WEDDING PAINTING VS. PHOTOGRAPH
Sometimes people call my live painting a “photo.” While most people know the difference between a photograph and a painting, I want to make it clear: there are many advantages to painting—and especially live painting—that people may not be aware of. And I assure you, a painting is not a photograph, even if photographs are sometimes used to create one.
First of all, how about painting your family pet into the wedding scene?
I’ve painted cats, dogs, and even a turtle into wedding portraits—but most often, it’s dogs. While some dogs are very well trained, they usually only appear at the wedding for a brief moment, not during the ceremony or reception, no matter how much their guardians wish otherwise. But with painting, that doesn’t matter. An experienced artist can easily add a beloved animal into the scene. I only need a few photos from different angles, and my imagination does the rest. When the bride and groom see their pet included in the painting, they often smile with joy—or cry with happiness. Dogs especially are so loved that they’re often like the couple’s first child.
And what about children? Sometimes couples ask me to paint their little one into the portrait with them. Even if the child wasn’t present for the first dance or the ceremony, I can still include them—because art allows it. A few times I’ve painted a young child sharing the first dance with their parents. It always creates such a sweet and touching moment on canvas.
Then there are the loved ones who are no longer with us. While a photograph can’t capture a deceased family member without Photoshop, a painting can. I’ve often been asked to include a bride’s late father in the wedding scene. These are some of the most emotional requests I receive, and it is always my honor to fulfill them. When the bride sees her father present in the painting, she often cries—and those tears are filled with love.
Of course, there are also playful requests. Many times the mothers of the bride or groom joke, “Can you take off a few pounds?” And yes—consider it done. The same goes for, “Can you add more hair?” These little touches, while lighthearted, remind me that painting goes beyond reality.
Another detail unique to painting: I can open the curtains or windows in the scene to reveal a beautiful view—even if, in real life, they had to stay shut because of rain, heat, or air conditioning. With a brush, I can show the breathtaking ocean or lush greenery outside.
And sometimes, imagination itself becomes part of the picture. At one castle wedding, the setting inspired me to suggest something whimsical—dragons flying in the sky above the ocean instead of birds. The couple loved the idea, and their wedding painting became not only a memory but also a fantasy portrait filled with magic.
This is the power of live painting. When you commission a wedding painting, remember—it is so much more than a photograph. It captures not just what happened, but also emotions, feelings, and possibilities. It is art. It is memory. It is love, forever alive in brushstrokes and colors.