Painting this wedding LIVE outside Fargo, ND was as fun as challenging!
Tori and Pete had a late afternoon wedding at the Pines White in Davenport, ND. I arrived at 12:30 just as things were being set up. The wedding couple wanted natural colors to fit their outdoor wedding. The pronouncement of man and wife at the altar was their chosen scene.
This painting was done in a few different settings.
After assessing the area, the feel, and the colors, I chose a color to tone the canvas. The bridesmaids’ dresses and the flowers were a muted pink, perfect for the background. I coat the canvas with a thin layer of a matching pink. After the paint soaks in for a few minutes I can wipe off the paint. This will leave a pinkish tone to the canvas. The tone color will tie the rest of the painting together. If any canvas shows through on the finished piece, it will match the wedding colors.
Moving outdoors where the ceremony would take place, the goal was to create a lively, yet quiet and natural background for the scene. Aware of the space on the canvas where the arch and the couple will go, I filled in the rest with trees, sky, and concrete.
Once satisfied with the background, I went back indoors to paint the arch. The arch was in the back of the bride and groom’s table. It would be moved outdoors for the ceremony, then back indoors after.
How big is the arch? How tall are the wedding couple? How will this all fit together? The information search begins. After meeting the bridal party and finding out the bride and groom’s heights, I find some stand-ins of similar height to stand in front of the arch for photos. Luckily, two of the other vendors matched! With the height and shape decided, it was time to add the arch to the painting.
Back indoors, the room was beginning to fill with people. Most were scared to come over and see what I was doing, but once they did, they kept coming back throughout the night to check progress. the arch was painted just before the photographer took over the room.
Once the ceremony started I got my phone out and crowded in with the videographer and the photographer in the aisle. After the ceremony, I sent photos to the best man to get the couple’s approval. I sent them their chosen scene and a scene I thought might be better – the dip. It had been cloudy and on the verge of rain all day. The sun shone just as the couple walked back down the aisle and beautifully lit the dip.
Back indoors again with a photo of the chosen scene on my phone.
Throughout the night I kept adding the couple hoping to complete the painting by the end of the dance. It’s a good goal but a tough one.
The painting wasn’t complete by 10:30, but it was close enough for rock and roll, so we did the reveal to the bride and groom who saw it for the first time. It was amazing!
It should only take a couple more hours in the studio to finish up. Then varnish, and deliver to the couple.
The Final Wedding Painting
In the studio, I adjusted the faces and skin tones. I added some shadows to show the sun shined on the couple for only a minute and lit up the whole day.