Capturing the Night: The Process of Live Guest Portraits

Step one: take a photo

Step two: be painted!

Live guest portraits offer a unique and personalized way to capture the memories of a special event. By painting portraits in real-time, guests can take home a tangible memento of the occasion. In this blog post, we'll delve into the process of creating live guest portraits and how it works for your guests.

The Photography Stage

The first step in creating live guest portraits is to capture photographs of your guests. It varies by event but for a larger guest count I like to start taking photos of guests as they are arriving to the ceremony. This way I can begin painting guests during the ceremony and there is plenty of excitement right away at cocktail hour! The portraits are a huge ice breaker. For the rest of the night, I generally let the guests come to my table to get their photo taken. I try to encourage this to happen as early on as possible so that I can focus on painting quickly!

The Painting Process

Once the photos have been taken, I can begin painting the portraits. I will typically work on multiple portraits simultaneously, using a variety of techniques to capture the guest's likeness. Depending on the level of detail in amount of guests and guest features (say a plain black dress vs. a detailed patterned dress) these paintings can take me around 5-10 minutes each. I generally try to encourage guests to 1-3 people per portrait with most being couple portraits but I am most definitely known to be talked into a family of 5.

The Quick Turnaround

One of the biggest advantages of live guest portraits is the quick turnaround time. Guests can typically take their portraits home with them before the end of the event. This allows them to enjoy their keepsake immediately and share it with friends and family. If there is a really large guest count, usually around 180 guests, I also offer the service of finishing the portraits in studio and really encourage this so that everyone can get one. I then send it to bride and groom to send out with their thank-you cards.

A Personalized Experience

Live guest portraits offer a personalized and memorable experience for guests. By capturing their individual features and expressions, we create a unique and one-of-a-kind piece of art. This can be a special and meaningful keepsake for guests to cherish for years to come. Live guest portraits are a fun and interactive way to add a personal touch to any special event. By following the process outlined in this blog post, you can ensure that your guests have a memorable and enjoyable experience.