Lendyl got in touch the month before his visit to Korea saying that he was planning to propose to his girlfriend Samantha during their trip and wanted to make the event really special. As we discussed his ideas, the plan got larger and larger and became a beautiful proposal in a private Hanok in Seoul. I was there for the proposal photography, and my Wesley Chang was there for the video. You can enjoy both of those below.
Preparations
As Lendyl wouldn’t be in Korea until a couple of days prior to the proposal, he opted to have us prepare everything in advance to make sure it was as romantic as possible. Every piece of the puzzle was to be designed with Samantha’s favourite things and the travels they’d shared over the years together.
After discussing several location possibilities and scouting to ensure their viability, we eventually settled on renting Digeut House, a beautiful Hanok in Bukchon, for the afternoon. Samantha’s favourite colour is white, so Lendyl had asked me to prepare bunches of white flowers to decorate the hanok and white envelopes to contain cards that told stories of their travels together. The idea was that Samantha would enter the house and be taken on a journey through the best moments of their relationship while Lendyl steeled himself ready for the big moment. It was an incredibly romantic plan and a pleasure to prepare for them.
When the day came, our team arrived early to decorate the hanok with everything we’d prepared. Once we were happy, the videographer, Wesley Chang, and I headed out to meet Lendyl and Samantha nearby. Samantha had been told that they’d be having a commemorative photoshoot in Seoul, something they often do when they travel, so she was expecting us to show and make some images together. This was a great way to ensure they could both dress up for the occasion and be on time for something while on holiday!
The Shoot Itself
Starting with a few pre-wedding style photos in the alleys of Bukchon, we slowly made our way to Digeut House. We had placed the first of Lendyl’s seven cards on the door of the hanok with a white rose to begin the story. There was no way Samantha could not guess what was about to happen now, so we opened the doors and let Lendyl take the reins for the next 15 minutes. Between laughter, a couple tears, and plenty of reminiscing, we made our way around the courtyard of the hanok.
Finally, we made it to number seven. As Samantha opened the final card, Lendyl knelt down to pick up the ring we had hidden behind the final bouquet of flowers. I’m not sure how many times Samantha said yes, but it was a resounding positive and the day was a success.
After the moment had calmed a little, Wesley and I stepped out of the courtyard to give the couple of few minutes privacy to discuss their feelings before beginning the second half of our engagement photography. We made a few more images in the courtyard itself and walked some of the nearby alleys for a few additional frames. To wrap up the evening, we took a taxi down to the Cheonggyecheon, where one of Seoul’s many lantern festivals was being held for a few final photographs.
A big thanks again to Lendyl and Samantha for entrusting us with this special day! Please reach out if you’re looking to have your own proposal photographed in Seoul. We’d love to hear from you!