You’ve hired a live wedding artist? Amazing! Now, which wedding moment should you choose to be painted live? Let’s set the scene, shall we? You’ve dreamed of these wedding day moments for a while now. Whether it’s been for a year or for a lifetime, you can already feel what it will be like to walk down that aisle. Or maybe you already do rocking motions with your feet, as if you’re already dancing your first dance. You’re ready for it all to happen. Now, take it from an old married woman of five years: those precious moments FLY by.

However, imagine your artist capturing those precious but fleeting moments on canvas. Imagine your dream day being created with paint for you to look back on forever, and all you have to do is walk over and watch it happen! Over the next few hours during your wedding day, the artist will continue painting to perfectly preserve your day. The truth is, a live wedding painting can be one of the best experiences of a wedding day. Whether it’s a gift or your own keepsake, choosing that one scene you want painted can be difficult. Today, I want to help you decide what wedding day moment you want painted live at your wedding. So let’s get started!

The Ceremony

This is not only the first part of your wedding day but likely the most sacred and sentimental. There are many special moments that happen during a wedding ceremony that you can choose to have painted: walking down the aisle, the couple holding hands at the altar, exchanging rings, the first kiss, or even the special exit up the aisle! Those are all amazing moments that would make for one stunning painted masterpiece.

Even if you don’t particularly find the ceremony moments to be the most sentimental, in terms of crafting the painting, perhaps consider your ceremony decor. Are some of the most stunning elements of your wedding design being utilized during your ceremony? If your ceremony is taking place outdoors, this typically makes for an absolutely stunning wedding painting (as it’s almost like a new landscape). Another fact to think about is how important would it be to you to incorporate painted likenesses of your wedding party members. If this is important, a ceremony scene can make it very easy for your live artist to include their likenesses as everyone is typically lined up beside you two.

Now, should you love for your ceremony to be painted, something to keep in mind is the typically short duration of wedding ceremonies. Many only last between 15 and 30 minutes. Those ceremonies that tend to be longer (Catholic masses, for example) are often held in buildings and venues that do not allow artists to work anyway. And so, your artist will most likely be using phone or tablet reference photos to continue working on the painting for the duration of the day. This never affects the final product or experience! I simply mention this to remember to give your painter grace as they will not be able to complete the piece solely within the timeframe of the ceremony.

The Reception

Though more of a party/celebratory atmosphere, your wedding reception also includes some very memorable moments. The first dance remains the most popular scene of choice amongst my couples. However, we can’t forget that grand entrances, cake cuttings, and final exits can and do make for a super fun painting choice!

Just as I mentioned above in the “Ceremony,” section, it’s worth thinking about your wedding design and decor choices here at the reception. Will you have floral centerpieces that truly deserve to be captured in paint? Perhaps you’re investing in some killer lighting. Whatever’s important to you we can put to paint!

A Portrait

The second most popular scene of choice for my couples is what I love to call the “Just the Two of Us” experience. These paintings become more intimate portraits featuring just the couple in a pose of choice rather than a candid moment. Many of my couples choose this option for a variety of reasons. First, sometimes this tends to be the best choice should the couple have larger or extended families that can’t all be painted into the piece. This option avoids offence and cramping my hand! Second, for some of my couples, their spaces or venues hold a more sentimental place in their hearts over exact wedding day moments. And so, a portrait painting is a wonderful way to showcase the couple posed outside or within their beloved venue (without other distractions).

And as many of my couples and clients can attest – adding in the likenesses of dogs, pets, and other fur babies is always possible no matter which wedding day moment they choose!

Well, that’s it! Those are the primary moments most couples choose to have captured on canvas on their wedding day. It may seem like an overwhelming number of choices, but I bet you naturally gravitated towards one or the other simply by reading this post. Every wedding is completely unique and special in it’s own way so it’s important to have your painting feel just as special. So, talk it over. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your artist for suggestions. Always remember it will be a beautiful, custom piece of artwork that will beautify the walls of your home forever.

Are you ready for your own live wedding painting experience? Simply send me a message, or email me at Hello@ByBrittanyBranson.com. DON’T FORGET! I’m still on a mission to live paint a wedding in every state! Message me today to tell me where I should head to next!