Every wedding has a feeling. The light at a particular hour, the place your people gathered, the moment just before everything changed. A live watercolor painting captures that feeling while it's still alive in the air — not staged, not reconstructed, but caught in the moment it happened.
A painting made from the day itself
My first wedding was at a destination lodge up valley — a lakeshore ceremony in an aspen grove, intimate - around thirty family members and friends, a perfect June day with a slight breeze off the water. I set up behind the ceremony with a good viewpoint, close enough to feel the day without pulling focus from it.
That morning I made a decision I've returned to ever since: If possible, I use water drawn from the lake or creek itself to paint the ceremony. The painting wasn't just of the place. It was made from it.
As the light faded I packed up and headed home. I was up with the sun the next morning finishing the details, and delivered the painting to the family that day. They were, as I recall it, amazed and all smiles.
A few years later, the bride opened an art gallery on the coast. I was one of the first artists she called. What she remembered most, she told me, wasn't just the painting. It was that I had been friendly and easy to work with.
That's what I want every couple to be able to say.
Ashley & Andy — Crystal Mountain, WA. The ceremony was held in fog. The bride wanted sunshine. I painted it for her.
What to expect
I arrive before the ceremony, find my position, and settle in. I'm there to witness and to work — present enough to catch what's real, quiet enough that guests forget I'm painting.
The painting begins on site and completed in my studio, where I can give it the finishing touches it deserves — refining details, photographing, and preparing it for delivery. I offer three classic wood frame options if you'd like it to arrive ready to hang. Shipping is available for destination clients.
I've painted weddings at mountain lodges, lakeshore ceremonies, private estates, and a stone terrace at seven thousand feet with Rainier filling the sky behind the couple. Each painting is as singular as the day that made it.
Painting sizes
The most popular size is 11″ × 15″, professionally matted to fit readily available 16” x 20” frames, making framing simple. Larger sizes are available and quoted individually. We'll talk through what feels right for your venue and vision.
Pricing
For the 11″ × 15″ painting, that's $2,860. Framing is available as an addition. A $350 event fee applies to weddings within a 50 mile radius of my studio in Winthrop. Destination weddings — those requiring travel and overnight stays — are quoted individually and include travel, lodging, and a travel day fee.
A deposit of 50% is required to reserve your date. The balance is due on or before delivery.
Reserve your date
Wedding dates book well in advance, particularly for summer and fall ceremonies in the Pacific Northwest. If you're in the early stages of planning and a live painting feels like something your day calls for, the best time to reach out is now.
I'm delighted to answer questions, talk through sizing and logistics, and make sure this feels right before you commit to anything. Reach out through the contact page — I'll get back to you within 24 hours.
The kettle is always on.
