Apgujeong nail salon first gel nails for a wedding shoot: Naeil Didi

Why Naeil Didi for Apgujeong wedding shoot nails

While hunting for a must-do wedding nail stop in Apgujeong, I settled on Naeil Didi (내일디디) in Apgujeong Rodeo. It's famous as a wedding specialist shop, so I was already excited when I booked.

Wedding prep has no end of things to handle. Dress tours, the shoot, skin care, dieting... I was in a daze taking care of it all one by one. And this was the first time in my life getting nails done, so I felt nervous and excited, a strange mix.

Naeil Didi location, hours and how to find it

Naeil Didi is at 18 Apgujeong-ro 50-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 6th floor, Unit 601, and it's open daily 11:00-21:00. Take the elevator to the 5th floor of the building, walk up about half a flight, and you'll reach Naeil Didi on the 6th.

At first I wondered, is this the right place? But once I went up, I found it right away.

Naeil Didi atmosphere and treatment types

The first thing I felt walking into Naeil Didi was how clean and comfortable the vibe is!

Above all, there were so many colors that my eyes went wide, like, there are this many shades?

As you'd expect from an Apgujeong wedding nail shop, Naeil Didi offers everything from basic gel to extensions and correction care, and there's even men's care.

The pedicure options were just as varied, and Naeil Didi felt like a space where you just get prettier by walking in.

How I picked my wedding shoot nail color

At Naeil Didi they show you this month's colors as one-color designs, and the staff looked at my skin tone and the mood of the wedding shoot, so I went with no. 7.

Every one of this month's colors was pretty! It was hard to pick just one, so I kept agonizing, holding them up against my own hand.

Thanks to the staff factoring in my skin tone and the wedding shoot mood, I chose no. 7. It has that Apgujeong wedding nail feel: not over the top, and it makes hands look clean, so I loved it.

First-ever nails: did the basic care hurt?

Basic care at Naeil Didi meant thorough callus clean-up and surface prep, and even as a first-timer, it didn't hurt at all.

Honestly, I'd heard from people around me that if it's done badly it bleeds and hurts, so I went in a little scared. Being a first-timer with the shoot not far off, I was even more nervous.

But amazingly, it didn't hurt one bit! Of course there was no bleeding, and I didn't even feel uncomfortable, which was a relief. I thought, I'm glad I found a place that's good at Apgujeong wedding nails.

The process was fascinating, so I kept watching and asking all sorts of questions, and she kept the conversation going comfortably, so I didn't notice the time pass.

She prepped my nails so the gel would sit well, and I was a little embarrassed that I'd clipped my nails way too short, haha. They'd have been pretty a bit longer, but still, cute and neat, so good enough!

Color no. 7, 2 coats, finished down the sides

Naeil Didi first applies a nourishing layer, then by default puts on your chosen color about two times. They cover not just the surface but the sides too, so the whole thing ended up smooth.

This time she started with the nourishing layer, and even that alone looked shiny and pretty!

It made me think that next time I could come in just for basic care.

She started applying my chosen no. 7, and with just one coat it looked more natural than I expected. So I went with 2 coats, and Naeil Didi says they do about two coats by default.

What impressed me most was that she carefully covers the sides too, not just the surface! Maybe that's why the whole result looks smooth and polished.

Finally, after finishing the base, she wiped my hands with a warm towel, and it felt like proper pampering, so I was happy the whole time.

The finished wedding nails and how long it took

At Naeil Didi, from basic care through the no. 7 one-color finish took about 1 hour 30 minutes in total. Seeing them in natural light afterward, my hands looked so clean that I kept taking photos of them.

Hands looking clean and the whole mood shifting made me keep snapping hand photos. It was like magic.

I think I get why everyone does their wedding nails at Naeil Didi!

It was my first time, and it felt like a must-do before the wedding shoot that also gave me a proper mood boost. Next time I'd love to go back to Naeil Didi for a pedicure :)