In a world where thousands of photos sit forgotten on our phones, Bondi’s newest attraction is encouraging people to slow down, step inside a vintage-style photo booth and create something they’ll actually keep.
Appropriately named Love Letters, this beautifully designed analogue-inspired photo booth is much more than somewhere to snap a selfie. It’s about capturing a real moment with someone you care about and leaving with a tangible memory that can be treasured for years.
For those who appreciate handwritten letters, postcards and meaningful keepsakes, Love Letters feels like a natural extension of the slow communication movement that World Letter Writing Day celebrates.
A Nostalgic Idea Born in New York
The story behind Love Letters began thousands of kilometres away.
Founders Lucy and Cian were travelling through New York when they discovered the charm of traditional photo booths. Inspired by their timeless appeal and nostalgic aesthetic, they realised Australia was missing a beautifully designed analogue photo booth experience.
“The idea for Love Letters came after a trip to New York, where we fell in love with the nostalgic charm and timeless aesthetic of old-school photobooths,” they explain. “We felt there was a gap for a beautifully designed, nostalgic photobooth experience in Australia, so we decided to create our own.”
After launching a permanent location in Byron Bay and hosting a sold-out pop-up in Melbourne’s Collingwood, Love Letters has now opened its second permanent home at 95 Gould Street, Bondi Beach.
More Than Just a Photo
Unlike today’s filtered selfies and endless camera rolls, Love Letters strips photography back to its simplest form.
For $9, visitors receive:
- A session of three photographs
- Two printed photo strips
- No filters
- No editing
- No phone screens
Instead, you walk away with something you can hold in your hands.
It’s the sort of keepsake that finds its way onto a fridge door, tucked inside a journal, pinned to a noticeboard or slipped inside a handwritten letter.
In many ways, it captures the same feeling as receiving a handwritten note: simple, authentic and deeply personal.
Why Printed Memories Matter
At World Letter Writing Day, we often talk about the value of creating physical memories.
A handwritten letter becomes a treasured keepsake because it exists beyond a screen. It can be rediscovered years later and instantly transport us back to a moment in time.
Printed photo strips do exactly the same thing.
They become bookmarks, wallet photos, journal pages and treasured reminders of friendships, family holidays, first dates or spontaneous afternoons at the beach.
Unlike digital images that disappear into cloud storage, printed photographs invite us to pause, remember and reconnect.
A Perfect Companion to Letter Writing
Love Letters offers a wonderful opportunity to combine two timeless traditions.
Why not:
- Slip a photo strip inside a handwritten letter.
- Add one to a birthday card.
- Include it in a travel journal.
- Mail one to grandparents or distant friends.
- Create a memory box filled with letters and photographs.
- Start a scrapbook documenting life’s special moments.
It’s a small gesture that transforms an ordinary letter into something unforgettable.
Designed for Bondi
The new Bondi location embraces the suburb’s relaxed coastal atmosphere while maintaining Love Letters’ signature warm and nostalgic design.
Located just moments from Bondi Beach, it’s an easy stop during a beach day, a fun addition to a first date or simply something different to do with friends while exploring Gould Street.
Open daily from 10am until 8pm, it’s designed to be as much a destination as it is a quick experience.
Creating Moments That Last
Perhaps what makes Love Letters so appealing is its philosophy.
“Love Letters is about more than just taking a photo, it’s about creating a meaningful moment with someone you love and leaving with a keepsake you’ll treasure,” Lucy and Cian say. “We never expected the concept to resonate so quickly, and it’s been incredibly special to see thousands of people visit our spaces, return with friends and family, and make Love Letters part of their memories.”
That sentiment perfectly aligns with the message behind World Letter Writing Day.
Whether we’re writing a letter, keeping a journal or stepping into a vintage photo booth, we’re choosing to slow down and preserve moments that matter.
A World Letter Writing Day Idea
Next time you’re in Bondi, visit Love Letters, take a photo with someone special, then head to a nearby café or park and write them a letter while the memory is still fresh.
Years from now, that handwritten note and little photo strip may become one of your most treasured keepsakes—the perfect reminder that the most meaningful moments in life aren’t always digital.
Visit Love Letters Bondi
📍 Address: 95 Gould Street, Bondi Beach NSW
🕙 Opening Hours: Daily, 10:00am – 8:00pm
💲 Cost: $9 per session (includes three photos and two printed photo strips)
Café Pli, A Paris Café Where You Can Write a Letter to Your Future Self
This Tokyo Café Lets You Read, Write Letters and Say Almost Nothing at All
