Live painting during corona days

5pm on a gorgeous springy Saturday sure looks different for me these days.

What about you?

Being an ideal Saturday for a wedding, I’d typically be in a gorgeous space painting some background on a canvas as fast as I can before the guests arrive any minute. Other vendors are scurrying around polishing stemware, carrying out their crates and equipment, sweeping up the bits of florals and stems that may have got left behind from some stunning centerpieces.

The sound of glasses getting stocked at the bar, some warm-up music and “check check, check 1, 2” going on, I get butterflies just thinking about it!

There is NOTHING like the wedding world.

I fell hard a few years ago combining my loves of art, celebrations of families, the energy of the evening (and hello your amazing attire!) and seeing the unbelievable talent poured out by some of the hardest working people I now am privileged to call friends.

And some of my favorite moments happen right around this time on any given Saturday.

I can’t wait to get back to painting weddings live.

But they’ll not be looking the same for a while, possibly for quite a long while.

And as all businesses are these days, I’ve pivoted some. The first step toward that pivot happened last Saturday at this exact time. I virtually crashed a wedding and painted it as it happened.

And it worked.

It worked SO well, I soaked up their vows to each other, I watched as they sung to each other (I know right!?), I teared up watching the momma’s dab their own tears, I wanted to stand and clap as they marched back up their aisle (of a single row of 7 guests) freshly officially married.

And I felt that same rush of energy, I kept painting, I kept watching, I screen-shotted (first time ever typing that out!) several moments just like I do when I’m working on site for you. I don’t want to miss a moment, or a look, or how he reaches for her hand or leads her to the altar. So I snap a few photos to make sure those details are not missed in your wedding painting.

So yes, I was fueled by that energy, finally something that felt normal during what should be a rocking spring wedding season now screeched to a halt these recent weeks! …..but I was in my bedroom(!) that has the most glorious late afternoon light. [insert praise hands here] I was in leggings and birks and painting from my cushy chair.

I kept painting and watched the IG stories continue – those on the original guest list and the bridal party had parked their vehicles outside and paraded past the newlyweds to shout their congrats, so some of the cars got painted into the background. The next shot I saw posted was the single harvest table set for ten, with vintage linens and bottles holding taper candles, so some of that got painted into the foreground.

I put the finishing details on, texted a photos of the finished painting to Amelia, the owner and who I’d coordinated with at Emerson Fields, and the newlyweds were presented with their “live” painting as dinner and their dances wrapped up.

“It’s one of the coolest things…” ~the groom

“Absolutely a treasure!!” ~one of the guests that attended virtually

“I couldn’t love this more… this was the icing on their cake!” ~the momma of the bride

I continue to be the broken record, I am so thankful to be doing what I do, and so very thankful for you who continues to trust me with your major life milestones.

I’ll be seeing you and painting you soon!

vendors, venue, talent:

DZines | Rivera Photography | Emerson Fields