Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Momenee.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all stated in January of 2010 when I started my own DJ company after being mentored for two years under a dear friend in Toledo, DJ Subcool. Jeff had helped me learn the ropes and encouraged me to get out on my own, so I did. I worked mostly wedding’s but of course I also played anniversary parties, birthdays, graduations, corporate events and more. This eventually lead to adding a photo booth to the business in October of 2016. We started with our Legacy Booth which was an open air booth that took 3 pictures then printed the pictures onto a classic photo strip like the photo booths of yesteryear. That eventually grew to the point where we added a second Legacy Booth and then shortly turned into a third booth. However that third photo booth was a bit different. It was Salsa Booth which is a fully digital photo booth where guests can take Pictures, GIFs or create a Boomerang. Then in fall of 2019 I made the decision to “retire” from being a DJ. I had started selling real estate the year before and wanted to shift my focus to growing that career. We also had our second child on the way and most of our weekends were tied up since we were a part of 50-60 weddings and events each year while I was working as a manager for a gas station as well. And of course, little did we know 2020 had a pandemic headed our way. I then spent 2020 and 2021 finishing out contracts and contract date changes to ensure all of our clients had the DJ they wanted.
At this point real estate and our photobooth business became our focus as I then stepped away from DJing and made the decision to leave the company I was working for so I could be my own boss fully! We saw a shift in the market 2020 and 2021, our clients and their guests were less excited about photo booth’s that offer prints but instead wanted something digital.
2022: Our regular coverage area expands to include Defiance, Ottawa and Delphos, Ohio.
2023: We added a second Salsa Booth which continued to be a big hit with all.
2024: we were having less and less people book our Legacy booth and the equipment was getting older and more costly to keep up to date we made the tough decision to sell the Legacy Booths and go full digital!
2025: We just announced in April that we are expanding our regular coverage area to include Lima, Wapakoneta, St Mary’s, Celina, Ohio and more! We are also getting ready to add a new version of Salsa Booth which will include the options of a hand held photo booth that our attendants will be able to take around the room to get pictures of guests at their tables, on the dance floor or just about anywhere! Look out for that this summer!
Our coverage area: We are willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. with travel fees of course. We have traveled to a few different states over the years including Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. Otherwise our main service area is Northwest and western Ohio.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Overall it has been smooth which I attribute to my wife Jen, our friends and our family. They not only encourage me but many of them I have roped into helping me with events and promoting the business. Finding the right people to work for us has been a challenge as we don’t just let anyone run our photo booths. We can teach just about anyone to setup and run our booths but they have to have the right personality and dedication to ensure our clients and their guests have a great time.
The pandemic in 2020 was of course a challenge that we had to navigate which our photo booth software company helped add things like hands free start methods and QR code scanning so guest had little to no interaction with the photo booths.
There is always the challenge of educating the public in how our photo booth is different than other more traditional booths.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We specialize in helping people come out of their shell, have a fun time and create memories.
I am proud that I was able to start from nothing and working our way to a better life with hard work and honesty. I grew up not having much so I knew from a young age that I had to put in the effort if I wanted something. Nothing was handed to me making me appreciate the things that we did have. I am proud to be able to pass those lessons and more onto our two boys and hopefully for generations to come.
I think it is our options and creativity that sets us apart. We have a plethora of backdrops to choose from, including having a custom backdrop created for you. We also offer cardboard cutouts of your favorite famous person or we even had a groom that had a cardboard cutout of his friend made because he was deployed and not able to make it back for the wedding. We take the time to customize the overlay for each event and make sure it is a perfect match for their theme.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I am starting to see a simplification of the industry happening in the event rental space. So many options, upgrades and different types of photo booths have been create lately and I think people are starting to get overwhelmed with it all. I have seen a shift already start to happen where people just want the basics. Including I have seen more clients asking for no props and opting not to have an overlay for the booth. Less is more is the saying right?
Pricing:
- Our Rentals start at $550
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.funkytownfotobooth.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funkytown_fotobooth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunkytownFotobooth
