Hello Muse Review: Part 3/3

Click for Part 1

Click for Part 2

After what felt like forever... It finally came!

For some reason, I expected the package to be a small parcel, but it ended up being about 3 ft x 2 ft! The "photo frame," which I thought would just be an A4 paper-sized frame, was actually a super large and lovely piece of wall art, in the most perfect style fitting of our photo aesthetic!

Just a corner!

Inside were a photo album with our pictures in a pleasing order, and a CD in a nice case with all of the retouched pictures!

I'm sure the experience differs depending on the studio and the dress/tux rental places, but Hello Muse was perfect each step of the way. I'd give them 5/5 stars for sure.

Sposa Monique (the bridal dress shop)
Several dresses from the online sampling were gorgeous, but maybe because I was a size 4 instead of a 0 or 2, they wouldn't have fit me? I wasn't blown away by the selection, but there were a couple of dresses I thought were very pretty. Out of the 5 I tried out, I really liked 2, and didn't like 3 at all.

I was asked about the general aesthetic I was looking for, and they picked dresses that were suitable, but I didn't see the ones from the online sampling for some reason. And I guess I would rate them 3.5/5 overall.

Arco Baleno (the tux shop)
Supposedly this is where some celebrities go to rent tuxes, and even though the interior isn't the most posh, they do have a crazy selection of blazers/jackets, some plaid, some checkered, and in tons of colors. They also include several bowties, but the selection was supplemented by Sposa Monique's bowties (we rented a tux from each shop), and for that I tip my hat to Sposa Monique as well. My husband isn't a super picky guy, so we'd probably rate it a 3.5/5.

Soon Soo (hair/makeup salon)
It was very, very crowded, and they shuffled us around quite a bit. I don't get bored easily, so I was fine just sitting and waiting and looking around at the other people getting ready for their own weddings. They didn't do what I would have liked for my hair, but I blame myself partially for not being a more bossy person, and I sort of just trusted them instead.

Just like I do at most hair salons.

The makeup was pretty heavy, but in the photographs, it turned out well :) 3/5!

White Africa (photography studio)
They were definitely patient with us. They made us feel at home and we enjoyed the experience overall. I can never be as glamorous and as gracefully dignified as most of the people they photograph, but I am as God made me.

I'd rate the photographer at about 4/5! or 4.5/5!

Hello Muse made it all happen! They get a solid 5/5, of course. I would love to go back and get more pictures taken someday, maybe for an anniversary years from now. I would go with a different studio and different wardrobe rental boutiques, just to see what else is out there, but I would def book with Hello Muse again!

How to Use Coin Lockers in Japan

Whether you've just arrived in Japan or are planning to leave tomorrow, coin lockers at train stations can free you from the cumbersome baggage you've brought (or accumulated) and have to tote around during your travels!

Some people arriving from the airport make their first stop at Tokyo Station, and want to explore a bit while they wait for their hotel's check-in start time. Others (like me) carry around a single backpack that has just enough space for all of my needs, and then get blindsided with lovely, heavy souvenirs from friends and business associates.

Coin lockers are a cheap way of storing your luggage for the day, with lockers ranging from 300 to 500 JPY (approx. $3-5 USD), depending on the size.

Small lockers are approx. 35cm x 43cm x 57cm (13in x 16in x 22in), and can fit a carry-on back comfortably.

Medium lockers are approx. 57cm x 43cm x 57cm (22in x 16in x 22in), and can store a couple of smaller bags, or large totes containing bulkier items you'd rather not carry around.

Large lockers are approx. 117cm x 43cm x 57cm (44in x 16in x 22in), and can store your typical roller suitcase.

To use these lockers, find an open one (easier said than done sometimes) and make sure you have the right change for the size you're looking for (prices are shown in stickers on each door). Using the touch screen for that particular cluster of lockers, you can pay for the locker and print out a receipt that has information on the location of your locker and a time stamp of when you were there!

By far, the most challenging thing is finding a free locker during a peak travel weekend. On top of dealing with your heavy luggage, you will also find many people before you are waiting their turn next to lockers where others are removing their luggage. I've had people come up to me as I was removing my belongings from a locker, so that they could politely call dibs.

In Kyoto during Kobo-san at Toji Temple, I literally could NOT find any open lockers, and being the light traveler that I am, all of the souvenirs I'd been given had no place to go other than in monstrous bags on each of my shoulders. As I wasn't staying in a hotel in Kyoto that day, I decided to skip that part of my itinerary and head to my next destination, where I found some coin lockers in which to store my things overnight!

Something I didn't think of when I arrived at Tokyo Station- arguably the largest train station in Japan- was that I would somehow forget my way back to my locker. I wanted to walk through the Imperial Palace grounds the next morning sans backpack, and since I didn't want to waste any time looking for my old locker group, I picked a new set of lockers to store my backpack in, walked in all directions around the Palace grounds, and then came back to begin the search for my lost Minecraft treasure. I found my backpack fairly easily, but where I left my things from the previous night was a different story.

Each midnight marks the end of a day, so you can technically store your things for less than a full 24-hour time period, but still pay for two days, and in order to retrieve your belongings, you have to drop in another 300, 400, or 500, depending on the locker size you used. I think it's totally worth it, but I only used the small and medium lockers and would gladly pay that much to not lug around my stuff. 

Happy travels!

Where to Buy the JR Pass Online

While there are tons of third-party sites where you can buy a JR voucher and mailed to you, there is no official JR Pass online storefront. And wherever you get your voucher from, you will still need to exchange it in person at a JR kiosk at valid train stations BEFORE you can begin using it.

JR website with information on official retailers (English)

Step One: Purchase a JR Voucher

$237 (for a 7-day voucher) is no easy sum to part with, so rather than buy something online and pay for shipping, I just called up a local travel agency in the area and asked if they sold JR vouchers. 

I came in with my passport and it took less than 20 minutes to receive my voucher!

Step Two: Look up train stations where you can exchange the voucher for the JR Pass

JR Passes must be redeemed within 90 days, and are then valid from that day until the end of the purchase period you selected (7 days, 14 days, etc.)

You can exchange your voucher at specific locations, including some airports, travel centers, and train stations (within a specific time frame). Make sure you go to the right place, because some cities have more than one station!

Step Three: Locate the JR Kiosk (or JR Office)

In many train stations, there is a free-standing kiosk near the JR Office that has a big question mark on the side. These are information booths where you can redeem your voucher for an official pass. (You can also ask the JR Office if you are unsure!) Again, they will require your passport, and you will need to fill out some information to go on your pass as well. They'll explain the rules of the pass and give you a chance to ask them any questions as well. In about the same amount of time (15-20 minutes), you're done!

Step Four: Get Your Pass Stamped

When you make your JR journeys, rather than going through the turnstiles, you will need to visit the staffed counter where an employee will stamp your Pass to mark its official use. After that first stamp, you can just show them the stamped page and whiz on by!

Note: JR Passes are only valid for JR trains (excluding Mizuho and Nozomi Shinkansen trains). Some legs of your journey may not be JR, and you will have to pay for those sections. But! With some careful planning on Hyperdia, it's very possible to make it on just a JR Pass if you make some concessions here and there. If you purchase pocket wifi at the airport, you'll have added flexibility by using Google Maps to plan out the destination points of your journey and double-checking official times on Hyperdia.

Note #2: If you ride on the Shinkansen bullet trains, you will always need a ticket, whether reserved or unreserved. Buy these at the JR Offices at the train station! Although many employees speak enough English to understand tourists, I also encountered many who didn't, and my destination points and times written in English and Japanese really sped up the process! During peak-seasons, you will want to reserve as much of your trip as you can so you can have a better idea of what changes (if any) will affect your itinerary.

If you use a local subway line, you don't need to reserve tickets. Just show your JR Pass to the staff as you pass through the gate!

Courtesy Note: I've reserved seats on Shinkansen trains and decided I wouldn't be using them anymore, and whenever that happened, I always informed the person at the JR Office so they could "release" the ticket and give someone else a chance to purchase it. It takes two seconds, and it could really help other people, especially during busy travel seasons!

Hello Muse Review: Part 2

Click for Part 1

So as soon as I received word that the raw files were ready (about a week and a day after the photo shoot), I had to leave on a week-long business trip, which went really well, but I was so impatient to get back to review the photos!

Anyhow, part of my review from before was that my husband and I were very easygoing about everything and let them weigh in much more regarding our hair, makeup, pictures, etc., and at one point during the middle of the shoot (during an outfit change), the person doing my hair put it in a ponytail, which was nice and all, but ponytails in general are just not the best look for me.

I asked her if she could leave it down, but she said it looked better up.

WELL, when I got the pictures back and scrolled through, I saw the ponytail pictures, and let's just say I respectfully disagreed.

Also, I didn't know this until yesterday, but they posted my husband's and my photos on their Facebook and blog, as I'm sure they do with all of their customers, but since I pride myself on being virtually (pun unintended) un-Googleable, it came as a shock since it wasn't discussed in either the contract or through e-mail. I have no doubts that they would take down the pictures if I asked, but had they asked me in the beginning, I would have declined.

Something wonderful that they did do was Photoshop the hell out of my arms!! Yiss! So I'm not really upset that they put up our pictures, since they worked a miracle on my unphotogenic figure. It's like the equivalent of a friend tagging you in a series of pictures on Facebook, but instead of leaving them as is, they Photoshop them ahead of time to make you look good.

So while most of our raw pictures had our goofy smiles and my fat arms, occassionally I would stumble across one that, if processed appropriately, had potential to be THE one.

And the photography studio did what they could to do what I could not: slim this girl down! And for that I thank them.

Our album should be arriving in a couple of weeks, so Part 3 will be posted soon after!

Click for Part 3!