Wedding photos are great and all, but for a truly special wedding day souvenir, try live ceremony and reception paintings. In addition to the built-in entertainment of watching your work of art created on the spot, you go home with a beautiful creation to hang on your wall.
Leanne Larson began her live wedding painting business, Cane Toad Studios, after she painted a friend’s wedding.
“I was invited to my husband’s friend’s wedding and decided instead of bringing a gift, I would bring my easel, paints and a blank canvas to their reception,” says Larson, who is based in central Minnesota. “It turned out to be a huge hit with the bride and groom and all the guests.”
Larson’s paintings typically take about eight hours from start to finish. She arrives at the site early to set up and begin a basic sketch; over the course of the ceremony and reception, she fills in with guests and, of course, the bride and groom. Prices for her live event painting start at $1,500.
“The best part about what I offer with my wedding paintings is the engagement with the guests,” Larson says. “Guests are welcome to come up and find themselves in the painting. If they haven’t been painted in yet, I do it right on the spot as they’re watching. It’s such a great experience to share my creative space with others, and guests just love to see themselves in an original oil painting.” Cane Toad Studios, canetoadstudios.com
