How It Works

how it works


Order your cameras on our website 24 hours a day.  We’ll happily take orders via the phone, but only between the hours of 9AM to 7PM EST. Either way, we require you to have a valid credit card (Visa, MC, Discover or AMEX) to place an order. Our system is unable to process checks or Paypal. 

In order to minimize your shipping cost, we only rent cameras in sets of five (though you can rent five, ten, fifteen or twenty cameras for your event).  Each set is shipped in heavy-duty reusable shipping boxes made from 40% post-consumer recycled cardboard and includes:

  • Five high-quality, premium digital cameras each with rechargeable batteries and a 1 GB SD memory card.
  • A battery charger and two spare batteries (just in case).
  • Multiple sets of information cards per camera that explain to your guests how to use Photofest, how the referral system works, and where to go to view the snapshots they'll be busy taking.  All of our instructions are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper products.
  • An instruction sheet that explains how to get your guests to take as many photos as possible.
  • One postage-paid return label that lets you easily and conveniently return the cameras, along with a Photofest sticker to seal up the box (yup, we’ve thought of everything!).

When you place your order, you'll be charged 10% of the total as a deposit for the cameras. If your order is placed more than 120 days prior to your event, we'll charge your credit card $1 during that period. Don't worry, this won't increase your total bill! We do this because we're so concerned about your privacy and security that we've made the decision not to store your credit card information anywhere in our system. This charge allows us to keep your account "active" with our merchant processing and internet gateway providers until we ship the cameras to you.

We understand that things don’t always go as planned, so you can cancel your order up to two weeks prior to your event via phone or email and we’ll refund your deposit!

At least three working days prior to your event (and remember, since you can keep the cameras for up to seven days, you can use the cameras for multiple events, such as a rehearsal dinner, bachelor(ette) parties, etc.), we’ll get your cameras to UPS and in the mail, and we’ll charge you for the rest of your order.  We offer transparent, location-based shipping – this means we charge you exactly what it costs to send the package(s) round trip from North Carolina or San Diego (our two shipping locations).

  • We don’t charge you a handling fee (we hate handling fees so decided not to use them) and we don’t “pad” our shipping costs.  Remember, everything is included, no hidden fees!
  • The packages are insured and tracked, so you’ll have to sign for the cameras when they arrive.
  • We’ll notify you via email when your cameras have been shipped, and provide you with a tracking number.
Your cameras should arrive no later than close of business the day prior to your event.  If something happens, and they aren’t there, don’t panic!  Just let us know, and we’ll go ahead and overnight a replacement order at no additional cost to you. 

We ensure that all of the camera batteries are fully charged before we ship them, and make sure that the cameras are set to the default indoor setting.  We even take a test photo to verify that all of your cameras are in premium working order. 

Once your cameras arrive, how you distribute them is up to you. Some of our customers prefer to give them to a few close relatives or friends; others use them in the traditional fashion, and just place one per table or give one to each group.  Our instruction sheet gives more detail on how to get the most out of your order.

Don’t worry about the cameras!  Just enjoy yourself and your special event.
  • We know that accidents happen, and we don’t want to add to your stress level; that’s why camera insurance is included in our up front price.  So if Uncle Bob gets so excited while doing the chicken dance that he drops his camera and steps on it – you’re covered.
  • We’ll only charge you for replacement cameras if you fail to return them.
  • All we ask is that your guests treat our cameras like they would treat their own (after all, they are our livelihood).
Following the event, you or a trusted friend or family member collect all of the cameras from your guests and repackage them in the original shipping carton. Just affix the included return label over the existing label, seal the box with the tape we provide, then take the box or boxes to the nearest UPS Store, Office Depot or Staples, and drop it off. Click here to find the UPS drop off location closest to you. Remember, you can keep the cameras for up to seven days. So if they arrive on a Thursday, make sure they're in the mail back to us by the following Wednesday. 

Once we get the cameras, we’ll immediately get to work on your pictures!
  • We do a quick initial screen of all pictures and movies, and discard any that are obvious mistakes.
  • Within 72 hours of receiving the cameras, we’ll have all of your snapshots and movies posted to our Smugmug account, so you can download them, print them, or share them with your family and friends.  We like Smugmug because they don’t require your guests to create yet another internet account in order to view your pictures.
  • Within three days of receiving the cameras, we’ll copy all of your snapshots and movies to a personalized USB drive and get it in the mail to you.  It should arrive about a week after your event.
We’ll go ahead and activate your referral account at this point.  You can access it whenever you want, and we’ll send you a check for your balance upon request.  Every person you refer to us gets 5% off of their total order – and you’ll get 5% of their total order deposited into your referral account.  Your account is good for two years from the date of your event, or the date of your last referral.  All your family and friends need is your registered email address – it’s that easy!