clear vision: to create photo booth experiences that honored the cultural traditions and personal stories of every client I served.
In the two and a half years since, Captured Celebrations has grown to over 500 completed events, earned 88 five-star Google reviews, been featured in the LA Times Latino Wedding Vendor Guide, and won two previous industry awards — Best Single Operator 2024 and Best Wedding Photo Booth 2025, both from the Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards.
The submission I entered for Best Newcomer highlighted one event that I believe captures the heart of what Captured Celebrations is all about: our WSS (shoe retailer) trading card activation. This event represented a full-circle moment for me. I had originally been a WSS customer, and through relationship-building and creative outreach, I turned that connection into a professional partnership. The activation featured our custom trading card photo booth experience, which allowed attendees to create personalized collectible cards — blending entertainment, brand engagement, and cultural connection in a way that resonated with the audience and delivered measurable results for the brand.
That story, from customer to trusted creative partner, is the story of Captured Celebrations as a whole. We build relationships, we listen, and we deliver experiences that go beyond what people expect from a photo booth.
Best Corporate Event: Data-Driven Activations That Deliver Real Results
The Best Corporate Event category honors photo booth operators who deliver exceptional brand activations through innovation, creativity, and business acumen. The judges want to see companies that push boundaries and produce measurable outcomes for their corporate clients.
Our nomination in this category was anchored by the Dia de los Muertos community activation we produced in partnership with a local organization. What set this event apart from a typical photo booth setup was the integration of real-time survey data collection alongside the photo experience. While guests enjoyed the booth and created keepsakes that celebrated the cultural significance of Dia de los Muertos, we simultaneously gathered community engagement data that supported the organization’s grant funding applications and future program planning.
This approach — combining entertainment with quantifiable business intelligence — is at the core of how Captured Celebrations approaches corporate and community partnerships. We do not just show up and take photos. We design activations that serve a strategic purpose for our clients, whether that means collecting lead data, reinforcing brand messaging, measuring audience sentiment, or supporting funding documentation.
Our corporate portfolio has expanded significantly over the past year to include partnerships with organizations like the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and brand activations for companies like WWE2K. Each of these projects reinforced our three-pillar approach to corporate events: technology integration, brand alignment, and data-driven analytics.
The Hilton Foundation activation, for example, featured our AI photo booth technology and resulted in what the client described as a massive hit with their guests. That event alone generated a return on investment of over $1,300 per hour of booth time — a number that speaks directly to the value we bring to corporate clients who need more than just entertainment at their events.
What This Recognition Means for Our Clients in Los Angeles
Awards and nominations are meaningful, but what matters most to me is what they represent for the people who trust us with their events. When you hire Captured Celebrations for your wedding, quinceañera, corporate event, or brand activation, you are hiring a team that has been internationally recognized for the quality of work we deliver.
This is especially significant in a market like Los Angeles, where there are hundreds of photo booth rental companies to choose from. Being shortlisted in two categories at the Booth Mastermind Awards tells potential clients that Captured Celebrations has been vetted and validated by an independent panel of industry experts against over 500 companies worldwide. That level of third-party credibility is something that cannot be manufactured or purchased.
For brides and grooms planning their wedding, it means your photo booth experience will be handled with the same level of professionalism and creativity that earned us Best Wedding Photo Booth 2025. For corporate clients and event planners, it means your brand activation will be designed with strategy, innovation, and measurable outcomes in mind. And for families planning quinceañeras, birthdays, baby showers, and cultural celebrations, it means you are working with someone who genuinely understands and honors the traditions that make your event special.
Building an Award-Winning Photo Booth Business as a Single Operator
One of the things I am most proud of is that Captured Celebrations operates as a single-operator business. I do not have a team of five or ten people. I do not have a warehouse full of equipment. What I do have is a deep commitment to every single event I serve, an obsession with quality, and the willingness to physically carry 200-plus pounds of equipment up stairs when the venue does not have an elevator.
Being a single operator in a competition that includes companies with large teams and massive corporate budgets is both humbling and empowering. It proves that you do not need a big team to deliver big results. You need vision, work ethic, and an unwillingness to cut corners.
Running this business while also being a mom of two, pursuing my bachelor’s degree, and maintaining my full-time career has required sacrifices that most people never see. But every late night, every early morning load-in, and every hour spent perfecting a client’s photo template has led to this moment — competing on the global stage against the best in the industry.
If you are a small business owner, especially a Latina entrepreneur or a woman building something on your own, I hope this story encourages you. The photo booth industry, like many industries, can feel dominated by larger companies with more resources. But quality, authenticity, and genuine care for your clients will always stand out. The Booth Mastermind Awards shortlist is proof of that.
Our Journey: From Local Startup to International Recognition
To put this moment in perspective, here is a look at the milestones that brought Captured Celebrations to the global stage:
June 2023 — Captured Celebrations officially launches in La Crescenta, California, serving the greater Los Angeles area with a focus on culturally competent photo booth experiences for weddings, quinceañeras, and community events.
February 2024 — We receive our first two Booth Mastermind Awards nominations for Best Newcomer and Best Single Operator, earning recognition within our first year of business.
2024 — Captured Celebrations wins Best Single Operator 2024 at the Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards, our first major industry win.
2025 — We win Best Wedding Photo Booth 2025, defending and expanding our awards track record. We are also featured in the LA Times Latino Wedding Vendor Guide as a recommended photo booth vendor for Latino weddings in Southern California.
2025 — Our service offerings expand to include AI photo booth technology, trading card activations, corporate headshots, audio guestbooks, and roamer experiences. We secure partnerships with premium venues including Four Seasons, Castaway Burbank, and The Langham Pasadena.
January 2026 — Captured Celebrations is shortlisted for two categories at the 2026 Booth Mastermind Awards: Best Newcomer and Best Corporate Event, competing against over 500 entries from companies around the world.
Each of these milestones represents not just a business achievement but a personal one. Every award, every media feature, and every nomination is built on hundreds of events where we showed up, delivered an exceptional experience, and earned the trust of our clients one celebration at a time.
What Photo Booth Services Does Captured Celebrations Offer?
For readers discovering Captured Celebrations for the first time through this blog post, here is an overview of the photo booth experiences we offer throughout Los Angeles County and Southern California:
Open Air Photo Booth — Our most popular option for weddings and social events, featuring a professional DSLR camera, studio lighting, and instant 2x6 photo strip prints that guests take home as keepsakes.
Retro Mirror Photo Booth — A full-length interactive mirror booth that guides guests through a touchscreen experience with animations, games, and instant prints. Perfect for elegant weddings, quinceañeras, and upscale corporate events.
AI Photo Booth — Our cutting-edge AI-powered photo experience that transforms guest photos into artistic renderings in real time. Ideal for corporate brand activations, trade shows, and events that want a wow factor guests have never seen before.
Trading Card Photo Booth — Custom collectible trading cards featuring guest photos, perfect for sports events, brand activations, product launches, and fan engagement experiences.
Studio Quality Photo Booth — Magazine-cover-worthy portraits with professional lighting and posing guidance, designed for corporate headshots, red carpet events, and premium celebrations.
Drop-Off Photo Booth — A self-serve option that delivers the Captured Celebrations quality at a budget-friendly price point, perfect for smaller gatherings, birthday parties, and casual events.
Audio Guestbook — A vintage-style telephone where guests pick up the handset and leave a personal voice message for the host, creating an emotional audio keepsake that captures what photos alone cannot.
Glam Booth, Roamer Booth, Spotlight Experience, and Paparazzi Booth — Additional specialty experiences designed to match the unique energy and vision of every event.
We serve events throughout Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley, Alhambra, Anaheim, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, and communities across Southern California. Whether your event is at a five-star hotel, a backyard, a corporate conference center, or a community park, we bring the same award-winning level of care and professionalism.
Looking Ahead: The LA Bridal Expo and Beyond
The momentum from these nominations could not have come at a better time. In March 2026, Captured Celebrations will be exhibiting at the LA Bridal Expo (Booth #400), one of the largest bridal shows in Southern California. This will be an incredible opportunity for engaged couples and event planners to experience our photo booth setups in person, ask questions, and book their 2026 and 2027 events with an internationally recognized photo booth company.
We are also expanding our corporate services and actively partnering with brands, nonprofits, and organizations throughout Los Angeles who want more than just a photo booth at their next event — they want a strategic activation that drives engagement, collects data, and creates shareable content that extends the life of their event far beyond the day itself.
Whether the Booth Mastermind Awards judges ultimately select us as winners or not, being shortlisted in two categories out of 500-plus global entries is already a victory. It validates the work, the sacrifice, and the vision behind Captured Celebrations. And it fuels me to keep pushing, keep creating, and keep delivering the kind of experiences that our clients in Los Angeles and beyond deserve.
When Will the 2026 Booth Mastermind Awards Winners Be Announced?
Winners of the 2026 Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards will be announced at the official awards ceremony. We will share the results on our blog and social media channels as soon as they are announced. Follow us on Instagram @CapturedCelebrations to stay updated on the announcement and everything else happening with our company.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Booth Mastermind Awards?
The Booth Mastermind Awards (BMAs) are the premier international awards program celebrating excellence in the photo booth industry. Now in their fourth year, the awards recognize photo booth companies worldwide for innovation, professionalism, guest experience, and business growth. The 2026 competition received over 500 entries judged by an independent panel of industry experts.
What categories was Captured Celebrations nominated for in 2026?
Captured Celebrations was shortlisted in two categories at the 2026 Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards: Best Newcomer (1–2 Years in Business), sponsored by Curator Live, and Best Corporate Event (Up to 2 Years in Business), sponsored by JYS Props.
Has Captured Celebrations won photo booth awards before?
Yes. Captured Celebrations has won Best Single Operator 2024 and Best Wedding Photo Booth 2025 at the Snappic Booth Mastermind Awards. We were also featured in the LA Times Latino Wedding Vendor Guide as a recommended photo booth vendor for Latino weddings in Southern California.
What types of photo booths does Captured Celebrations offer?
We offer a full range of photo booth experiences including open air booths, retro mirror booths, AI photo booths, trading card booths, studio quality booths, glam booths, drop-off booths, roamer booths, paparazzi booths, spotlight experiences, and audio guestbooks. Each experience is customizable to match the theme and goals of your event.
What areas does Captured Celebrations serve?
Captured Celebrations serves Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley, Alhambra, Anaheim, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, and communities throughout Los Angeles County and Southern California. We also travel for destination events.
How do I book an award-nominated photo booth for my event?
Contact us at (747) 895-4473 or info@capturedcelebrations.com for a personalized quote. You can also visit capturedcelebrations.com to explore our services and reserve your date online.
Is Captured Celebrations Latina-owned?
Yes. Captured Celebrations is a proudly Latina-owned and operated photo booth rental company based in La Crescenta, California. We specialize in bilingual services and culturally meaningful experiences for weddings, quinceañeras, and celebrations across the Latino community and beyond.
Book an Award-Nominated Photo Booth for Your Next Los Angeles Event
Ready to bring an internationally recognized photo booth experience to your celebration? Captured Celebrations serves weddings, quinceañeras, corporate events, brand activations, and community celebrations throughout Los Angeles County and Southern California. With multiple industry awards and two global nominations at the 2026 Booth Mastermind Awards, you can trust that your event is in expert hands.
Contact us today:
Phone: (747) 895-4473
Serving La Crescenta, Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and all of Southern California
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