Live Wedding Painting at the Venetian

 Last night I painted live at a wedding at the Venetian in Garfield, NJ. I was very excited to paint in their new palazzo ballroom. When I arrived, my friend Adam Leffel of Petals Premier was still transforming the room using a palatte of ivory, cream, and pink flowers. The last three weddings I painted at have done alternating arrangements on the tables, and I love this look. It adds interest by not making every single table the same ( I did alternating arrangements for the centerpieces at my wedding last October, and it makes me happy to see I was ahead of a growing trend)
At last night's wedding some tables had beautiful half manzanita trees with topiary balls of flowers and crystals hanging. Others had three cylindricals vases with floral arrangements at different heights. Something very cool that I haven't seen at a wedding in person yet was a 6 foot arrangement of flowers in the shape of an "O" the couples new last name. I say that I havent seen it in person yet, because I read every wedding publication printed and watch every wedding show on tv, so it takes a lot to say I've never seen something at a wedding before. ( Something I'm often told when guests or vendors see me there painting live at a wedding)
  Something else I loved about this wedding was that each bridesmaid wore a different, yet coordinating dress (something else I did at my wedding, and again I credit myself a pioneer)
   When  I presented the finished painting to the couple they were thrilled.  While I love that the guests enjoy watching me paint, my main concern is always a bride happy with the painting, and last night I got another one!

 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

Wedding Painting NJ

April 2, 2011 was a very special wedding for me, it was my brother's. While I could not paint live at his party, I did wasnt to create a painting for him after the party. My favorite part of the painting is how I captured his new brides amazing flowered amsale gown.

Live Wedding Painting in Long Island

On april 3, 2011 I had the pleasure of painting live at a beautiful wedding on the south shore of Long Island. The location was the Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst. The groom's mother hired me to create a painting live as the reception unfolded as a gift to the new couple. Throughout the evening just about all of the 300 guests stopped by in awe of the painting being created right in front of them. I learned that the bride is a star in Broadway's WICKED, and the groom a doctor. The most interesting part of their story for me, was that they had met on match.com! I guess the commercials are true.

The back wall of the ballroom opened up when the ceremony ended, and the beautiful chuppah was visible throughout the entire reception. The centerpieces alternated between 4 ft high vases with cherry blossom branches boasting out of the top and with tea  lights hanging from branches, and low arrangements of thick pillar candles surrounded by ivory hydrangeas and pink roses. The cake was 5 layers, with cascading pink roses wrapping one side.

The band was so fabulous, that the couple extended the wedding reception by a half hour. At 10 pm on a sunday night, a packed dancefloor means guests are loving the band!