Day in the Life of an Artist: Rainy Day Wedding
How I was able to paint one of the most radiant smiles I've ever seen
This bride and groom love all things fantasy, magic, and whimsy, and they wanted to remember their special day as if they got married in the elven forests of Middle Earth.
When they hired me to paint their wedding, they had a specific image in mind of how they wanted their painting to look. They even knew exactly how they wanted to pose: gazing into each other's eyes under a magical crystal waterfall, with ivy and moss growing all around. It was going to be a gorgeous painting!
The day of the wedding arrived, and when I stepped into Waterstone Venue I might not have known that I was in Johnson City, Tennessee. Looking around I felt like I was in Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter.
I explored the venue taking photos of the rocky cliffs and moss-covered waterfalls to reference while I painted.
As the wedding began, rain started falling in true Eastern Tennessee fashion and soon turned from a drizzle to a downpour. Umbrellas were opened to keep everyone dry, but the rain didn't even dampen the happiness of the bride and groom.
I often collect a little water from a fountain or a pond at wedding venues and use that water in my paints, that way the couple has a piece of their wedding day incorporated into their keepsake. The rain gave me a perfect opportunity to collect actual rainwater from their day.
The plan was to style and photograph the couple's preferred pose for the painting. But, when the ceremony was over, I realized that I happened upon the perfect moment. The look in the bride’s eyes as she smiled up at her new husband was perfect and radiant.
I quickly ran to show the couple. The moment they saw the photo, they agreed that this was their moment. As the reception progressed, I continued painting details of Waterstone Venue and their fantasy wedding.
Something that most people don't realize is that weather really can change a painting. The unexpected rain and humidity meant that my paints were not drying as quickly as they should. When this happens, the base paint colors can mix into the top layers and muddy the colors. Luckily I’ve encountered this problem before. I pulled out a handy hair dryer from my “Mary Poppins Bag” and continued with the artwork.
In the end, the couple had their magical moment, with the rays of the evening sun shining off of the misty waterfall, and green ivy framing their first embrace as husband and wife.
I showed the finished painting to the couple and let them make their final brushstrokes on the canvas. The bride even asked me if she could have the bottle of rainwater as a keepsake to go along with their live portrait. This was the first time anyone has asked me to keep their water, but I’d like to hear from you. Would you love to have a vial of rainwater or fountain water from your wedding day?
This fantasy wedding was certainly a day that the bride and groom will never forget. The bride left this sweet comment for me, perfectly describing the beauty of the day.
By far one of the best things we splurged on for our wedding was a live painter and Heather was the absolute best. A picture is worth a thousand words but her portrait of us is worth a million.
It also rained on our wedding day and she captured some of our rainwater as a gift and also mixed some into her paint so a little bit of our day is in our painting forever. I have cried so many happy tears because of Heather. She has been the absolute best and I have nothing but amazing words for her.
—Ashlyn B.
You can see fast-motion video of this painting on Instagram. If you're interested in having your own live wedding painting and would like to incorporate a water keepsake from your special day, feel free to contact me.