Self-wedding photo studio in Dongtan: 3 dress changes in 50 min, U&I

Why we picked U&I Dongtan Branch for a self-wedding shoot in Dongtan

U&I Dongtan Branch (유앤이 동탄점) is a self-photo studio in Dongtan where you really can just show up: dresses, suits and shoes, plus bouquets, flower centerpieces and lots of other props are all provided. One of my dreams when I started wedding prep was a cozy self-wedding shoot with just the two of us, and I ticked that bucket-list item off here haha

While planning, I worried a lot about which dress to wear and which props to bring. U&I Dongtan Branch is truly a come-as-you-are system!!! That's what sold me, and I booked it right away haha

U&I Dongtan Branch location, hours and booking

• Location: 230, Building 1, 2F, Dongtan IT Valley Phase 2, 706 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Hours: daily 10:00–18:00 (ask first about shooting outside these hours)
• Booking: available via Naver Booking
• Early-bird discount running for all of July

U&I Dongtan Branch highlights at a glance

• Wide range of dresses to suits for rent (black/white dresses in sizes 44–55 are the most plentiful)
• Women's shoes and men's dress shoes for rent (check sizes first)
• Veils (white/black), sunglasses, a wedding cake, bouquets and most of the props you see in Instagram wedding shoots
• A Dyson hair dryer is available
• Flower centerpieces in 3 colors (they really lifted the photo quality)
• 4 m ceiling height, and the on-site staff set up the lighting to suit you before you start ★

What's inside U&I Dongtan Branch and its dressing area?

U&I Dongtan Branch is a self-studio in Dongtan with underground parking :)

Inside you'll find a prep area and a shooting area. There's air conditioning and a fan, so you stay cool while shooting, and the clean white space comes with the flower centerpiece you picked in advance.

From a Dyson to a curling iron and a steam iron, everything you need for getting ready is there. I loved that they had an Airwrap!

I figured hair ties and cotton swabs would be a given, but safety pins and bands to prevent a "second pair of eyes" (blisters? no, I mean a second pair of eyes from tight shoes) — so thoughtful, thumbs up!

Dress, suit and shoe rental sizes at U&I Dongtan Branch

The dresses come in white/black and short/long, in sizes 44–55 plus 66/77 and plus sizes. These dresses and the men's suit rental are exactly why I picked U&I as my Dongtan self-wedding studio.

There are maternity dresses too, so apparently lots of people come for maternity shoots.

There are baby outfits too. Aren't they adorable? haha They say many people come to shoot their babies themselves.

Men's suit sets are available in sizes 100/105, and shirts are bring-your-own for hygiene reasons! My partner brought a shirt and shot in the suit provided :)

There are women's shoes and men's dress shoes too. However, women's shoes only come in 230/240, so other sizes need to be brought yourself! I brought my own white shoes! The men's shoes fit a 275 well, apparently. Check the rental list before you go.

Self-wedding props at U&I Dongtan Branch

Walk further inside U&I Dongtan Branch and there are this many props. The flowers at the bottom are the flower centerpieces, in white, pink and red; I asked for the white setup. You're welcome to switch during the shoot.

Veils, hair kerchiefs and sunglasses

Veils, a self-wedding essential, come in both black and white. They also have the hair scarves (hair kerchiefs) you see all over Instagram, plus mesh hats and mesh gloves.

There are various sunglasses too. A hair scarf plus sunglasses is a popular combo, and it's so cute.

We captured ourselves looking this cute too~ so cute!

Mock cake and number balloons

And there's this adorable mock cake. It was great to hold in photos. You normally have to prepare props like this and bring them, so having them ready was wonderful.

The mock cake even has different lettering on the front and back~ I think the back is for self-wedding shoots, and the front, "OUR DAY", suits anniversary and couple shoots.

The number balloons come in two generous colors, and every digit from 0 to 9 is there! Here are my suggested ways to use them.

• Hold the number for a wedding anniversary / Nth-year shoot
• Hold up your wedding date
• Hold up your baby's age or months in a baby shoot
• Hold 20/30 for a 20th/30th birthday shoot

There are also a board and chalk, so decorating the board cutely for a shoot would be nice. I found it midway and skipped it, sob.

How does the 50-minute self-wedding shoot at U&I Dongtan Branch work?

The shoot at U&I Dongtan Branch uses a wireless remote, so no black cable shows up in the photos, which I loved. You can check the live view and the captured shots as you go.

The two of us stiffly did our best to shoot, and my own handy tip is to screenshot several example photos on your phone, prop it up in front, and copy the poses as closely as you can haha

The plan was 2 outfits, but the dress I changed into was a bit small,, so I changed once more midway and ended up shooting 3 outfits! The back of my dress was complicated, so my boyfriend's role was very! important!

Self-wedding shoot tip: book the extra 30 minutes

I recommend deciding your dresses, poses and props beforehand. The total shoot time is 50 minutes, and it flew by much faster than I expected, which was a pity. If you want to decorate the board and wear several outfits, there's a 30-minute add-on, so I recommend adding it when you book on Naver haha

Next to the shooting area there's a wooden chair and a white box you can use. If poses feel awkward, I recommend sitting on the chair! You look more relaxed, and personally I liked those photos better than the standing ones.

Verdict: U&I Dongtan Branch for self-wedding photos

If you're considering an anniversary or self-wedding shoot, I highly recommend U&I Dongtan Branch, a self-photo studio in Dongtan. You can get high-quality couple photos, friendship photos, self-wedding shots and maternity shoots. The flower centerpieces really lift the mood, and the wide variety of dresses means you don't need to prepare any yourself, which is a real plus! Later I'd love to do a bridal shower self-wedding shoot in Dongtan with my friends haha