Before the wedding, the first thing I do is consult with the couple. Always.
Your painting starts with your vision.
Some couples know exactly what they want. They have a specific moment, pose, or scene already in mind, and that’s wonderful. Other couples aren’t quite sure yet, but they trust me as the artist to find the moment that best represents their day. That trust is something I never take lightly. It’s an honor to be given the freedom to create something you’ll hang in your home for the rest of your lives.
Once I arrive, I take everything in.
The colors.
The light.
The energy.
The way the space feels.
Whether it’s an outdoor wedding filled with natural inspiration or an indoor ceremony shaped by décor, architecture, and people, every environment has its own personality. My job is to translate that atmosphere into a painting that feels true to your day.
Sometimes the original scene stays exactly as planned.
Sometimes it evolves.
And sometimes… something magical happens that you never could have planned for.
Take Tori and Pete’s wedding, for example. Their original vision was a classic presentation at the altar, facing forward with the altar behind them. I captured that moment in a photo, and it was good. But when they walked back down the aisle and stopped for the dip kiss, everything aligned. The clouds parted, the light changed, and the emotion was electric. I knew immediately that this was the moment.
I sent them both options.
The planned scene and the unexpected one.
Their response was instant: the dip.
That painting flowed beautifully from there because it carried the energy of the day in a way the original moment simply couldn’t.
Another example is Cody and Hayley’s wedding. Their original idea was ambitious and stunning. Fourteen people, a dramatic western arch, mountains in the background, and a powerful sense of place. But on an 18×24 canvas, that many elements compete with each other. The heart of the story can get lost.
When I returned to a quieter moment of just the two of them right after the ceremony, everything changed. The lighting was perfect. Their expressions were pure. The emotion was undeniable. That painting became about them, not the scene around them. And it was exactly right.
This is why I always tell my couples:
Your initial idea is a starting point, not a contract.
You are never locked into a scene.
So often there is a moment during the day when everything clicks. The light, the emotion, the composition, the story. It just snaps into place. And when that happens, I have to trust my instincts and follow it. Those are the moments that create unforgettable paintings.
What I aim for in every piece is this:
- To represent you as a couple
- To capture the feeling of your wedding day
- To tell the emotional story behind the celebration
Whether your wedding is energetic and bold or soft and intimate, the final painting should feel like you. It should hold the love, the connection, and the atmosphere of your day in a way that photographs alone cannot.
That’s why flexibility matters.
And that’s why trusting the artistic process creates the strongest results.
Your painting isn’t just about what happened.
It’s about how it felt.
