Well, if this wedding wasn’t decadent! (Read and scroll on to see the finished piece!)

Aimee and Mick got married on a beautifully overcast fall day in downtown Chicago, and I had the pleasure of capturing it in a painting! The lovely bride, Aimee, hired me as a surprise for her new husband!

I arrived around noon to set my paints up and get a background started before the couple planned to see the room and reveal that I was there at 4:00. I always like to arrive quite early to get started so I can get a base going before guests arrive, and because there are a lot of moving parts when setting up for a wedding. I never know if I’ll have to move or stop painting for whatever reason, and I want to have all the time I can to get the painting as complete as possible by the end of the night! I got to watch the incredible Corrin from Vale of Enna set up her show stopping floral designs, and saw the space come to life as I was bringing it to life on my canvas!

As always, I did not finish the painting fully that day, as I like to create really detailed pieces and that requires extra time at my studio. But I was quite happy with how far I got, and I even had the chance to allow guests to paint throughout the night! I love asking guests if they want to contribute and assuring them that they can’t mess it up. I give a little guidance and let them do their thing! 

UPDATE: The piece is finished and delivered, and I am beyond thrilled with it! I have added a picture of the final product below, and I was thrilled to be able to deliver it just in time for Christmas:) These additional details took me probably around 15 hours of studio time if I had to guess (although I am quite awful at tracking my hours). I really enjoyed adding the brickwork, all the details on the stained glass windows, the school shields, and (of course!) the details on the florals! 

This wedding truly was one for the books, and I am looking forward to many more gorgeous weddings in 2025!