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Falling in Love At Folly Beach South Carolina A Genuine Romance Story

I had the great honor of documenting Andrea & Gustavo’s 15 year anniversary celebration at Folly Beach, SC. It was such a joy to document their beautiful love story and hear about the ups and downs they’ve been through and see how strong they are after so many years together. 

Their love is genuine, real and so much fun. These two know how to party even being parents of two boys they live life to the fullest. 

“What can I say? When our energy comes together, magic happens.” – Andrea

In a culture that celebrates the wedding day with the highest clout, I, Lumalia (Emmy) with Celebrate Again am here to start celebrating relationships that have stood the test of time. Relationships that have years behind them, challenges, heartaches, but most importantly a strong love force that will not break though tested by every kind of trial. 

Andrea and Gustavo have been married now for over 15 years and I was so honored to document their love story on Folly Beach, SC.

Why Folly Beach SC?

Living in Charleston South Carolina and loving the beach and water themselves it made the most sense to find a romantic setting near Andrea & Gustavo’s home near the water. Folly Beach, South Carolina holds the gentle waves of the southern atlantic coast that attracts all types of romantics. 

couple sitting on dead tree on folly beach laughing
Gustavo and Andrea sitting on a dead tree near the coast on Folly Beach, SC

To match their carefree spirits we loved mixing being barefoot on Folly Beach with the class of their fashion backgrounds. It was a perfect mix of class and creation, rustic and stylish. 

We found a spot near the end of Folly Beach that was a bit more scheduled from the crowds but still near the natural grass and beach side trees that line Folly Beach. 

Style Choices

Andrea and Gustavo have a fierce kind of love. One that makes you want to crank up the music and dance alongside them. They’ll be the first ones to start the party and the last ones off the dance floor. So when it came time to document their love at Folly Beach SC, it was no surprise that they arrived in a vintage car, dressed to impress and outfitted by some wonderful vendors. 

On their wedding day they arrived in a vintage car, so incorporating a vintage car for the 15 year anniversary reconnection session with me was an absolute must. Andrea found a local vendor willing to let us borrow his vintage car for photos. It was such a perfect addition to their timeless romance. 

vintage car on folly beach, sc.

Thank you again to Bruce with Cars on Kiawah for helping Andrea & Gustavo relieve a piece of their wedding day by bringing your car to Folly Beach, SC.

For all those curious Andrea was styled in two dressed by Dresses Bella Bridesmaids. Her beautiful jewelry was from Gold Creations. The lovely headpiece was designed by  Emma Katzka. How can we not mention these flowers made by We Are Petaloso!? Andrea’s hair was done at Drybar Charleston and her make up was done by Jonny Cosmetics.

Andrea’s a stylist and you can find her work here as a blogger: charlestonshopcurator.com and here as a stylist: andreaserrano.com

Gustavo is a sales manager for a locally owned company called Vapor Apparel. That helped outfit him for their photography: https://www.vaporapparel.com

couple standing on folly beach laughing

Are You Ready To Visit Folly Beach, SC?

What to do in Folly Beach?

It truly is a magical place! To find out the most romantic things to do in the Charleston, SC area don’t forget to check out this blog post co-authored by Andrea and Gustavo just for you all. In this blog post they share their favorite romantic things to do in the Charleston,SC! They also share some places to eat around Charleston. You don’t want to miss this!

Where to Stay?

I’m a huge fan of Folly Beach, SC rental houses. You can get access to beautiful coastal condos that are a few blocks from the ocean front or literally at your fingertips. I love being in a neighborhood and really experiencing the culture as a local would. I love bumping into locals and finding hidden gems like the hidden walkway to get to the beach front the locals take to get to the fresh surf.

But here is a great comparison to decide if a hotel stay is best for you or a home stay like VRBO, or Airbnb is better for you!

Hotel ProsHotel Cons
24/7 serviceLots of neighbors close by
Daily CleaningNot as homey
May have gym, pool, spa and other amenitiesMay be near busy beach areas
Staff on sight to help you with anything you may needStay feels more like a tourist stay
Less secluded
May not have your own kitchen

Home Stays Like AirBNB ProsHome Stays Like AirBNB Cons
A private place to yourself: if you select this
Weekly Cleaning
Supporting local homeownersHave to make your own bed
May have a very curated guidebook to the areaStaff isn’t usually on site
Usually has kitchenOwners may not be reachable 24/7
Feels more like home
More affordable for needing more than one room
More remote locations
Having a local stay feel

Wondering if you should stay in a hotel or homestay like VRBO, or Airbnb. Check out our helpful graph!

AirbnbVRBO
Established 2008, recently has had a CEO change that as made poor decisions.Established in 1995. That’s right these guys have been around for awhile!
May have less options for popular dates or last minute bookings. Has more less known spots that may not be listed on Airbnb.
Good quality photos of homesPhoto quality varies
Good user experienceGood user experience
Stay Experience Usually High Quality if has good ratingsStay Experience Usually High Quality if has good ratings
Cleaning policies varies by propertyCleaning policies varies by property

Pro Tip We highly recommend shopping around to find the best bang for your buck between 

Need Help Planning your Anniversary trip? 

Download our free anniversary trip planning guide

More Places To Go For Your Anniversary Trip

Or need more ideas of where to go? Check out my favorite places across the whole United States to visit for your anniversary trip or romantic getaway. These places are some of my best kept secrets as a photographer who’s gotten to travel all over the United States!

The Folly Beach SC Love Story

While I’d love to tell this Folly Beach, SC love story, I really think its sweeter in Andrea & Gustavo’s own words. Check out their video below to hear their beautiful story and see more of their anniversary photos!

Play Video

More Folly Beach, SC Anniversary Photos

Hire US To Guide Your Anniversary Trip Expereince

Hey! We’re Lumalia (Emmy) and Brittany anniversary photographers but more importantly we’re anniversary experience makers. 

Brittany and Emmy, Colorado and oregon elopement photographers in a beautiful location

We believe that your anniversary deserves a unique celebration, one that takes you away from the every day overwhelm and into a place that allows for deep connection. We’d love to help guide you in crafting an unforgetable experience that we hope will transform your marriage deeply. Learn more about hiring us as your anniversary photographers! Or what to do for your anniversary!

P.S. looking for more fun anniversary adventures? Check out our Best anniversary trip ideas or romantic things to do in Maui!

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<h3>Share this Image On Your Site</h3><textarea onclick=’this.focus();this.select()’ style=’width:500px;height:100px’><p><strong>Please include attribution to https://celebrateagain.org with this graphic.</strong><br /><br /><a href=’https://celebrateagain.org/folly-beach-sc-anniversary-photos/’><img src=’https://celebrateagain.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/a-folly-beach-683×1024.jpg’ alt=’college of images of couple on a beach with title says folly beach south carolina a true romance story’ width=’683′ border=’0′ /></a></p></textarea>

COMMENTS

2 Responses

  1. Beautiful images and Kuddos to the couple for documenting this special milestone in their lives. I think every couple needs to do an anniversary photo shoot.

  2. Pingback: 10 of the Best Romantic Things To Do In Charleston SC

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About the Author

Lumalia standing near a coastline with her hair blowing in the wind

Hey, I’m Lumalia, the main voice behind Celebrate Again. I call myself a connection architect because I have a deep passion for guiding us all to fall back in love with life through states of beauty, but many of us are far from feeling at home in our own bodies, so we seek to find safety in others. 

Yikes, that’s scary, I know; I did that for three decades, too, until I returned home to myself.

I’m so excited to share with you all I’ve learned and this beautiful journey back home to what makes you absolutely stunning just because you are alive today.

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