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.

Crystal Plaza Wedding Painting

The Crystal Plaza in Livingston, nj is elegant, chic, and a gorgeous venue for a wedding.Theoversized gilded molding and pilars on the perimeter of the mall room make it remeniscent of the grand ballroom at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. There is a Juliet balcony that overlooks the room and allows an arial view to brides as well as photographers.
   For this wedding, the brides request was that I capture the ballroom in detail, she is an architecture student and loved the "bones" of the room. She also wanted only her and her new husband, his parents, her parents, thir siblings, and her grandmother in the painting. I always like to paint the cake as I see it, as well as centerpieces and the tablescape. The painting was the brides gift to the groom for their wedding. She was thrilled with the finished painting,and two of her bridesmaids called me the week after the wedding to book my event painting services for their upcoming wedding.


The Crystal Plaza http://www.crystalplaza.com/
Marquis Florals by kim http://www.marquisflorals.com/
Castle Couture  http://www.castlecouturenj.com/
Hank Lane Music http://www.hanklane.com/

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/

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/

live wedding painting