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This week’s topics: live wedding painting, creative wedding entertainment ideas, meaningful wedding keepsakes, custom wedding artwork, how live wedding art works on a wedding day, wedding day personalization ideas, choosing creative wedding vendors, luxury wedding details, guest experience at weddings, modern wedding planning trends, experiential wedding services, behind-the-scenes wedding logistics
In this episode of Wedding Day Podcast, Iron Diamond Media owner Sonja Babich is joined by co-host Chelsea Gibson, Editor of Arizona Bride, for a conversation with live wedding painter and mural artist Paige Reesor. As the first wedding painter ever featured on the podcast, Paige offers an inside look at the fast-growing world of live wedding painting — an experiential wedding service that blends guest entertainment with a deeply personal, heirloom-quality keepsake. From the logistics that brides and grooms rarely consider to the emotional impact of seeing their wedding captured on canvas in real time, the episode pulls back the curtain on one of today’s most talked-about wedding trends.
For couples researching whether a live wedding painter is worth the investment, Paige breaks down exactly how the process works — from the initial consultation through the final reveal. Each booking begins with a virtual consultation, where couples discuss their venue, preferred moment or scene, canvas size and overall vision. Paige emphasizes that flexibility is essential, as lighting, scenery and timing often evolve throughout the day. She typically observes the space for up to 30 minutes before starting, mentally sketching the composition before committing paint to canvas. Depending on the package, paintings are often completed the same night, allowing couples to take home their artwork immediately or wake up to it the following morning.
Paige’s approach is rooted in her background as both a portrait artist and educator. She spent 11 years as a middle school art teacher before transitioning to live painting full-time, a move she made just over a year ago. Portraiture has been her primary artistic focus since childhood, and that technical foundation allows her to work quickly and confidently in high-pressure, live environments. Her experience teaching art also plays a role in how she interacts with wedding guests — answering questions, welcoming curiosity and turning the painting itself into part of the reception experience.
The episode also dives into the behind-the-scenes challenges couples rarely see. Paige discusses how canvas size affects complexity, why smaller paintings can actually be more difficult, and how architectural venues — such as churches with ornate details or outdoor desert locations — require strategic simplification. Preparation, she notes, is one of the most critical parts of her job: building the right color palette ahead of time, packing backup supplies and anticipating lighting changes from ceremony through golden hour. These details are what allow a live wedding painting to feel effortless on the surface, even though it’s anything but.
Beyond logistics, the hosts explore why live wedding painting resonates so deeply with guests and couples alike. Paige describes how guests often circle back throughout cocktail hour and the reception to watch the artwork evolve, moving from abstract shapes to recognizable portraits. Toward the end of the night, couples are invited to view the painting up close, often adding a small brushstroke of their own. These reveal moments, Paige shares, can be some of the most emotional parts of the day — especially for couples who won’t receive professional photos for weeks or months.
Ultimately, Paige frames live wedding painting as more than décor or entertainment — it’s a way to preserve the feeling of the day itself. The finished artwork becomes a generational keepsake, infused with the energy and emotion of the wedding team as a whole. As Sonja and Chelsea note, commissioning a live wedding painter is a rare experience that feels almost regal, offering couples a custom portrait created in real time, surrounded by the people they love most. For couples seeking a meaningful, design-forward addition to their wedding day, this episode offers thoughtful insight into why live painting continues to captivate modern celebrations.
This episode is powered by Dan Riggs Films, The Scottsdale Resort and Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton, and Paige Reesor
Special thanks to members Linen Effects, Continental Diamond, Warpaint International.
