Meet Kelly & Chris Fernandez | Good Times Roll Photo Booth Bus Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly & Chris Fernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly & Chris, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
One of the best feelings is when my husband and I are driving our Good Times Roll photobooth bus (a dreamy 1973 seafoam green, vintage Volkswagen) to an event, and most people we pass on the street gives us a huge smile, wave, thumbs up, or peace sign! Our bus naturally brings people joy, and you can’t ask for a better job than that! The Bus also brings back nostalgic memories for some, and we love hearing the fond memories that they’ll share with us.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hi! I’m Kelly Fernandez and I own The Good Times Roll bus, along with my newlywed husband Chris Fernandez. We renovated a vintage 1973 Volkswagen bus and turned it into a one-of-a-kind photo booth bus experience. We started primarily as a photobooth bus that could be rented for big events like weddings, birthdays, and corporate events, but now we’re also renting the bus out for photo shoots, mall openings, music videos, and our newest addition – pop-up picnics!

My husband Chris and I both have extensive backgrounds in event planning and hospitality. On top of that, he’s obsessed with cars and went to diesel mechanic school. We both have always loved photography and VW buses; the aesthetic and vibe of them immediately bring a smile to our face. So one day in San Francisco, we saw a photo booth inside of a VW bus, we immediately knew this was a dream business for us that would combine all of our passions.

Fast forward one year later, now 2018, and we see a 1973 VW bus for sale in Clearwater, Fl, close to where I grew up. The bus was pretty beaten up and looked straight out of the 70s – we had never seen anything more beautiful in our lives! A few days later, we purchased the bus and towed it to Chris’s parent’s driveway, and began the extensive renovations turning our beaten-up beauty into a stunning modern yet boho photo booth bus! We first replaced nearly everything under the hood to ensure a smooth and reliable ride, then ripped out the interior, reupholstered the seats, installed new wood floors, and mounted top-of-the-line photo equipment inside a vintage Zenith 1950s television. Nowadays, as we drive the Good Times Roll bus to events, we get to see the smile it brings to everyone’s face as we’re consistently honked at and given thumbs up as we cruise along, rolling up to awesome events!

One of the things that sets The Good Times Roll bus apart from other similar businesses is that we try to make each bus rental into an experience – not just a bus with a photo booth inside. I have a Master’s Degree in Hospitality Management and have been designing and planning events for over ten years. I love putting that experience to use and incorporating tablescapes, lanterns, fresh flowers, rugs, etc., to create beautiful spaces in and around the bus. Please check out (and follow) our Instagram @goodtimesrollbus to see pictures of all of these different kinds of events and designs.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Miami has so much to offer, where do I start? We could never have friends come in town without taking them for a ride in the Good Times Roll Bus! To avoid the crowds at South Beach, we like to take a ride out to Hobie Island Beach to watch the sunset and then grab a delicious dinner at the Rusty Pelican. My husband actually proposed to me on this beach two years ago which makes this beach even more special for us! On the weekends, we cruise over to Wynwood to explore the endless walls filled with street art (and take awesome pics with the bus)! My husband and I are huge foodies so we could write an entire article about the delectable and unique food Miami has to offer. We love trying new restaurants around the area such as Cracked by Chef Adrianne or finding small, family-owned hole-in-the-wall restaurants like Caffe Italia in the Gables. Some of our other favorite restaurants include Lung Yai Thai Tapas, Ceviche 105, Xixón Spanish Restaurant, Havana Harry’s and of course Flannigan’s!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would still be renovating the bus ourselves today if it wasn’t for the help from our friends at Karl’s German Auto. They took the bus in to help with the renovation process, and we have gotten so close to them over the past couple of years that they feel like family! We will forever be grateful for their continued help and advice during the renovation process!

Website: https://www.thegoodtimesroll.com

Instagram: goodtimesrollbus

Facebook: goodtimesrollbus

Image Credits
*The main picture of us was taken at the Fur The Love Pet Fest in Fort Lauderdale *The wedding picture of us, side of the bus picture and the props in the trunk picture was taken from the amazing photographer Laura Memory Photography