Review: Goguan Studio (Korea 2016)

Back in my younger days (not that I'm very old now), I used to love cosplay and even dabbled in a few random characters from time to time. I particularly loved the cultural costumes from Japan and Korea so when I visited Korea in 2016, I jumped at the chance to do a photography package wearing a Hanbok with my husband.

Since I'd be in Seoul for the majority of my trip, I thought that visiting a photo studio in the vicinity of Myeong-dong (which was near to my hotel) would be just the thing. So I did a little research and found this neat little studio in the heart of Myeong-dong...ok, technically the address is Chungmuro but it's actually very near to Myeong-dong. See the map below:



Goguan Studio 
Address: Seoul, Chungmuro 1-ga, 22-15, 2F 110-290 Seoul, Korea
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goguanstudio
Website: http://goguan08.cafe24.com/?page_id=352


To make a reservation, you can simply drop them a message at their website. The price list can also be found here, just need to scroll down the page. So I basically made a booking and when I got there on the day of my appointment, it was literally pouring. Like raining dogs and cats. LOL. Anywho, that didn't affect our session since it was all indoors.

Entrance of Goguan Studio, which is next to a TonyMoly Store

I booked a couple's package so it means that both my husband and I got to try out the traditional clothing of the Koreans. I choose the princess makeover coz I thought it would make me look younger while my husband went for the scholar look. Hehe.

We waited for a while at the reception but we were soon ushered into different sections of the studio to choose our costumes and apply makeup. I decided to go for a red hanbok with a black floral skirt while my husband chose a maroon outfit to match me. The whole process took about 45 minutes or so with me obviously taking longer because of all the extra makeup and hair accessories.

After the whole makeover, my husband and I took separate shots before we posed together as a couple. The results? Tada...

I didn't get the CD or more pictures coz obviously that would cost more, but you do get some time to yourself in their various backdrops to take selfies so we had some fun playing around:

Yes, yes, we do look silly but it was fun and I think there's a time limit of about 15 minutes. Also, I think because of the rain, there weren't many people in the studio so we could freely play around with the backdrops. In any case, it was fun and it was a great experience. A little expensive in my opinion, but it was still worth the time and money.

Verdict: We really enjoyed the whole experience. The makeup artists and photographers were polite and always ready to help us. The costumes would be a tight fit for people on the larger side though, so do take note. The hanbok was a little small for me, but the makeup artist was not fazed by it and simply pinned it closed. The photo studio is also located in a very location near Myeong-dong so that's a huge plus point. The costumes are well made too. 

Well, that's my personal opinion so hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did! <3 You can also book the experience on Kkday.com although at the time of writing this, the slots are all sold out. If that's the case for you, then maybe you can try emailing the studio directly or check out Funtastic Korea's offer here. Have fun!