I was honored to be a part of this beautiful wedding at the Brice House in Vidalia, Georgia. The mother of the bride found me through a Facebook post shared by my godmother and contacted me for a surprise live wedding painting for her daughter!
After I had done a few practice wedding paintings, I shared them to my personal Facebook account. My godmother shared my post and I got notifications from her and my mother that someone was trying to contact me. A wonderful woman named Becky had messaged me because her daughter was getting married in a few weeks and was interested in a live wedding painter for the ceremony. Apparently there is a feature on Facebook where if you receive a message from someone you are not friends with, it goes into this “request” folder. So silly me I had no idea I received a message from her! Luckily I figured it out and immediately said “yes!”
For the next two weeks I spent time researching and requesting any and every useful picture I could get my hands on. I painted and sketched out a few thumbnails. I wanted to be fully prepared to make an awesome painting for my very first live wedding.
The wedding was taking place in Vidalia, Georgia. My husband was going to travel down to with me, from our home in Charleston, SC but he had to work. So my parents decided to go for a mini get away. Friday afternoon we loaded up the car with all my painting items (and of course the dog!). We drove down the beautiful Highway 17 down to Savannah and then cut across to Vidalia. We arrived on site and I took a few photos (finally in person!) and met with the mother, Becky. This was going to be a surprise for her daughter! I took my photos and left before the bride arrived for the rehearsal dinner!
Our AirBNB was in a small town called Oak Park. It was very quiet and the locals were very friendly. We met a few and they gave us the history of the town. Friday night I worked on the computer, putting together some sketches, preparing for the big day!
Saturday, March 25th 2023, it’s wedding day! The weather forecast kept changing, first the rain was supposed to stop before 4 and later it said it would start at 6. The wedding was schedule for 5:30! Along with praying hard that everything went smoothly for my painting, I prayed for no rain. When I arrived on site at 3:30 it was low humidity, no clouds, and bright HOT sun. I melted. Luckily the umbrella holder I purchased did a nice job at keeping me in the shade. I attached it directly to the easel. I ended up bringing my studio easel because it is more sturdy. I wasn’t sure how the French easel would hold the already framed 16x20in canvas. Since this was my first wedding and I didn’t have all the logistics down yet, I framed the canvas before arriving and then used painter’s tape to protect it. I gave the painting to the couple the next day. I learned a lot from my first wedding.
The wedding took place at the Brice House in Vidalia, Georgia. It is an elegant Southern and historic house with beautiful white columns. The bride was set to walk out of the door and down the brick stairs. The arbor was made by the florist on site, it was so beautiful. I set myself off to the side and took some reference photos that matched what I came up with the night before in my sketches.
The bride and her bridesmaids were walking the grounds with her photographer getting their pictures made. While they adjusted her train she looked over at me, puzzled. Then the girls and her mom yelled “surprise!!”. That was fun. She was so happy! I knew from mom’s reference photos that I wanted to make the train of Aislinn’s dress the focal point. It was a GORGEOUS long lace train that matched the long lace sleeves to her dress. I was able to grab a shot of it while she was with the photographer. Now I had my background set up and the bride’s dress. For the background, I wanted to include one of the large trees that are on either side of the arbor. My sketches however were missing something. I finally realized that my sketches lacked depth. There is a road that leads into the property and I was able to add that into the background. I had to move some trees and the road to make it fit, but I had the final sketch I was happy with.
I did one more hand sketch and was ready to start, I had just under two hours before the ceremony was to begin. Suddenly, around 4:30 the hot sun went away and a felt a cool breeze and it started to get dark. Uh oh. All around me were dark clouds! I texted my dad for a radar shot, and the radar promised no rain for us. OK…I kept painting!
As it neared 5:30 the guests began to arrive. Some came and asked me a few questions and watched me paint. At about 5:20 the music changed to violin wedding music and at 5:30 on the dot, it was time to seat the mothers. Aislinn’s bother and sister-in-law did a magical flower girl dance and threw petals in the air as they glided down the brick steps. It was so cool and unique I’ve never seen anything like it. The moment Aislinn appeared from the house there was a hushed awe that overtook the crowd. She was radiant! The ceremony was very sweet and beautiful.
After the ceremony, the family stayed to take their photos. Becky came over and I showed her what I had come up with and also showed her the photos that I planned to use for the couple. She asked if I had any of the two of them in front of the arbor, and at that exact moment, the couple was standing there waiting for a family member to join the shot. I ran over and snapped a picture of them. Mom said to use it! So I changed around the painting to include the new shot! Funny all that planning and prepping and the perfect shot I got just moments after the wedding. MIRACULOUSLY it only started to drizzle just then as the bride and groom were about done with their post ceremony photo shoot. I had already texted dad to come pick me up, unsure about the weather. The two “dancing flower girls” so kindly stood with me while I packed up. The brother even held the umbrella over my painting. They were so nice. I said goodbye to all and went back to the airbnb to finish the painting. I painted from about 8-12 and then again from about 9-11 the next morning. I brought the painting back to the Brice House at noon. Mom, dad, sister, brother, sister-in-law, groom, and bride were all waiting anxiously for me. When I showed them the painting, they absolutely LOVED it. I was thrilled. Everything worked out so perfectly, from the ceremony, to the no rain, to the painting, to the travel…everything! I will never forget this amazing opportunity and experience and am looking forward for so many more to come!
Congratulations to Aislinn and Wesley!!
The bride bought her dress at a boutique in Tuscaloosa, AL
Wedding planner: Weddings by Adeana
Florist: Terri Reeves
Photographer: Christina Kelley Photography
Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdie Grey
Venue: Brice House, Vidalia, Georgia
Aislinn and Wesley met at the University of Alabama in 2018. In December of 2021, Wesley proposed to her at Cades Cove, a beautiful and one of my favorite places in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN.