On an early morning in September, just as Seoul’s palaces open their gates to visitors, I scooted quickly and quietly along the paths to Changgyeonggung’s greenhouse. Kyle followed behind, following my instructions but not hurrying like I was. His mind was occupied with keeping calm as he prepared to propose.
We’d been in touch for a few weeks before the proposal and settled on this location as a good compromise for all the elements Kyle wanted. He’d originally hoped for autumn leaves, but unfortunately those don’t happen in Seoul until the end of October and the beginning of November. The natural would would still have the dark greens of late summer for another couple of months. He also wanted a little modernity and a little tradition. Changgyeonggung not only has the palace and and pine forest, but also has a beautiful greenhouse structure that feels somewhat like a European garden.
This spot can get quite busy at all times of year with photography clubs and visitors coming to see the flowers. And, as expected, I had to explain to a couple of visitors that morning what was about to happen in this space. Thankfully, the locals love a bit of romance and are usually very obliging when it comes to steering clear of a moment like this for a few minutes. I selected my final composition and pretended to fidget in my camera bag as the couple arrived, ready to swing around and begin capturing every moment as they stepped into place.
Once they’d had a moment to soak in the proposal, Kyle introduced me and spent the next thirty minutes or so enjoying the soft cloudy morning light and cool late summer temperatures. Our path took us through the forest garden of Changgyeonggung and through the back gate into Changdeokgung for the beautiful palace architecture it offers. As the sun began to pop out and bring some harsh light to our scenes, we called it a day and the couple got back to their holiday, with a significant weight lifted off Kyle’s shoulders!.
Early to mid-September is one of the most beautiful times in Korea to capture the deep greens of late summer. They’ve lost the freshness of spring but that stage and taken on a more refined, deeper tone that looks fabulous when paired with simple colours like our couple here. If you’re looking to have your own photoshoot in Seoul during this time, please do reach out for more location recommendations.