Hiring a live painter for your wedding — the pros and cons
Are you — or your loved ones — getting married (in Europe) and are you considering hiring an artist to paint a live impression of the wedding? A blog for those people who, like me, like to prepare everything in detail: some considerations and info to help you decide if a live wedding painter suits you(r loved ones).
What does a live wedding painter do, exactly?
For those who have only just discovered the concept: as a live painter, I create a custom painting on the spot, during the wedding day, at the wedding venue. Often an impression of a setting of your choice, centred on the wedding couple. It could be a moment from the ceremony, the cutting of the cake, the first dance, or a nice moment from the photo shoot. Depending on which package my client chooses, the painting is either finished the same evening or I take it back afterwards for additional touch-ups in the studio. During the wedding, the wedding couple and all of their guests are allowed to come and watch the painting progress. My style is fairly figurative and realistic, but it varies from artist to artist.
And no worries, despite being (of course) biased as a live painter, I have also thought out and listed disadvantages and considerations as honestly as possible. I’ll start off with the cons.
Cons:
a) A live wedding painting does not suit everyone. There are plenty of people who would rather not have a painting of themselves hanging at home. Of course, we can opt for a slightly more zoomed-out, less ‘in your face’ kind of composition, but maybe you just don’t like the whole idea. Sometimes one partner gets very excited by the idea, and the other really… doesn’t. That can happen, of course.
b) A live painter needs some space on location — and sometimes also access to a power outlet. How many square metres varies, of course, depending on the person, their set-up and the size of the painting. I usually say: if I can have 2 by 2 metres, that’s pretty spacious. It’s a plus if I would occassionally be able to take a step back for an overview.
It’s great if the painter is painting somewhat near the guests, so that everyone can see the progress. But that space isn’t always available. Sometimes the layout is already made and there is only a spot where the painter gets in the way of the staff, or dancing people bump into the canvas with the wet paint.
On the day itself, I always appreciate having a contact person (for example, master of ceremonies, matron of honour, wedding planner, venue manager) to whom I can report and to whom I can ask any questions so that the wedding couple can enjoy their day. Depending on which setting is allowed on the painting, I may need to steal the lovebirds for a quick moment to take (extra) reference photos (often a few minutes at most). By the time the painting is finished (for the day), it’s nice to be able to do a reveal or final check. And yes, sometimes that is when the party has just started and everyone is dancing.
d) Of course, there are costs involved. A live painting is something extra, a luxury often, not an essential part of a wedding, it is not necessary to be able to get married (compared to, for example, an officiant and a venue). Every couple has different priorities and ways to justify what fits within their budget. There are way more weddings without a painter than weddings with a painter present.
You may have very few close friends and acquaintances who are professionally involved in the arts, and find it hard to imagine spending more than a few hundred euros on a work of art.
It’s a specialism, and quite honestly: if you ‘just’ want ‘any’ live painter, and preferably the cheapest one, you really shouldn’t choose me. What a live wedding painting costs depends on which painter you choose, the size of the canvas, travel fee and so on. With me, the 2025 packages start around 1500 euros and can go up to 3300+.
There is the option to ask your guests for the painting as a gift, put it on your registry. And around Valentine’s Day, I am doing a give-away promotion on Instagram, through which one wedding couple (or loved ones who want to give it as a gift) can win 50% off their painting.
e) It can feel like a gamble and risk to hire a live painter — you only have one time to choose a good one and that one has to be able to perform on that one specific day. Even though you can talk about most things in advance, and pass on wishes, no one (including me, that’s partly the challenging part) knows 100% exactly what the end result is going to look like. There are all sorts of factors that can come into play on the day itself. Unlike (for example) photographers, there are far fewer painters and (especially for popular wedding dates) it’s not feasible to have someone with a similar style (if any) as a back-up in case of illness or force majeure.
f) Taste (definitly that in art) is very personal. The artist whose work you love might have a complex, slow and/or very personal and private process in their own studio — and experience the idea of working live on location as way too much stress. So you can’t hire them. For some couples, the end result is more important than the live aspect — rather a neatly worked-out painting than a fleeting finished work, which may feel too rough for your taste once the novelty of the day is over.
These are some cons. But alright, at least you don’t have to worry about:
- Paint stains — I personally (and some colleagues too) always bring something to cover the floor under the easel. This can be a rug, carpet, vinyl sheet, whatever suits the surface. No drips on that monumental floor or rented decking.
- Stench and toxic paint fumes — I personally work with good quality odourless acrylic paint (and no animal products). No turpentine, varnish or spray.
- That the studio on location doesn’t fit with your carefully chosen colour palette and decorations — I spruce those up (and if there’s a flower left over, I’m happy to attach it to the easel). I come in a neat outfit to match your dress code.
- Not being able to communicate clearly with a vague, ‘creative’ type of artist: I take you through the process, am very literal in my communication so no surprises (yay, autism) and thanks to my experience, I’ve been through all sorts of scenarios — so have a plan B ready for most cases.
Pros:
a) A live wedding painting is an original, personal keepsake— a physical reminder of your day. If you hang the painting in a place you see often, your thoughts will quickly return to that wedding day. Suppose, if there is a day in your life that you would like a painting of, wouldn’t a wedding be very suitable as a milestone? I make sure I use good quality paint that remains colourfast and lightfast for at least 100 years.
Many of my wedding couples are in the middle of important life stage changes: getting married, just having their first children, sometimes moving to a new home too (I don’t understand how they all do it the same year, wow). In the hustle and bustle of life, it is nice to be able to look back on the beautiful moments that pass by quickly — and if you do move to a new home, you have your first work of art ready to go. Your new family heirloom piece.
b) A live wedding painter provides artistic entertainment and inspiration during your day. Wedding guests have sometimes told me that it was very relaxing to watch me calmly do my thing over there in the corner, painting layer by layer. It’s also definitely a nice element to check in with if you need to take a break from dancing, if you’re a little worse for wear, if you’re curious about the progress. Guests enjoy taking photos in between, seeing who and what they recognise on it. And thank-you cards with the painting on the front is something I can provide afterwards.
It adds a touch of elegance — the fact that someone is there to capture it in a work of art confirms that such a moment is worth experiencing and dwelling on.
c) A live wedding painting can be tailored on the spot. I call it ‘photoshoping with paint’: your painting can be customised with some extra (or fewer) elements. Moments and settings can be combined (useful if one of the partners just has their eyes closed in one photo). Recently, for birdwatchers, I hid a few extra birds in the painting. Or think of the dog that just distractedly runs away at the moment suprème, it can still be in there. I can easily omit that ugly gate or emergency exit sign. Or I can add a subtle reference to a deceased loved one (for example, in the form of a butterfly or hat).
d) Sometimes it very much suits who my wedding couples are, and their love stories. For example, I have already had the pleasure of painting for a couple who go on monthly dates together to a museum, a tattoo artist and her husband (full of tattoos himself), art collectors, a couple with a house full of colour and family snapshots, and a couple who, like the main characters in their favourite Netflix series, would love a painting of themselves.
Many of my wedding couples are anticipating the idea and looking forward to their painting (sometimes they also send messages like ‘this is the most fun I personally think we have arranged for our wedding’).
And for those of you who want it (though of course you don’t have to) — these days, in particular, my Tiktok videos of the painting processes have quite some reach. Should you like it when a large audience says nice things about your day (and regularly videos go semi-viral) I am happy to share my montage of your painting. Of course, I also take privacy into account, only mention initials, and of course can leave out certain shots (for example, with children).
Hopefully this blog will help you get a realistic picture, what considerations there are for hiring a live painter or not for your wedding. Curious about my packages and portfolio? Then take a look at my wedding painting page.
