A pre-wedding photoshoot has become a staple part in the lead-up to a couple’s special day. Amid planning for one, it’s easy to end up overspending. But one couple managed to put together a shoot overseas at a reasonable cost.
In April 2022, soon after South Korea opened its borders, TikTok user Reglhy, or Regina, jetted off to Jeju with her then soon-to-be husband for their pre-wedding photoshoot.
The total amount spent was $2,250. Not too bad.
That’s without travel and accommodation costs, of course.
For comparison, a pre-wedding photoshoot in Seoul ranges from $2,500 to $3,900, according to a global wedding photography service provider based in Singapore.
On Thursday (March 30), Regina shared a 58-second clip showing what happened behind the scenes of their special photoshoot in Jeju.
A day before the shoot was the fitting session, with plenty of suits and gowns for the couple to choose from.
Regina could pick four gowns before narrowing it to two for the photoshoot. She went for one minimalistic and another “dreamier” option in the end.
On the other hand, her then-hubby-to-be was able to try on as many suits as he wanted.
The following day began with a hair and make-up session, which Regina “really loved” because of the natural style of make-up chosen.
It was then off to the various locations, from forests to wildflower fields, for the shoot.
“In total, we spent around $2,250, and we felt it was really worth it,” she said.
Regina provided a quick breakdown, with photography and the rental of the gown and suit being the priciest at roughly $800 each.
Other costs include the flowers ($167), a helper ($222) and the rental of a car for two days ($173).
AsiaOne has reached out to Regina for more information.
In the comments section, people congratulated the couple on how the photos turned out while one asked about the specifics of the photos.
Regina replied that “only digital copies will be returned” and the photographer won’t print it for you.
She also told another user that the package consisted of 50 edited copies.
She noted that she sourced two Korean photographers from the Instagram page Vailly Jeju.
The popular Korean messaging app KakaoTalk was used to bridge the language barrier between them. Another source of assistance was their Mandarin-speaking Korean helper.
Planning an overseas wedding shoot
These are just some of the many obstacles one might face when heading overseas for a DIY pre-wedding photoshoot.
However, the benefit of planning it all yourself is to hopefully shave off some of the total cost.
To do so, it’s better to pick a destination that’s mainstream enough so that there’s already a pool of vendors to choose from.
While it may be tempting to chomp at the cheapest quote, it is good to first ensure the quote includes the nitty-gritty details you desire (for example, the number of edited photos provided).