I still think about this wedding a lot. Baylen and Colin got married this year, and if you don’t already know Baylen, she’s the star of TLC’s Baylen Out Loud. I spent the whole day painting the two of them, and it was colorful and loud and genuinely so much fun. Cameras aside, though, here’s the thing that actually stuck with me: these two were just as sentimental about the little stuff as any couple I’ve ever painted for. Which brings up a question I get asked constantly, from clients and from other vendors. Is a live wedding painter only for a wedding like this one, or is this for anyone getting married, TV show or not?

It’s for anyone, and let me show you what I mean.

Yes, There Was a Release Form

Here’s something that doesn’t come up with most of my couples: I had to sign a release form, and I couldn’t say a word about being part of this wedding until the episode actually aired. I could write a whole post about that part, the crew, the releases, waiting around to be allowed to talk about my own work, but that’s not really what I want to tell you about here. What actually struck me about the whole day was how normal it all felt underneath the cameras. Baylen and Colin wanted exactly what every one of my couples want. They were looking for something that actually feels like their wedding, not a stock version of it. (If you’re curious how the live-painting process works day-to-day, cameras or not, I’ve got more on that in my wedding painter FAQs.)

Fluffy, Tootsie, Pumpkin, and the Detail That Brought Tears

Baylen and Colin have three dogs, and they’d worked them into the ceremony (as they should)! I wanted them in the painting too, so I nudged them a little closer together than where they’d actually been standing. It was how I pictured Baylen seeing them in her head. She figured it out before I’d even finished the piece. She stood there watching me work, put two and two together, and started crying right on the spot.

That’s the whole job, really, paying close enough attention the whole day to catch the one detail that’s actually going to matter to somebody later. No amount of skill makes up for not paying enough attention.

A Groom On a White Horse (Yes, Really)

Colin rode in on a white horse. Try painting a moving horse in real time sometime. It is not easy, and I’m fairly sure I aged a year doing it. I got it in anyway, and later, when he saw the finished piece, he was floored that I’d caught it.

That’s my favorite part of doing this live instead of from photos afterward. I’m not going home with a hundred pictures to sort through, deciding what’s worth keeping. I’ve got the time I’ve got, standing right there, and whatever actually catches my eye in that moment is what ends up on the canvas. Your flowers will wilt in a few days. Your photos might sit on a flash drive for years before anyone looks at them again. A painting just sits there, finished, exactly as it was the second I put the brush down.

The Part That Had Nothing to Do With TV

People ask if working with someone like Baylen changes anything about the job. It really doesn’t. Underneath the cameras and the release form, she and Colin cared about the same small things every couple I paint for cares about. She cried over her dogs. He got emotional over a horse. That’s not a TV moment. Two people just genuinely cared about their own story, the same way couples do at every single wedding I’ve ever painted, TV crew or no TV crew. 

This wedding was a good reminder, too, that none of this comes down to guest count or who’s watching. It comes down to whether a couple wants their day held onto in a way that means something to them, and whether I’m paying close enough attention to catch it. Same thing at a backyard wedding with twenty guests as at one with a full production crew.

Congratulations again to Baylen and Colin! I loved every minute of painting your day. If any part of this made you picture your own wedding held onto this way, dogs and horses optional, get in touch and let’s talk about what your day actually needs to look like on canvas.

Cheers to the Team!

Planning & Design @shannonwellingtonweddings
Fabrication @herella_design
Floral @freshdesignsflorist 
Hair & Makeup @unveiledartistry
Entertainment @djabbyrodriguez @summiteventsco
Photo @caseyjphotos @mariahreddingphotography
Video @harrisonfilms
Content Creator @cooksbridal
Stationery & Signage @woodheartsboutiquellc @eros_stationery
Live Painter @bybrittanybranson
Venue @airlieva
Furniture & Tabletop Rentals @whitegloverentals
Linens @reverie_social
Branded Goods @foryourparty
Queso Fountain Berner Food & @thechocolatechick
Dance Floor @gotoshout
Cake @ediblesugarart
Cookies @IcingImages