How to Choose a Live Wedding Painter that is right for you!
A wedding painting is a very personal and subjective thing. Your wedding is already a very personalized event and it makes sense to also want your wedding painting to speak to you. And as painters, we want you to end up with a painting that you absolutely adore and will cherish for a lifetime. Here are a few tips to help you decide on which painter is right for you.
Consider your budget. This will help you decide which artist you can afford, what size painting you can choose, and if you want to pay travel fees. A newer painter might only charge $1000 but experienced painters charge $2000 to $5000+.
Determine your style. Every artist has a different style and we want you to find an artist with a style that you connect with the most! Always check out an artist's gallery of wedding paintings on their website or social media before inquiring. When you hire an artist, you hire their style and artistic vision. Of course we welcome input in what you want included in the painting, but we hope you will trust our artistic vision for how we will portray those things. A great way to give input to an artist is to point out elements in their other paintings that you like!
Keep timing in mind. When you inquire for a wedding painting will make a big impact on whether or not the painter is available for your wedding date. Always check the policies of an artist you really have your heart set on, and feel free to inquire as soon as possible. Some high-end live wedding painters book out well over a year in advance. But for the majority of artists, the best time to inquire is 8 months to a year before the wedding. That will give you the best chances that the artist isn’t already booked for your date. I have booked weddings as little as 4 weeks away from a wedding, but I am also known to be booked solid for 6 months.
Ok but how do I actually find an artist near me? Google and wedding planning websites are great places to start, but get creative in the ways you search for a live wedding painter! There are an increasing number of live wedding painters who are just starting out and might not have a strong web presence yet.
Here are some tips to find more wedding artists near you:
Increasing Your Search Area: Use keywords in your search that include your state or region rather than just your city. Or search cities near you. Most wedding painters are more than happy to travel to you! If your budget allows, you can even fly in a painter from out of state.
Word of Mouth: Ask a friend or acquaintance who they hired for their wedding. Or ask your venue if they’ve had a painter before who they can recommend.
Facebook Groups: Hop on facebook and find a wedding group near you or go to the “USA Live Wedding Painter: Event Artists” facebook groups and ask if there are any painters available for your date and location. If you are posting on a wedding painter facebook group, make sure to specify your budget including travel costs.
Referrals: And don’t be afraid to ask for a referral! Wedding painters usually have a few other artists in their region that they refer people to if they are already booked. Let us know if you have a couple characteristics you are looking for in a painter, so we better direct you! (such as acrylic vs watercolor or realistic vs impressionistic)
Bonus Tip: Use social media creatively! Search for live wedding painters on instagram or tik tok! Or even search the users that other live painters are following. We tend to follow each other.
