Live Guest Portraits

Live guest portraits are a stand-alone experience designed to delight your guests while creating meaningful, take-home keepsakes.

Throughout the reception, guests are invited to have their portrait painted in watercolor — either individually or as a couple — based on a photograph taken during the event. Each guest portrait is created live and finished on site, allowing guests to collect their artwork before the evening ends.

The result is an elevated experience that feels personal, thoughtful, and unforgettable.

“How it works”

How the guest portrait experience works

Guests are invited to participate at their leisure during the reception.

Using their phone, guests take a quick photo—alone or with a partner—and send it to the number provided at the portrait table. From there, portraits are painted live throughout the evening based on the submitted images.

Completed portraits are available for guests to collect before the event concludes.

Artistic approach

a loose painterly style

Guest portraits are painted live using professional-grade watercolor, with focus on movement, personality, and style rather than strict realism.

Each piece captures the essence of the guest — their posture, attire, and presence — resulting in portraits that feel elegant, expressive, and cohesive as a collection.

Select details, such as flowing fabrics or evening attire, may be enhanced with subtle mica-based shimmer, adding depth and light-catching interest while remaining refined and timeless.

finishing Details

thoughtful finishing details

Each guest portrait is finished with care and presentation in mind.

Portraits include the bride and groom’s names and wedding date, subtly noted on the artwork as a keepsake of the celebration. Once complete, each piece is placed in a clear protective sleeve, allowing guests to safely enjoy and take home their portrait the same evening.

The bride & groom signature watercolor portrait

Every Guest Portrait package includes a 9x12 watercolor created just for the bride and groom. While guest portraits are painted live during the event, this special couple’s portrait is completed after the wedding in the studio so it can receive the time and attention needed for a more finished, lasting keepsake that captures a special moment from the day,

guest portrait Pricing

Guest portraits are priced based on the duration of the event and the number of guests expected to participate.

Pricing reflects the time spent printing and preparing the materials, painting live on-site during the reception, and the nature of the time-based guest experience. Because each event is different, final pricing is confirmed in advance based on the selected coverage.

Guest portrait experiences begin at $1400 for up to four hours of live painting. Six-hour coverage is available starting at $1600. Larger guest counts and events outside the local area are quoted individually.

Each guest portrait experience also includes a finished watercolor studio portrait of the wedding couple, completed after the event and delivered by mail.

Have questions about guest count, timing, or setup? Additional details can be found in the FAQs below.

Request Guest Portrait Availability

guest Portrait Process

Booking begins with a confirmed availability check, followed by a brief consultation by phone or email to discuss timing, guest count, and event details. Based on this information, I provide a custom proposal tailored to your reception.

Once a proposal is selected, a signed contract and a 50% retainer are required to reserve your date. The remaining balance is due two weeks prior to your event.

Guest portraits are painted live during the reception. Following the event, the couple’s portrait is thoughtfully completed in the studio and delivered by mail as part of the experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Guest portraits are done during the wedding reception. Sessions are offered in four-hour or six-hour blocks, depending on the number of guests and the pace you’d like for the evening.

    Longer sessions allow for a greater number of portraits to be completed comfortably throughout the reception.

  • Each guest portrait is created on a 5×7 card and typically includes one or two guests. In some cases, a third figure, such as a child or baby, can be included.

    Guest portraits are created live during the reception, with an average of 10-14 guests per hour depending on the flow of the event and the number of people in each portrait.

    If not all guests are able to be painted during the scheduled time, an optional Studio Completion Add-On is available. This allows additional guest portraits to be completed after the wedding using reference photos, so more guests can receive a hand-painted keepsake even if time runs short on the day of the event.

  • A small guest portrait station is set up at the venue, including a covered table and a tabletop easel. Clear, printed instructions are displayed at the station so guests know exactly how to participate.

    During the reception, guests take a photo of themselves (or as a couple) and text it to the provided number. They are then free to enjoy the celebration while their portrait is painted. Finished portraits are displayed as they are completed and can be collected towards the end of the evening.

  • Guest portraits are painted live in a loose, expressive style during the reception in a loose expressive watercolor style on 5×7 paper, allowing many guests to be captured quickly as part of the celebration.

    The couple’s portrait is a larger 9×12 watercolor created after the wedding in the studio, giving it more time for refinement and detail.

    This makes it a more finished keepsake designed specifically for the bride and groom. The completed artwork is typically completed within a few weeks after the wedding.

  • Guest portraits are created live in a loose, expressive watercolor style on 5×7 watercolor paper. The focus is on capturing each guest’s outfit, pose, and overall presence rather than detailed facial features, giving each piece a stylish, modern feel that suits a lively wedding reception. 

    Professional artist-grade watercolor paints are used, and in some cases, subtle metallic or reflective accents may be added to enhance details found in jewelry or fabric.

  • Guest portraits are created during the booked reception time and are typically collected toward the end of the evening. Because the service is time-based, not every portrait may be completed during the event.

  • Guest portrait services are booked by event date and availability is limited. To ensure a date can be reserved, booking several months in advance is recommended, particularly for peak wedding season.

  • Guest portraits are typically available for guests to take home during the wedding reception, creating a meaningful and interactive experience for everyone in attendance.

    Any portraits that are completed or finished after the event - including studio-completed add-ons — are carefully packaged and shipped to the wedding couple.

    Each piece is treated as an original artwork and handled with care to ensure it arrives in excellent condition.