Been very busy for the past few months. And here I am to share my pre-wedding experience in Korea! :D We went to Korea late October to early November last year, and it was a blast! :D Totally enjoyed the photoshoot experience and the break away from work. So lemme begin on how we started on the journey for sourcing of the studio and finally, settling on the pre-wedding company, ZTAGEWedding, to help liaise with the studio, make-up studio and gowns.

After the proposal last year, my fiancé and I have been looking at many Korean studios and studying their photography and make-up styles. The photos we looked at were really exceptional, and it was really very well shot. So in all, we looked through multiple studios (more than 20) and have shortlisted a few studios for their studio layout. But to tell the truth, my fiance actually did most of the homework :P Haha.

Being not at all fluent in Korean, we knew we definitely needed pre-wedding companies that can help liaise with the studio located in Korea. We met up with a few of the companies that can do so, but one company, ZTAGEWedding, stood out from the rest as the quality of the services provided during our meetings with their salespersons (Eileen and the boss, Ashton) are really exceptional. There was no hard-selling at all, and that was one service standard that we felt was truly worth mentioning. The package details were communicated clearly (which also included free accommodation) and they answered all our queries, ensuring us that all the details are covered and that there will not be any hassle during the whole process. In the end, we finally settled on our package around April last year.

After the 6-month long wait, it was finally November and on the day of our fitting!! :D During the day of our fitting, the ZTAGEWedding Korea coordinator/translator, Coco, messaged us in the morning to remind us of the fitting timing. She later informed us when she arrived with the ZTAGEWedding van to send us to the gown fitting location. We headed to the location for the gown fitting with another Hong Kong couple and was ushered into a waiting corner. The ladies manning the gown studio were Koreans, so Coco communicated to them the kind of gowns that we were looking for. Then I was sent into a changing room where they showed me the gowns that I wanted and I tried on about 8 gowns and finally settled on 2 white gowns and 1 evening gown. After choosing the gowns, we headed to another room for the selection of tuxedos. Da chose his tuxedos (one silver, one checkered). After the gown selection, the driver sent us to the nearest train station (which we requested) for us to continue our exploration of Korea. LOL. For a gauge, the entire gown/tuxedo selection process took about 2-3 hours.

The next day was the photoshoot day. *excited* We woke up really early (fresh-faced) and waited for the ZTAGEWedding van and Coco. We were then sent to the make-up studio to commence our make-over. LOL. During the whole process, the make-up artist (with Coco beside for the translation) asked for the type of look I was going for, i.e. sexy, cute, natural, elegant. So I chose the natural-look. :) The make-up session took about 30 minutes, next up, was the hairstyling. Same as the make-up style, they showed me a book of different hairstyles for me to choose the style I want, and another 30 minutes was used up to set my hair. Next, I was sent out to change into the first white gown and wear my heels. During the change to the white gown, there was a Korean lady helping me. She is the one that will be with us during the entire photoshoot process for the change of gowns, touch-up for make-up and slight change of hair-do. And for the first time ever, I felt so pampered. HAHA XD

We then headed back to the ZTAGEWedding van and was brought to the our chosen studio. The studio was identical to what we saw online and the album photos!! Haha. The entire process was a blur, with the photographer (who was very professional and knew all the right poses to get us looking like models. LOL), the changing of gowns and touch-up of make-up and changes in hairstyle (done by the Korean lady/MUA). Coco was there the entire time, making sure that everything was alright, translating our requirements and the photographer's requirements back, and not forgetting, providing us with food and drinks during the entire photoshoot. Really applaud their professionalism!! :D The whole photoshoot process in the studio took about 4 hours, and really, it was quite tiring cause we had to maintain our poses (though it felt awkward, but the effect was very well captured).

Overall, the services rendered (makeup/hairstyling, gowns, photography, transport, translating services) are really good and have exceeded our expectations! Both accommodation (Myeongdong area) and transport was provided by ZTAGEWedding, the schedule and communication between staff and us was handled very well and there were no hiccups at all. For those who are worried with logistical issues, do not fret as the ZTAGEWedding Korea coordinators would be there to assist you. :) In terms of value-for-money, they are definitely the best Korean photo-shoot provider in Singapore! Kudos to Coco, our ZTAGE coordinator/translator in Korea, who did an excellent job in ensuring that everything ran smoothly. She and the touch-up MUA were both very attentive and catered to all our needs. ^^ Thanks again to ZTAGEWedding for making it a memorable experience for me and my fiancé!

P.S. The banner on my blog is a re-touched photo that the studio have given back to us. XD