The rule

One camera per table, because a camera in the middle of the table gets picked up and one on a side table does not. Tables usually seat eight to ten. Then add two: one at the bar and one that travels with the dance floor, where the best photos of the night are taken by whoever is holding it.

By guest count

FeatureFilm camerasFramesFilm cost, approx.Kept, one-time
50 guests7 to 9189 to 243$238 to $378+$9.99Up to 1,800 frames
100 guests12 to 15324 to 405$408 to $630+$19.99Up to 3,600 frames
150 guests17 to 21459 to 567$578 to $882+$34.99Up to 5,400 frames
200 guests22 to 27594 to 729$748 to $1,134+$54.99Up to 7,200 frames
Film cost is cameras at $20 to $28 each plus developing from $14 a roll, from the retailer and lab listed under Sources. Scanning, prints, shipping and tax are extra and vary. Kept prices are the full list for each guest tier; 36 shots per guest is the most a roll allows without the Unlimited Shots add-on.

What the frames turn into

Every frame on a table camera is shared by everyone at that table, and whoever picks it up first uses most of it. Expect some of each roll to be dark, blurred or of the ceiling, which is part of the charm and part of the count. Plan on the cameras coming back with frames unused, too: a camera that was never wound on is a camera nobody noticed.

The part nobody budgets for

  • Someone has to collect every camera at the end of the night, before guests take them home by accident.
  • Developing takes days to weeks by mail, and scanning is what turns prints into photos you can share.
  • Guests see the photos only when the couple gets round to sending them.

The other way to count

A disposable camera app swaps one camera per table for one camera per guest, on the phone they brought. With Kept, every guest scans a code at their seat and gets up to 36 shots, no preview and no retakes, and the roll develops for everyone at the time you choose. Nothing to collect, nothing to develop, and every guest gets the whole roll. Some couples do both: film on a few tables for the look, Kept so that everyone has a camera. Kept vs film disposables.

Questions

How many disposable cameras do I need for 100 wedding guests?
About 12 to 15: one per table of 8 to 10, plus two for the bar and the dance floor. At 27 exposures each that is 324 to 405 frames.
How much do disposable cameras for a wedding cost?
About $20 to $28 per camera at US pharmacies, plus developing from about $14 a roll. For 100 guests that is roughly $408 to $630 before scanning, prints and shipping.
Should I put a disposable camera on every table?
Yes, if you use film. A camera in the middle of the table gets used; one on a side table mostly does not. Add one for the bar and one for the dance floor.
Is there a digital alternative to disposable cameras at a wedding?
Yes. A disposable camera app such as Kept gives every guest a camera on their own phone with a fixed roll, no preview and a delayed reveal. Kept is free for up to 5 guests and $19.99 once for up to 100.

Sources

Every claim about another product on this page comes from that product’s own website or store listing, checked on 15 September 2026. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.

Give everyone a camera. Take away the screen.

Free for your first 5 guests. Your first roll takes about a minute to set up, and nobody has to install anything.

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