1 Oct 2013 - Korea Pre- Wedding Photoshoot
Jeju-do
An early Tuesday morning for us as we got out of bed to meet Yumi at approx 7am.
Us on the cab to the bridal shop again!
Looking tired.
Photo blurred due to the cling wrap securing my new phone! =P
Good morning Jeju-do!
Morning dew outside the Dress shop.
No, that's not the car ferrying us around Jeju =(
Upon reaching, was escorted to the makeup area where a whole range of Mac cosmetics laid on the dressing table.
I asked for bigger eyes and powder to make my face smaller!
Didn't seem to work though =(
Anyway, I always had reservations on curling my hair cause it makes me look old and fat so when they started curling, I sort of freaked out.
But I just kept telling myself to trust the Koreans! lolx!
My first hairdo.
Love the look behind but didn't like how my hair was all pinned up showing my humongous face!
Sadly, I had to bun up my hair throughout the photoshoot as there were strong wind in Jeju and I couldn't let down my hair without getting my face all covered in the shots.
Us, ready for the photo studio folks to pick us up.
Our ride to the Choyuen Studio.
The friendly photographer and videographer greeted us when we reached and we saw their beautiful pictures hung up on the walls and placed on the table tops.
They asked where we would like to shoot and we said Seopikoji + lighthouse + places with flowers & stressed that we are not keen on greenery cause we can get that in Singapore =P
That made it easy for them to strike out places and of course, they will highlight if the places are inaccessible or too far away (time consuming to travel).
Upon deciding on the outdoor venues, we headed upstairs for an indoor shoot
(via a lift! They have a lift in the studio!).
Was nerve wrecking to have so many pair of eyes on you striking the most unnatural poses =P
But it was a good warm up!
They taught us to respond to "Shin Lang" (Groom - sounds very much like 新郎 in Chinese) and "Shin Bu" (Bride - sounds quite Hokkien-ish =/). Quite hilarious as we took some time getting used to the terms.
The photographer asked which side of the face I prefer to be taken and I didn't know so I think he chose my left which now I think, isn't the better side =(
So brides, make sure you know which of your side profile looks better.
NB got a pleasant surprise as the staff brought him a pair of elevated shoes (key word is "elevated" cause NB brought along his normal flat office shoes there =P) and offered to let him wear FOC!
NB had expressed his interest during the dress tour but they mentioned that top up is required for shoes (grooms were told to bring their own).
And so we have a happy groom now!
Love the studio layout, look so fun!
It's about the size of a 2 4-room flat divided into different rooms with various themes and decor.
Halfway through the shoot however, it started to rain =(
They quickly made a few phone calls and their island peers told them that the eastern part of Jeju was cleared of rain.
So off we go, back in the van and headed east-wards.
Of course, everyone was fussing over the bride and groom to make sure we weren't caught in the rain and offering jacket if I'm cold.
Our photographer dropped by the florist and got us a bouquet of interesting flowers.
Not your typical roses, sunflowers or baby breath. Wished I know what flower/ plant this is.
Sadly, we left the bunch in the studios without bringing back! =(
After an outdoor shoot at a buckwheat field (apparently, buckwheat flowers bloom only for a very short period of time and we are lucky to be able to catch it!), we went to Seongsan area (very near Sunrise Peak) to have lunch!
The team treated us to a famous ramen stall along the sea and we slurped down the delicious spicy noodles filled with generous amount of Octopus and clams! 맛있는!
Seafood fresh from the sea, just across the road where the famous Jeju Women divers (Haenyo - "Sea Women") swim onshore with their hard-earned yield.
Shin Lang and Shin Bu at where the Locals eat!
See the scribbles of signatures behind?
Left by celebrities, personalities and tourists from various part of the world.
Not good to be eating while in a wedding gown at my wedding shoot but *Burps*...
Continued our way to Seopikoji, the beach and the lighthouse.
Changed into different gowns + casual wear in the car by putting the dresses over my head while pulling the other dress out from below. Not an easy task but I managed to!
The 2 assistant helped to change my hairstyles and touched up my face along the way.
I had a different look for each dress.
Some of the behind the scenes of us on the beach, playing with sand and water!
Our video should be quite hilarious for this! =P
Our photog hard at work.
It was super windy and I had to keep my short tulle skirt from flying!
Nevertheless, this was one, if not, my favourite look of the day.
We headed back to studio for another round of indoor shoot.
By then, we were all exhausted and NB had his contact lens missing from one eye. LOL.
The rest of the shoot, he was taking instructions blindly, literally, hur hur!
NB finally had some solo shots and he was super uneasy. haha!
Shin lang, relax! =P
Everyone clapped and we thanked all for their hard-work when the photographer announced that it was a wrap!
Just when I thought it was all over and headed to the room to change.
The 2 assistants followed me and sat me down on the chair, unpinned by hair, applied some hair softening serum, combed my dangled tresses and neatly tied them into a loose ponytail.
I thought that was a very neat touch to end off the whole experience. Makes you feel really pampered!
Just had to snap a shot with them:
The great team behind this memorable Photoshoot!
Our Make-up artist and helper, Yumi (the lady in front), the photographer & videographer cum driver!
Tired but awesome experience!
Cabbing back to the Hotel.
Admiring my Korean Makeup...
Looks better now as it oxidises. LOL
Love how natural it looks, even the fake lashes look real!
Too bad, didn't manage to "偷师" =/
Xin Ku ni le, my Xin Lang.... Looking completely shagged.
Thanks to the Wedding Ritz team for the help and looking forward to getting the photos!
=)
It takes about 2 weeks for photos to be sent to us for our selection.
Everything will then be sent to us within 3 months.
Should be able to get my stuff by January! =)
Will then wrap up the whole process and experience here! ;)
Tips:
- Be sure to have some places or sample images of where on the island you would like to take your pictures at. Run through their existing albums for more inspirations.
- Prepare some mosquito repellent if going outdoors (with lots of greenery), Jeju mozzies can be quite deadly.
- Grab something light before going to the shoot, you will be exhausted and hungry.
- Finding toilets can be a hassle + relieving yourself in a huge gown is super stressful, try to "release" before getting changed.
- Practise your smile at home, in front of the mirror before the shoot!
- Bring along any props that you would like to feature and inform the photographer of the intention early so he knows when and where to fit them in. (We brought along our proposal ring and wedding bands for the shoot and the photog did take some shots of it)
- Bring your camera/ phone so your translator can help to snap some behind the scenes which you can show your family and friends (optional) before the actual photos are ready.
- Relax and have fun!
And just for fun, ending off this post with NB's comical jump shot =D
