Behind the Lens

The photo booth company helping Houstonians make memories one pose at a time

Photo booths have exploded in popularity, and having one at your event is almost a given nowadays. But it definitely makes a difference who you rent from, and not just in what types of machines they can provide.

PicMe Events believes in the power of moments. It’s not just about taking a picture or video — it’s about creating an experience that brings people together, sparks joy, and leaves lasting memories.

Hear a little bit more about the company, its founders, and what drives them to make every event unforgettable.

Meet the founders: Michael Vayner and Eric Reed

Behind PicMe Events are two dedicated co-founders who bring their unique talents and hearts to the business every single day.

Michael Vayner, the operations expert
Michael is the organizational backbone of PicMe Events, making sure everything runs smoothly before, during, and after each event. He ensures every detail aligns with their clients' visions and executes it to perfection.

His family is at the center of everything he does: his loving wife, Holly, and their two daughters, Leora and Eliana. In a beautiful turn of events, the couple is currently in the middle of adopting a 7-year-old girl, expanding their family and love even further.

Eric Reed, the creative visionary
Eric is the artistic soul of PicMe Events. With an eye for design, he crafts experiences that go beyond traditional photography. He brings a unique blend of creativity and precision to each event, infusing them with personalized details that reflect his clients' personalities and themes.

His family — wife Amy, twin daughters Keely and Kenzie, and son Conrad — inspires him daily and motivates him to put his heart into every event.

Their story: Resilience, passion, and growth
PicMe Events began in 2016 as a part-time project to make some extra income. But life had different plans, and the story of how it grew reflects the challenges and resilience that brought the company to where it is today.

In 2017, Michael’s corporate job was unexpectedly cut. A week later, Hurricane Harvey hit, devastating his family’s home and taking nearly everything. But amid the destruction, Michael managed to save the first piece of PicMe’s equipment — a Mirror Photo Booth — by placing it on the bed to keep it safe from the floodwaters. That small act of hope marked the start of something much bigger.

Later that year, just as things were starting to look up, all of PicMe’s equipment was stolen on Christmas Eve. It was a devastating blow. Yet instead of giving up, Vayner and Reed chose to start anew, reinvesting in new equipment and recommitting themselves to their mission. Since then, they’ve poured their hearts into building PicMe Events from the ground up, and today the business is thriving.

The "why" behind everything
"When we see the smiles on people’s faces, we know this work is worth every moment of hardship," says Vayner. "Each time we provide a photo or video experience, it’s a chance to bring a little more joy into someone’s life, to create memories that people can cherish forever. From weddings and birthdays to corporate events and holiday parties, our job is to help people celebrate and remember their special moments."

"Our families are a big part of this journey, and everything we do is driven by our passion for creating lasting happiness," adds Reed. "Whether it’s Michael’s expertise in operations or my flair for design, we both love using our skills to make people’s events truly special."

Today: Immersive, innovative, and always growing
Fast forward to today, and PicMe Events has grown into something even greater than the pair could have imagined back in 2016. It offers a range of cutting-edge, immersive experiences, from AI photo interactions to the “Bot Ross” AI Draw Bot, which brings a unique, creative touch to any event.

These innovative options allow the company to connect with clients in new ways and keep pushing the boundaries of what a photo booth experience can be.

"Our goal is to help our clients take their events to the next level, creating memories that guests will talk about for years," says Reed.

Discover the PicMe Events difference
"For us, PicMe Events is more than just a business — it’s our way of bringing joy, beauty, and connection to people’s lives," says Vayner. "We’ve faced challenges, but we’ve never lost sight of our purpose. When you choose PicMe Events, you’re not just getting a photo booth; you’re getting a family that’s passionate, resilient, and dedicated to making your event unforgettable."

Photo courtesy of PicMe Events

They offer more than just photo booths.

Come see what so many others have discovered—PicMe Events will elevate your event, adding that special touch that will have your guests talking about it long after the night is over. We’re here to make memories with you, one photo at a time.

PicMe Events is available throughout the Houston and Galveston areas, as well as Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.

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Movie Review

Wicked: For Good clings to the musical and misses out on movie magic

Photo by Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked: For Good.

Splitting the film adaptation of the musical Wicked into two parts makes a certain kind of sense beyond the financial incentive of making fans pay for two films. Like most stage musicals, there’s a definitive break between the two acts, and it’s hard to resist going out on the high note of “Defying Gravity” for the first film. And expanding the story for the films puts the entire story at around 5 hours, much too long for one sitting.

However, separating them puts a spotlight on the strengths and weaknesses of each act of the musical, and it's a popular opinion that the second act is inferior to the first act. In the awkwardly-named Wicked: For Good, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is firmly ensconced as the Wicked Witch of the West, striking fear in people across Oz. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) has ascended as the protector of the land’s citizens, even as she hides the fact that she doesn’t possess the powers that Elphaba does.

The story speeds through a number of different arcs, including Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), becoming governor of Munchkinland; Glinda essentially forcing Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) to commit to marrying her; even more bad revelations involving the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh); and more. Hanging over all of it is the tenuous bond between Elphaba and Glinda, which is tested on multiple occasions.

Director John M. Chu, working from a script by original musical writer Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, leads the way on the faithful adaptation that is perhaps a bit too faithful. Chu helmed the memorable adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights that brought more life to an already lively production. He accomplished similar results in Wicked part one, but For Good often feels less than cinematic, with many scenes coming off as static and too much like a stage production.

The second film contains a lot of story movement, including the vague or explicit introduction of the four main characters from The Wizard of Oz, providing plenty of opportunity for creative staging or deeper storytelling. Instead, things just sort of happen, with Holzman and Fox failing to see the necessity of connecting story dots in a movie setting. With lots of extra time to work with (the run time is 2 hours and 17 minutes), giving more information about significant events shouldn’t have been an issue, and yet the filmmakers rarely give the audience that luxury.

The songs, as they should be, are the showcase of the film, and yet none of the sequences measure up to the ones in the first film. The rushed storylines make it difficult to connect with emotionally-resonant songs like “As Long As You’re Mine” and “No Good Deed.” “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble,” new songs created for the film for Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, are decent but lack power. “For Good” is the one everyone is waiting for, but it too fails to land properly.

Erivo and Grande certainly give it their all, and when they’re allowed to dig deep into their characters, they make as much of an impact as they did in the first film. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere near as often, and their characters’ bond suffers. Most of the other actors are done no favors by the whirlwind storytelling, but Goldblum still stands out in his various scenes.

Creating a whole film for the second act of Wicked gave Chu and his team a perfect chance to slow things down and give the events it contains extra meaning. Unfortunately, they turned For Good into something that feels less like an expansive movie and more like a slightly more interesting version of the stage production.

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Wicked: For Good opens in theaters on November 21.

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