Hongdae self-photo studio for a green & wildflower bridal shower: U&I

If you're about to get married, or want to capture a special moment like a bridal shower, couple photos or a profile shoot, you've probably looked into self-photo studios at some point. I wanted to take bridal shower photos this time, so I visited U&I Studio Hongdae Branch (유앤이 홍대점), a well-known self-photo studio in Hongdae. Here's everything I noticed while shooting, from the booking process to the interior to how the photos turned out.

How do you book U&I Studio Hongdae Branch?

I booked easily through Naver Booking. The studio is popular these days for self-wedding shoots and bridal shower shoots, so weekend slots tend to fill up quickly. If you have a date in mind, I'd recommend booking ahead.

An early-bird 50% event was running when I visited, so the price was more reasonable, and joining the event also meant free dress and suit rental, which I was happy about.

Location and parking of U&I Studio Hongdae Branch

U&I Studio Hongdae Branch is at 51 Woldeukeopbuk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Room 301 on the 3rd floor. It's on the 3rd floor of a building with a Korean medicine clinic, and there's an underground parking lot in the building, so you can come by car.

You can go in once your booked time comes. I visited on a weekday afternoon and there was a session before ours too! They opened the door right at my booking time and I walked in.

You go in wearing indoor slippers.

Inside U&I Studio Hongdae Branch and the props

The studio has plenty of props, including veils, bouquets, flower crowns, sunglasses and accessories.

There's even candy for when your sugar runs low.

Which outfits can you rent for free?

At U&I Studio Hongdae Branch you can rent a white dress, a men's suit, a maternity dress and even baby outfits for free! The outfits and props were really varied.

The 4m cyclorama and remote shooting, tried for myself

The biggest strength of U&I Studio Hongdae Branch is that it's a premium self-photo studio set up with lighting and equipment said to be among the best in Korea. Above all, the imposing 4m-tall cyclorama (a seamless curved studio backdrop wall) really impressed me. The scale is clearly different from an ordinary self-photo studio, and with professional lighting installed everywhere, people looked clean and crisp from any angle.

A Bluetooth remote is provided so even people with no shooting experience can use it easily. Just press the button and you get results that look professionally shot, so it was never difficult the whole time.

The 4 concepts at U&I Studio Hongdae Branch

You can choose from 4 concepts in total, depending on the mood you want.

• Standard: a clean, stylish basic cyclorama
• Green & Wildflower: a natural, fresh mood
• Red: a chic, refined atmosphere
• Pink: a lovely, bright atmosphere

It was great for a range of looks, from self-wedding shoots to bridal showers and profile photos. We went with Green & Wildflower!

Is the 1-hour session long enough?

The total time at U&I Studio Hongdae Branch is 1 hour, so once you count choosing outfits and changing, there isn't as much spare time as you'd think. I had prepared some poses for the day, and the time still flew by.

How were the originals, retouching and final results?

Thanks to the professional lighting, skin looked really lovely, and the quality of the originals themselves was better than I expected, haha. After the one-hour shoot, they sent the original files by email the same day.

Getting all the high-resolution originals for free was a real highlight, haha. You can get them all with no limit, and retouching and printing services are offered too, which made me even happier after the shoot.

Verdict: would I recommend it for a Hongdae bridal shower or self-wedding shoot?

If you're planning a self-wedding shoot, bridal shower, anniversary photos, couple photos, family photos or a profile shoot in Hongdae, U&I Studio Hongdae Branch was a place I think you'll be quite happy with. With the premium 4m cyclorama, professional lighting, a variety of outfits and props, and an all-in-one system that covers originals, retouching and printing, you can come with nothing but yourselves and still leave with great photos. If you want to record a special moment a little more specially, I recommend U&I Studio Hongdae Branch.