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wedding art Live painting captures the beauty of your wedding form of entertainment for your family and friends. If you’re curious about the logistics, here’s what I can tell you about my routine in particular. Depending on which scene I’m painting, I usually show up no less than two hours before the start time of the cer- emony or first dance. I try to give myself ample time to paint as many background details as I can so that there is something on the canvas for guests to see when they’re arriving. When the event ends and my time on-site is done, I take the painting with me to finish the little details in a less distracting setting. Every painter is different, so make sure to look around at different artistic styles and processes before you make your decision. There are two things I’ve learned about live painting that have remained true throughout all the weddings I’ve captured. One: there will always be someone who jokingly points to the painted crowd and asks “which one am I?” And two: it is an indescribable honor to be trusted with cre- ating something so intimate, unique and timeless to reflect one of the most special days of someone’s life Contact arice@completepr.net. By Anna Rice I’ll never forget the first time I saw someone live painting the first dance at a wedding. Unaware of the budding trend, I remember quietly muttering to myself, “I could never handle this kind of pressure, I hope no one ever asks me to do this.” Naturally, that summer I found myself on the edge of a stunning lakefront wedding reception, sweating profusely and painting so fast you’d think my life depended on it. On top of being nervous about my first attempt at capturing the beauty of an event into one single piece of art in under six hours, it was July in South Carolina. I made my grand entry into the world of live wed- ding painting looking like I had just run through the sprinklers. I realize that the tangible painting is probably the main reason someone would hire one of us, but there are other exclu- sive benefits to having a live painter at your event. While I will always remember the nerves I felt during that first painting, I will also never forget the overwhelming sense of joy that I felt when I realized how uniquely spe- cial this wedding memory was. If you’ve considered hiring a live painter for your beautiful day, I feel confident to say that no matter who you hire, you and your future spouse will forever cherish the piece of art you receive. Remember that wedding you went to where you didn’t quite know enough people to warrant throwing it down on the dance floor with no insecurities? So instead, you stood on the outskirts of the crowd, smiling unrealistically big and eagerly bobbing your head to the music to avoid looking uncomfortable? We’ve all experi- enced it. On top of receiving the piece of art itself, live painting provides another TOWN BRIDE SPRING 2020 | 43