Dog-friendly self-photo studio in Dongtan for anniversary photos: U&I

A studio in Dongtan where you can take family photos with your dogs

U&I Dongtan Branch (유앤이 동탄점) is known as a bridal shower and self-wedding photo studio in Dongtan, and I went there to shoot family photos with my three dogs! I'd planned to take photos for our wedding anniversary this year, but work was so busy that I kept putting it off and putting it off.. and I finally made it.

I wanted to take family photos with our lovely little pups, but it was harder than I expected to find a place that allows dogs. Then I happened to find U&I Dongtan Branch, and the whole family headed out together: my husband and our trio of dogs :-)

U&I Dongtan Branch location and parking

The address of U&I Dongtan Branch is 706 Dongtan-daero, Dongtan IT Valley 2, Building 1, 2nd floor, Unit 230, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. I got a little lost finding it at first ㅠㅠ

It's inside the IT Valley building, so I wondered "Is this the right place?" and wandered a bit (honestly, this isn't the first time this has happened to me.. haha). But the building itself is big and has plenty of parking, so even while struggling with all three dogs in a stroller, we arrived safely haha

It's just down this path. Don't panic, keep following it.

At the door there's the U&I logo. The previous group had just left, so we had the place all to ourselves :-) One thing though: there's no separate waiting area, so the owner asked us to arrive right on time!

Inside U&I Dongtan Branch and the centerpiece

Pro tip: the centerpiece at U&I Dongtan Branch comes in red, white or pink. If you book a centerpiece, they set up your first choice, and after that you can freely switch to another one.

It's an independent studio space. It was full of bright, pretty props that fit the wedding/bridal shower concept, and since I'd reserved the flower centerpiece in advance, I found vivid red flowers neatly arranged, with that certain feel to them. White or greenery is lovely too, but maybe because it was hot out, I wanted to shoot with red flowers like these.. hehe

Can you bring three dogs?

This was the really important point for us: whether pets are allowed! When I called U&I Dongtan Branch to book, I said we had three dogs, and they happily said it was fine, which put my mind at ease. Asking about this always makes you a little nervous, right? ㅠㅠ

Props at U&I Dongtan Branch: from dresses to mock cakes

U&I Dongtan Branch has lots of dresses and suits as costume props, so honestly you don't need to prepare any of your own...!

There are props for little princesses too!

Mock cakes, flower decorations, balloons and more. Isn't it a lot? These are things people usually buy themselves as shoot props, and U&I Dongtan Branch has them all!!

Are there hair and beauty items too?

U&I Dongtan Branch even has Dyson hair tools. There's an iron too, and nipple patches and hair ties, which is such a thoughtful touch~ Even if you didn't manage to prepare something, it's all here..!

A 1-hour self-shoot with three dogs: how was it?

U&I Dongtan Branch takes bookings in 1-hour slots, so there's no running into other groups or any awkwardness, which I liked. (If you need more time, there's also a system where you can reserve extra time on top..!!)

Our kids get a bit sensitive in unfamiliar places, so honestly I was very worried. The space was nicely roomy, though, and I'd heard a staff member is always on site, which worried me a little, but during the shoot they moved elsewhere so we could shoot just by ourselves.

The camera and lighting setup was intuitive, so we timed the shutter ourselves, and the remote and timer function worked well, so my husband and I took turns shooting and also got several group shots with everyone in them haha

These are the actual shots :-) After the shoot, U&I Dongtan Branch gives you the retouched photos along with the originals, they said. I've picked my favorites and am waiting for the retouched ones, so here's a sneak peek at the originals-! (They're originals, but I personally liked the colors and tone of the photos here.)

How did we get the dogs to look at the camera?

We shot for about an hour, and at first the dogs just wouldn't make eye contact (the hardest part ㅠㅠ), so it was a struggle. But once we used treats to draw their gaze, natural expressions started popping up!

We didn't use many of the props, but seeing all the bridal shower props you'd normally have to buy separately, I thought it would be great to come here without buying anything when a friend is getting married, or for a first birthday party or a shoot with kids. I really recommend this. There were lots of props like dresses, and the quality was good too.

The shots we took together feel like a truly special record of just our family, and I felt proud of them.

Overall verdict on U&I Dongtan Branch

If you're looking for bridal shower or self-wedding style photos in Dongtan, especially if you want to shoot with your pets like me, I highly recommend U&I Dongtan Branch haha The setup is pretty and they're considerate about pets, so our whole family could shoot comfortably.

It was a truly meaningful day, since I can look at these photos with the dogs for a long time. I hope you all make good memories with your precious family (whether human or doggo^^) 💚💛