7 months to D&C day

7+ more months to the big day. Have yet to start on my dieting plans...
this is bad!
Read an article on cutting down on Sugar intake
Perhaps, I should get it started, have always done so in the past but seem to be catching up on tons of sugar >_<
This shall be my countdown meter to the big day... Gambate!


Hope I walk enough in Europe to keep away the daily carbs!
I see lots of bread, pastries, pizza and pastas in my diet there.

Pre-wedding Photoshoot album

18 Feb 2014 -  Korean Pre-wedding Photoshoot album and video shipped!

Finally received some news on our Pre-wedding photos. Though disappointed that we didn't manage to get a look at the edited photos before they send to print, I was still excited to see the outcome!

Surprisingly,  the package arrived in just 2 days but no one was home so I could only retrieve the parcel from post office on the 22 Feb.

NB was working that day so had to wait for him to be home before we could open the parcel! Excited lots! ;)

With NB's unenthusiastic presence while opening the parcel (haha!), I happily opened it like a little kid eagerly unwrapping her Christmas gift.

The package came with:

- 1 Album

- 2 CDs containing 1 raw unedited footage (which they had emailed me earlier on) and 1 edited footage as per the album layout.

- 1 DVD consisting of 2 videos

- 1 canvas of our selected photo blown up

It was beautiful but there were some flaws:

1. In one of my picture, my bare feet was exposed! Thought they could have hidden it

(or photoshopped it away!)

2. I could have been slimmer (after editing that is =P)

3. For some of the scenario shots, thought they would edit away the passerbys at the back. They left it there, quite an eyesore ;(

Nevertheless, was pretty satisfied with it as it wasn't the typical photos we get at Singapore studios. Photos were in matt finishing, love it!

Next, we took a look at the video! Mad love!

That's my hands. Thankfully, I had my nails done =P

Though I looked super fat in the video, liked how it helped us reminisce the happy and fun time we had there :)

We were also surprised with an additional video montage of our wedding photos nicely done!

Didn't expect to have it at all and it was beautiful!

Videos to be showcased on the actual wedding!

Thanks to Ritz Wedding!

Here's one ending shot ;) 

More of #project2014 in the coming months 

=)

Pre-wedding Photoshoot in Korea

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

Pre-wedding Photoshoot Dress Tour

30 Sept - Dress Tour

Jeju-do

Having arrived at Jeju only at 5.30 pm, we were late upon reaching our Hotel (Goodstay December Hotel) for check-in and our Wedding Ritz liaison (Yumi) was already outside the hotel waiting for us to arrive. 

Feeling apologetic, I quickly did our check-in (NB was in another cab with the rest as I had to reach 1st to do up the hotel administrative stuff) and rushed out to meet Yumi.

She probably waited for us for approx 15mins but still greeted us while walking us to the main street to catch a cab. 

Not the most chatty lady but gentle and sweet she was.

Guided us to the bridal studio to commence our dress tour!

Apparently, the one of the more popular bridal studio in Jeju (according to Yumi of course), it was a quick 10 mins drive away.

Not knowing what to expect, we followed Yumi in and met up with the friendly shop personnel!

 They sat us down and showed us a couple of albums not without offering us "Tea, Coffee or Juice".(We chose their popular "juice" offering which is none other than Jeju Orange Juice!) 

We also settled the remaining payment balance there and then.

After showing them some of the gowns I have in mind, they drew close the curtains and escorted me behind to change to a bralet with a robe and a baggy PJ pant. 

Once done, an assistant came in and started combing, pinning up my hair, applying some light lipstick and clipping on earrings on me.

Then, they got me on a circular platform and brought out my first dress to fit!

The dress was what they proposed (out of what I had in mind) and I was quite surprise as the dress looks very new and pretty!

Of course, they went "ippuda" ("pretty" in Korean) as they turned me around, drew open the curtains for NB to see!

And Yumi quickly urged NB to take photos. (contrary to bridal shop rumors, we could take and keep the photos taken here! =D)

The first dress and tux tried! 

Went on to try another 11 more dresses! According to Yumi, I was fortunate as usually, the dress tour only allows about 6 pcs to try. *yay!*

The reason I had so many to try was cause I managed to get them to throw in a short dress on top of my 2 white + 1 coloured gowns (making a total of 4 dresses!)

NB was initially allowed 1 suit but an additional suit was thrown in too =D

What surprised me was that they managed to sort of hit on the right nail when recommending dresses. 

It turned out that their recommendations fit me better than those dress designs I have in mind.

I've initially condemned mermaid dresses and loved princess cut tulle dresses but they made me change my perception and so I chose a mermaid to show more curves instead... 

Sadly, princess cut dresses make me look bigger at the bottom due to the cut. 

Well... just got to trust the experts! =P

I decided quickly on my "big bottom" styled, short and colour dresses but couldn't decide on the slim cut dress. I was torn between a "sexy" dress which I didn't think flatters my fleshy figure and another simpler dress which unfortunately is similar to my coloured gown design. 

Knowing that I couldn't decide, they went back to the dress room and pulled out another pretty piece!

I wanted to just take a look but they encouraged me to try once more so I can better decide.

Good decision and I finally chose my slim cut dress!

Taa-dah!!

Kudos to their patience as we took so much time, the tour ended past 7pm.

The studio there closes early and we were the last customers of the day but they didn't show signs of displeasure. =)

What further impressed NB was their attentiveness and eye for details.

As we bid them goodbye, they bow-ed and showed us to the door which had our shoes properly arranged, ready for our feet to slip in and go. They also called for cab for Yumi to drop us back at our hotel.

It was a great experience and definitely fun trying on all the dresses in stored!

Tips: 

- Do not use hair conditioner the night before and on the day of photoshoot. Smooth hair makes it hard to set/ style.

- Drink enough water the day before or face will be bloated like mine =(

- Grooms may want to bring elevated shoes and it's necessary to bring own black socks.

- Brides do not have to worry about bringing your own ampoules/ fake lashes as all will be provided by the Koreans. No top up required! =D

- Bride shoes are provided but should you prefer your own, do bring on your own.

- Come with photos of preferred gown designs/ colours to make it easier for selection.

- Get ready your cameras so you can take pictures which makes it easy during selection process.

Pre-Wedding Photoshoot

This is one of the most exciting things happening and keep me sooo looking forward due to all the raves I saw on Korean Wedding Photoshoot!

Wedding samples courtesy of Wedding Ritz

So pretty right?

A year ago, was toying with the options of having our pre-wedding photoshoot locally, in Taiwan or Korea.

NB made it clear that we shouldn't go Taiwan as it's getting too common, we would rather have it done locally. So next consideration was the price. Besides factoring the cost of photoshoot, to have it in Korea, we need the air tickets + lodging expenses! Would it be worth the moolahs spent?

Deciding on the Pre-wedding Shoot

So, we listed down the pros and cons of the korean shoot:

Pros:

- BEAUTIFUL

- Unique (as of now before the trend booms of course)

- Return of ALL raw photo copies

- No hidden costs (e.g. false lashies, ampoule)

- No hard-selling

Cons:

- Popular for indoor shoot (Pay so much just to shoot indoors?)

- communication breakdown? (there's a translator though)

- Expensive

- Need to get separate bridal studio for actual day package in Singapore

So we see that the Pros had more pointers and after hearing the horror stories of wedding studios (for both Singapore & Taiwan studios) who hard-sell and couples having to top up so much more! 

I have a colleague who topped up till a whopping 10K for the photos. Other friends topped up another S$1-2K each

I could have gone Korea twice or joined Wong Wong for her Venice photoshoot. =/

I guess having that assurance that you will get all the raw photo copies is a huge deciding factor which means I had to go on to further research on the 3rd party companies managing these photoshoot for overseas couples like us!

Deciding on the company

I've looked at a couple companies:

- I-do Wedding (One of the more popular, trusted one as they have a Singapore rep but pricing is on the high side)

- Hanja Wedding (No local rep and pricing doesn't sit in my pockets)

- Ti-Amo (One of my 2 shortlisted company, prompt replies from them. They have offices in Asia like Hong Kong and nearby Malaysia. Some packages were cheaper than WeddingRitz but deciding factor was our final decision on the studio which WeddingRitz had a better pricing)

and of course...

- WeddingRitz (No local or nearby offices which made me quite paranoid but so far so good, they have been responding even after the deposit was placed and they were pretty patient with my endless emails =P, pricing was good and even managed to get videography for less than 1k!)

Deciding on the Photoshoot Style

Having read up on the Korean wedding photoshoot styles and asking the agents themselves what is best for us, it boiled down to a major decision:

To choose between an indoor shoot (in Seoul) or outdoor shoot (in Jeju).

Do you know that Korean photoshoot's main USP is it's indoor studios?

i.e. Koreans (even celebrities) love the korean Pre-weddings cause of the beautiful studio settings they have. Although some images may look like it was taken outdoor, they are actually taken indoor within the studio! The last time I asked the Korean rep from Ido, she said if the Koreans like Cherry blossoms in the pictures, they don't have to wait for Spring in April, they simply build it in the studio and tah-dah! you have it!

Credits to Ido-Weddings

So it was an inner battle for us whether to go all the way to Korea only to take indoor shots =P

So I weighed the benefits and decided to go with an outdoor shoot in Jeju cause...

...the last time we were at Jeju, I fell in love with this place, Seopjikoji!

I realise there wasn't a picture I have that justified the beauty of the place so it's just the image above =P

Go Google and you can find a lot of nice pictures of the place! ;)

The studio did warned of the limited gowns as compared to Seoul studios and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that in 2 days time, I'm able to select my dream gown(s) there. ;)

Having the videographer there to capture the precious moments of our photoshoot in Korea means a lot too! Just hope I don't look too BIG on screen! Prays!

Till my next update of the photoshoot, ciao! ;)