Last night I painted live at a wedding at the Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale, NJ.
When I first walked into the foyer of the venue, I saw the bride and groom taking pictures. I stopped in my tracks because this bride was breathtaking. She looked as though she was an actress on a soap opera filming a luxurious television wedding. Throughout the evening I discovered her beauty was matched by kindness and grace. What a pleasure!
     The ballroom was uplit pink, but the ceiling was still a yellow hue. Florentine gardens has high ceilings, tall windows draped with luxurious fabric, and beautiful molding all around the ballroom. It also boasts a juliette balcony above where the band performs. The other amazing visual element to this wedding was the centerpieces. They alternated between tall displays on hydrangeas and roses on some tables, and huge cherry blossom displays atop 4 ft glass vases on others. It set a very romantic, enchanted garden feeling for the reception.
   I love when guests come to see the painting and check in on the progress throughout the event. I'm there to create a piece of art for the bride and groom, but I'm also there as an additional form of entertainment for the guests. The bride and her mother were so enthusiastic as the painting developed, that I think they sent each of their 280 guests over to view the painting. (which actually has resulted in me booking two parties today from guests who loved my work).
   This bride was a girl after my own heart. Her brother told me that after to she hired me he asked her what she wanted as a wedding gift, so she said, "you got me a live event artist to paint at the wedding, all you have to do is pay her" ( I have been known to buy my own gifts for holidays and birthdays and then just hand family members the bill)
I always ask a bride which specific people she wants in her painting ( we all know what happens when we just assume)
The brides parents, the grooms parents, two maids of honor, two best men, and the brides brother made the cut. Below are photos of some of the principle guests included in the painting.

 The bride's parents. I think I really nailed the mom's dress in the painting.

 The bride's two best friends and maid's of honor. It makes my job much easier when the subjects are so pretty.( I will be creating a painting live at the maid of honor on the left's wedding in may)

The beautiful bride and groom. I learned durring the best man's speach that they have been dating since high school. I love learning the couple's story

Estate at Florentine Gardens Wedding Painting

In December I created a live event painting at a wedding at the Estate at Florentine Gardens. It is truely an exquisite event space and very regal ballroom. The floor the ceiling windows that line the perimeter of the room are draped with lux fabric, and boast a view of the beautiful garden outside. My favorite part of this painting is that I captured the romantic choreography of the first dance. I also loved how the centerpieces had long bamboo like leaves that wrapped around the floral arrangements almost like how a present is wrapped.

The Estate at Florentine Gardens http://www.theestateatflorentinegardens.com/

http://www.thecelebrationartist.com/

Temple Beth Ahm Wedding

I was very excited to paint this picture ( from photos) of a wedding at temple Beth Ahm of Springfield, NJ. This is the catering hall/ temple where I got married, and I think the ballfoom is stunning. My brother is getting married here this April, and i never tire of this place. It's a very art deco style ballroom, there are mirrored alcoves that line the perimneter of the room, and  if you really stare at the the chandelier you can see that its shaped like a jewish star. Its beautiful and symbolic, but subtle, not cheesy.

The photos provided to me by the couple showed the gorgeous centerpieces of tall glass vases with large rose arrangements of pink, crimson, red, and fuschia on top. I loved that they had balls of roses mimicking the main arrangements hanging like topiaries off of each arrangement. The Mother of the Bride commissioned the painting as a first anniversary gift to the couple. The MOB's dress was nude with black lace overlays, but the black full bottom skirt had pick-ups that matched the lace detail on the bodice and was sinched with elegant satin bows. Such a beautiful MOB gown. The Bride wore a fitted mermaid Amsale gown, that bussled in the back and had white satin roses where the dress bussled. The bride wore her veil throughout the entire reception, which I did as well. Many brides take it off after the ceremony, but I personally love when a bride wheres the veil all night. I can not wait for the MOB to pick up the painting. I'm sure she will LOVE IT!

Wedding at the Palace

This is a painting I did live at the Palace in Sommerset park, NJ. The Palace has been featured on We tv's Platinum Weddings, and on My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. The palace is one of the most regal and magical venues in NJ. This was a fairly small wedding (only about 75 guests). I captured the bride and groom durring their first dance.

Wedding at the Imperia

 Monica and Carl were a fabulous couple to work with. It was a second wedding for both the bride and groom, however Monica planned this day for two years and left no detail out. The wedding was at a beautiful catering hall in Sommerset ,New Jersey called the Imperia. Monica has one daughter, and carl has two daughters and two sons. The brides main request was that I capture all of their children in the painting. All three daughters were bridemaids and wore different blue dresses. The wedding's colors were turquise blue and chocolate brown. The centerpieces had beautiful arrangements of blue hydrangeas, white orchids, branches, and something I'd never seen before: golden-brown cala lilies.

This is me with the finished painting

vendors:

Brandywine florist: http://www.brandywinefloraldesign.com/

The Imperia: http://www.theimperia.com/

About a month ago a mother of the bride commissioned me to paint live at her daughters wedding. When I arrived, and the bride realized why I was there, she was thrilled. The location was Temple B'nai Tikvah, North Brunswick, NJ. The wedding's theme was fall. There were tiny pumpkins on the tables, and the centerpieces were shades of aubergine, burnt orange, deep yellow, and touches of sienna.

 Durring the cocktail hour I grabbed the bride and groom for a minute to take a picture. I asked them to pretend they were having there actual first dance

This is the mother of the bride thrilled with her likeness in the wedding painting

November wedding at Bonnet Island Estate

The Bonnet Island Estate in Long Beach Island, New Jersey was the venue for this beautiful wedding. Located about 30 minutes from Atlantic City, this is a unique venue with a real Martha's Vineyard feel. The Bonnet Island estate was recently featured on Platinum Weddings, and the guy from American Chopper got married there this past year. I captured the bride and groom's first dance ( not an easy thing being that there were 200 guests in a ballroom that holds 125 ).

Vendors:

The Bonnet Island Estate http://www.bonnetislandestate.com/
Jason Craig Orchestras http://www.jasoncraig.com/

About a month prior to this beautiful summer wedding at B'nai Tikvah, in North Brunswick, NJ, the groom called me wanting to surprise his bride. This grrom owns a party planning showcase business called Next Event Party Showcase. He said that he and his bride-to-be  had seen my work and loved it, and he knew having me paint their wedding reception would be a perfect surprise and a unique wedding gift to his new wife.Needless to say, the bride was speechless, and guests absolutely loved to watch as the painting unfolded. This was a beautiful wedding, and the icing on the cake for me is that B'nai Tikvah is one of my favorite NJ wedding venues and its all because I love their food! I'm posting a link to their caterer below.

Some of this weddings vendors:.

http://www.classicalcaterers.com/

http://www.missiondance.com/

http://www.davidtoddphoto.com/

ian@nexteventpartyshowcase.com