LilyMae is not your average old gal.
She’s a vintage 1966 Shasta camper that’s been fully rebuilt as “LilyMae, the Candid Camper Photo Booth,” the coolest new addition to events in the Keys.
LilyMae was revamped and rebuilt over a year in a “modern vintage” style by Marathon’s Stacy Huerta and her family, who “love vintage campers, a good laugh, and photos to capture our memories,” Huerta said.
“We bought the camper in 2013 off of Craigslist in Central Florida,” Huerta said. “We had always dreamed of having one.”
The Huertas moved to Hawaii with the Coast Guard and couldn’t take the camper with them; she stayed in storage until they moved back in 2017.
When they finally got her down to the Keys, ideas began to percolate.
“From seeing others out West doing photo booths out of their campers and how popular they are, we thought it would be so fun to offer here in Florida.” Huerta said.
LilyMae was born, and a new business hatched, when Huerta noticed there was nothing like LilyMae in Florida and especially here in the Keys. The existing photo booth companies are a more “traditional camera on a stand with a backdrop,” Huerta said, and she wanted to create something new and different.
The rental comes complete with high-quality props (everything from old, mint-green rotary phones to a ukulele to “Keysey props”) and professional, easy-to-use photo equipment. Customers love being able to operate the booth themselves, Huerta said, but event attendants are available to help.
Pictures can be snapped in front of the cool trailer, which is topped with a classic-styled sign saying “Oh Snap!” or inside for a true photobooth feel. Event rentals include personalized photo strips for guests and hosts to keep.
“It’s all about capturing smiles in a fun unique way,” Huerta told the Weekly. “Not just your standard, stand up photo booth, it is an actual experience. It has a modern vintage design, and is not only a fun experience but makes for an amazing backdrop for photos. People love it!!”
The Huertas can bring LilyMae to help with any event, including weddings, corporate events, graduations, birthdays, showers and local festivals.
They also want to involve local photographers. Because of her simple, classic style, LilyMae is the “perfect backdrop” that can be “staged” for many different themes.
“We would love to network with local photographers to have style shoots,” Huerta said.
Huerta also plans to offer styled photo shoots for families, Christmas, Halloween, brides, etc. showcasing LilyMae as a fun background piece.
“The coolest feature about LilyMae is her nostalgic feel,” Huerta said. “There’s something so fun about being inside a working retro camper.”
LilyMae will be based out of Marathon and travel at no cost throughout the Keys and at a per-mile fee outside of the Keys. More information is at www.candidcamperphotobooth.com. Visit @lilymae_the candidcamper on Instagram to see photos from past events.
