What You Need to Know When Hiring a Live Wedding Painter
For so many couples, a live wedding painter is an unforgettable addition to their celebration. Watching the painting come together at the event is so exciting for guests to witness and be a part of. Every time you or your guests look at the final painting on display in your home, you’ll remember those early brushstrokes that made it transform from a blank canvas into a work of art. Having that keepsake on your wall forever is a great way to honor the memory of your day. If you’ve been considering hiring a live wedding painter, here are a few tips on what you might need to know!
How does the process work?
Design Consultation
Your artist will need to have the chance to know you to accurately represent your story onto canvas. Before the big day, the painter may arrange a call or in-person chat to discuss the design of their painting. This is a great opportunity for you to share your vision of the painting with the artist, discuss some important details, as well as getting to know each other.
Photoshoot
Your painter may work from photo reference and will set up a quick photoshoot at the chosen moment to capture some photos for the painting. Communicate this with your photographer and be sure to pass on information to your painter so they may get in contact to coordinate this together. Your painter's photoshoot should only take a few minutes if you’ve discussed the moment and vision for your painting effectively.
Set up
The artist will arrive early to set up their station. They will need to be able to contact the coordinator or venue manager to arrange this and know where the best place to set up will be. Be sure to have told your venue that you’re having a live painter.
Painters usually require:
A well-lit space that's not in an immediate pathway of guests or staff.
Enough space to stand back from their painting about a meter or so regularly.
Protection from weather if the event is outdoors.
Post wedding
After the wedding, the painter may continue working on your piece to give the painting more touch-ups and details. Finishing off with a nice varnish to protect your painting over time. The timeline of this will vary between artists. My paintings are usually delivered to the couple by 8-10 weeks post wedding. You can’t rush art! If you have a specific date you are hoping to get your painting by, be sure to communicate this with the artist so they can advise if the timeline is possible.
Click here for FAQ’s on how your painting is finished.
Commonly Asked Questions About Live Wedding Painting
Can Guests Interact with the Painter?
For me, I love to chat! It’s a good way to give my eyes a little break so I can keep making fresh decisions when I return to the painting after having a chat with a guest!
Some artists may have their own preference on this however. Some welcome questions and conversations, while others prefer to focus on their work.
What Happens With the Painting If the Event Runs Late?
Timing is an important consideration when working with a live wedding painter. If your event is running behind schedule, your coordinator or another vendor can help communicate with the artist to adjust plans as needed.
For painters who base their work on key photo references captured during the event (as I do), the painting process typically begins after these photos are taken. This ensures the artist captures the moment you’ve envisioned. Once the reference is secured, the painter will usually work independently for the remainder of the event, requiring minimal oversight or time coordination from then on.
Keep in mind that the amount of time available for painting can impact the level of detail in the final piece. If there’s less time to paint during the event, some details may be completed later in the studio. Open communication and clear expectations can ensure the best possible outcome, even if the schedule shifts.
Where to display
Before your design consultation, you may want to consider where you’re going to display your painting once you have received it. This may help you in making a few design decisions, such as if the painting would fit best in the space as a portrait orientation or landscape. Perhaps you already have a few photos or decor displayed around that area already and want to keep the new addition on theme in color palette or spacing.
Quick Tip 1: When choosing the orientation of your painting, consider having the subjects facing outward into the room where it will be displayed. This creates a more engaging and inviting composition compared to having them gazing toward a corner.
Quick tip 2: Try not to display your painting in direct sunlight. The excessive rays of the sun will cause the pigments to fade over long periods of time.
Click here to learn more about how to display your wedding painting.
Children at the wedding?
If you’re inviting children to your big day, it's important to consider how they might interact with a live wedding painter. The process can naturally captivate young minds, much like arts and crafts, which may draw (pun intended) their attention.
To ensure the painting progresses smoothly, it's a good idea to keep an eye on young guests and encourage parents or guardians to supervise them around the painter's setup. Wet paint can be easily smudged and excessive distractions can impact the artist's ability to focus on creating your special keepsake.
A little proactive planning will help everyone enjoy the magic of live wedding painting while protecting the integrity of the artwork.
Hiring a live wedding painter?
TO DO LIST:
✓ Think about the design and display of your painting.
✓ Tell your venue that you will have a painter working on site.
✓ Pass on photographer and coordinator details to your painter.
✓ Give those parents a heads up!
Interested in having your wedding day captured by a live painter?
Let The Fairytale Painter create a work of art that you’ll treasure forever. Book now to secure your date and make your wedding unforgettable.