Wedding Trends: Live Painting

Now, more than ever, in the digital age of our society, it is easier than ever to capture a moment instantly. Photo booths, cell phones, photographers, videographers, and wedding hashtags have allowed couples to remember every special moment of their big day in a permanent memento. But a recent wedding day trend is providing the opportunity for one more, even more cherish-able take-away: a live painting wedding portrait. Hiring a professional artist to create a one-of-a-kind piece of your ceremony or reception is an amazing way to hold on to even more special memories from your wedding that can be displayed anywhere in your home!

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’re deciding if you should say ‘I do’ to a live painting for your big day!

Sooo, How Does this Work?

The logistics for how a live painter will work for your particular day will vary based on many different factors, but essentially, what will happen is you and your fiancé will select an artist who will create the artwork on your wedding day. They will set up their station on the day of the wedding in either the ceremony or reception space and begin painting the scene! Typically artists will be able to complete most of the major elements of the scene while the wedding is going on, and they will complete the special details like faces later on and then deliver the completed painting, but some artists can complete the piece by the end of the event.

Communication is Key

There are a ton of things that are very important to discuss with potential artists before you award them the job of creating your live wedding painting! Some essential elements to consider:

Artistic Style: Make sure you and the artist discuss their style of art. If they tend to more impressionistic pieces, and you’d prefer a more realistic and detailed artwork, this is something that will need to be hashed out before the day arrives to ensure you will be totally in love with the finished product.
Details, Details!: A good consultation between artist and you and your fiancé is the best way to ensure they know all the elements you want incorporated. If you want the piece to feature a particular color scheme, let them know! You can also point out smaller details that you want to be sure get included, like a particular decoration, a few special guests, or even some wedding dress lace.
Logistics/Necessities: It will be important to discuss what specifications the artist needs to do their job. Some might need access to an electrical outlet, others may want several hours access to the venue to begin work before guests arrive. Knowing what the artist needs ahead of time will give you a good idea if they are the right person for the job, because both yours and the artist’s needs must be met to make the live painting a success!
A Good Fit: Your artist is going to need room to work, so you should go over how much space they will need for their work station, and then check to make sure your ceremony or reception space offers enough room! You should also take time to share any preferences you may have about what you’d like the artist to wear on the big day if this is a potential concern for you.

Time is of the Essence!

As you can imagine, creating an amazing painted scene of your wedding day is a pretty tall order, and your artist is going to want to take the time to get your live painting just the way you want it! Start seeking out artists as soon as possible to ensure you get the right one for your big day. And these artists will need several hours, potentially before, during, and after the reception or ceremony to finish the piece, so make sure to go over a timeline with your artist.

A live wedding day painting is an amazing keepsake that can adorn your walls for years to come; a beautiful memento full of all the good feelings and happy memories of your special day in an intimate, personal way. Hiring a painter may be a bit of extra work on top of your long wedding day to-do list, but it is worth it to see the gorgeous work of art that will forever remind you of one of the best days of your life!

Photos Courtesy of: https://www.jennielouart.com/

https://www.theknot.com/content/live-wedding-painter-artist