“Falling in love is a chemical reaction. But it wears off in a year. That’s why you need a strong line of communication… which includes laughter.”

In our first meeting, Gongji starts off by telling me she had a big crush on Sungwan in high school. She blushes and giggles like a little school girl while telling me the story about how they met. The pair were students attending an art high school here in Gwangju, but only started dating a couple of years later. The look of adoration that these two have for each other stole my heart and I was immediately head-over-heals for this couple. Throughout the meeting I couldn’t help but notice how much these two loved laughing with each other and at each other.

The artist pair decided that they wanted their pre-wedding very natural with a touch of Korean tradition. They had beautiful hanboks made by a very talented designer friend and Gongji added a few simple touches with some flowers and a little pot plant as one of her “bouquets”. Their wedding invitation that they brought along to be photographed had a picture of the pair in their hanboks on the front painted by Sungwan. I was in photography heaven with these two!

The afternoon we had chosen was perfect: clear blue skies with some beautiful afternoon light. Our first location was a small hanok complex close to the downtown area of Gwangju.

We moved onto Missionary Wilson’s House which dates back to the 1920’s. The musical props used were gifts the couple received on their many travels abroad. This part of the shoot really captures the FUN and humouristic side of Sungwan & Gongi.