The Trend That’s Making Standard Prints Feel Basic
Glitter portraits are having a moment—and for good reason.
Adding glitter to prints onsite turns a standard photo into a textured keepsake that feels premium without requiring new equipment or complicated workflows.
This isn’t about slapping craft store glitter on photos. It’s about creating an experience where guests watch their portrait get transformed into something that shimmers, catches light, and feels impossibly fancy.
And operators who’ve figured out the execution? They’re charging $750+ on top of their existing booth packages for three-hour events.
The Origin: Who Started This
Shoutout to the OG: this trend was pioneered by @theglitterstore, who’s worked with Kris Jenner and brands like Fenty Beauty doing glitter painting at photo booth activations.
Check out her Photobooth Story highlights for inspiration—she even sells her own kit if you want to get on the waitlist.
What started as a high-end brand activation technique has trickled down to weddings, corporate events, and milestone celebrations. And the barrier to entry is surprisingly low.
Why Glitter Portraits Work
It’s tactile. Guests want to touch it. The texture makes it feel like a craft piece, not just a photo.
It’s Instagram-friendly. The shimmer catches light beautifully in photos and videos. Every story post becomes free marketing for your business.
It’s an easy upsell. Texture = perceived value. Clients understand why glitter portraits cost more than standard prints.
It works year-round. This isn’t just for Valentine’s or holiday events. A bride’s dress with glitter detail? A groom’s suit jacket that shimmers? A corporate headshot with a touch of sparkle on jewelry? It translates across seasons and event types.
The Reality: This Is Labor-Intensive
Let’s be honest about what you’re signing up for.
Glitter portraits require dedicated staffing and a longer timeline than standard booth operations.
Minimum Staffing:
- One person running the photo booth
- One person painting glitter portraits
- Ideally a third person managing the drying station and guest pickups
Your labor cost increases significantly. That’s why the pricing needs to reflect the full experience, not just the cost of glitter and glue.
Time Per Portrait:
Painting glitter on a photo takes about 1-2 minutes. But then guests need to wait 5+ minutes for it to dry before they can take it home.
That means you need a drying station—either prints hung with clips to display or laid flat on a designated table—and clear communication about when guests can pick up their finished portrait.
How to Price Glitter Portraits
This is an experiential add-on. The supplies are cheap—glitter, glue, brushes, containers. But the experience, expertise, and execution are what you’re charging for.
What Operators Are Charging:
For a three-hour event with glitter portrait service, operators are adding $750-$1,500 on top of their existing booth package.
If your standard portrait booth is $1,750 for three hours, adding glitter portraits would bring the total to $2,500-$3,250.
If your glam booth is $2,000 for three hours (which is where glitter portraits fit most naturally), you’re looking at $2,750-$3,500 total.
Why This Pricing Works:
You’re paying for at least one additional staff member for the duration of the event. You’re managing a drying station. You’re coaching guests through the process. You’re quality-controlling every single glittered print to make sure it looks good.
That’s not a $200 add-on. That’s a premium experiential activation that justifies $750+ minimum.
The Step-by-Step Process
Here’s exactly how to execute glitter portraits onsite.
Supply List:
- Diamond Dust glitter in Clear (or your preferred color)
- Extra strength clear craft glue
- Small condiment containers with lids (one for glue, one for water, one for glitter)
- Royal Langnickel Zen Art Paint Brushes—the angled ends are game-changers
- Photo prints (obviously)
- Clips or a table for drying station
Prep Before the Event:
- Fill one small container with extra strength clear craft glue
- Fill another container with water
- Pour glitter into a third container (you can reuse the glitter jar, just peel off the product sticker to make it look cleaner onsite)
Application Process:
- Dip your brush into the water first, then into the glue—this dilutes the glue slightly so it’s not too thick
- Paint a thin, clean layer of glue onto the section of the photo you want to shimmer (think: bride’s dress, suit jacket, jewelry—any part you want to be eye-catching)
- While the glue is still wet, dump glitter generously over the glued area
- Pick up the photo and gently shake/tap the excess glitter back into your container
- Set the photo aside to dry at your drying station for 5+ minutes before handing to guests
Pro Tips:
- Use the angled end of your brush. This is why we love the Zen Art brushes—flip the brush over and use the angled non-brush side to push away rogue glitter or press glitter into the edges of your glued area for clean, defined lines
- Work in sections. Don’t try to glitter the entire print at once
- Less glue is more. You want a thin layer for clean application
- The water-diluted glue gives you better control and a smoother finish
- Save your excess glitter by dumping it back into your container after each print
- Let prints dry fully before bagging or handing to guests
The Drying Station Setup
This is the part most operators don’t think about until they’re at the event.
You need a designated area where glittered prints can dry for 5+ minutes before guests take them home.
Two Options:
Option 1: Clip Display Hang prints with small clips on a string, wire, or backdrop stand. This looks cute, creates a visual display, and keeps prints off surfaces where glitter could transfer.
Option 2: Flat Table Lay prints flat on a table designated for drying. Less visually interesting, but easier to manage at high-volume events.
Critical: Clear Communication
Signage is your friend here. Something simple like:
“Your glitter portrait will be ready in 5 minutes! Pick up at the drying station.”
Without this, you’ll spend the entire event answering “when can I get my photo?” over and over.
Event Types Where Glitter Portraits Work Best
Weddings:
Glitter on a bride’s dress or veil? On the groom’s suit jacket? On jewelry or florals? It’s perfect. Wedding guests are already in the mindset of collecting keepsakes, and glitter portraits feel elevated and special.
Corporate Events and Brand Activations:
Think product launches, especially in beauty, fashion, or lifestyle brands. Fenty Beauty did glitter portraits for a lip stain launch—close-up photos of lips decked out in glitter. It was a perfect brand-aligned activation.
For corporate headshots with a creative twist, subtle glitter on accessories or clothing adds dimension without feeling over-the-top.
Milestone Celebrations:
Sweet 16s, quinceañeras, milestone birthdays. These events are already maximalist and celebratory. Glitter portraits fit the vibe perfectly.
Holiday Events:
Obviously this works for Valentine’s, New Year’s Eve, and holiday parties. But don’t limit yourself to seasonal bookings—glitter portraits work year-round when positioned correctly.
What You Actually Need to Get Started
Supplies:
- Diamond Dust glitter in Clear
- Extra strength clear craft glue
- Small condiment containers with lids (2 per station: glue, water)
- Royal Langnickel Zen Art Paint Brushes
- Microfiber cloths for cleanup
- Trash bin for discarded prints or mistakes
Setup:
- Dedicated glitter portrait station (4-6 foot table minimum)
- Drying station with clips or flat surface
- Signage explaining the process and pickup timing
- Good lighting so your glitter artist can see details clearly
Staffing:
- Minimum 2 people (booth operator + glitter artist)
- Ideally 3 people for high-volume events (booth + glitter + drying station manager)
Test Run:
Before your first paid event, do a practice run. Time yourself. Figure out how long glue takes to dry in different environments. Test different glitter application techniques. Learn what happens when you use too much glue vs too little.
Your first event is not the time to be experimenting.
Is This Worth Adding to Your Services?
Glitter portraits aren’t for everyone.
Add glitter portraits if:
- You’re targeting upscale weddings and corporate clients
- You have the staff capacity to manage a hands-on activation
- You want to offer something experiential that sets you apart
- Your clients value premium, Instagrammable moments
- You’re comfortable charging for expertise and experience, not just materials
Skip glitter portraits if:
- Your business model is high-volume, low-touch
- You’re stretched thin on staffing already
- Your market is extremely price-sensitive
- You don’t want to manage the logistics of drying stations and extended timelines
For operators in the wedding and brand activation space, glitter portraits are a legitimate revenue boost. The margins are excellent (supplies cost almost nothing), the demand is real, and it’s one of the few experiential add-ons that actually photographs well for social media.
Just remember: you’re not selling glitter and glue. You’re selling an experience, expertise, and a keepsake guests will keep for years.
Price accordingly.
Want to see professional glitter portrait setups in action before investing in supplies?
We’ve created sample imagery and video showing glitter portrait application, drying station setups, and finished results specifically for operators testing this add-on. Explore the Be Mine Collection here (link coming soon) or join The Photo Booth Edit membership for $97/month to access this and all our other stock imagery, video content, and operator resources.
