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

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!

NJ Wedding at The Palace

 Last night I had the pleasure of working with a sweet, fun, and truely in love couple. The groom called me in October saying that he wanted to surprise his bride to be with a one of a kind painting created at the wedding. I love when grooms take the initiative to really surprise their brides with my service, because the brides are always beyond thrilled when they see me there painting a picture of their wedding.

    The venue was the beautiful Palace in Somerset Park, NJ. This venue is impressive from the moment you drive up, and does not disappoint as the evening progresses. Flowers were beautiful as they always are when done by Kim at Marquis Florals.The groom had adorable neices who were flower girls in steel grey dresses. I was most amazed that they were up and dancing the enetire night (the reception didn't begin until 9 pm, and I was tired, so I dont know how these little girls did it)

Here is the Bride and groom next to their painting. at the time it was about two hours into the reception and the painting was about 2/3 complete

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