Jessica Stanley Gilluly and her longtime love Kyle Gilluly had the traditional photographer at their wedding last year, but they also had a “live wedding painter,” which is a growing national trend.
While Kyle Gilluly at first “rolled his eyes” at the idea, Jessica said, he’s come to appreciate the painting, as wedding artist Virginia Brown incorporated their Harry Potter/Stars Wars themed wedding at Riverview in Simsbury.
Brown depicted Jessica with a wand with a Patronus in her hand and Kyle with a purple lightsaber.
At the same time, the actual painting of their first married kiss, enthralled guests.
“It’s something I can keep on my living room wall forever,” Jessica said. “It captured the moment really well.”
Since Brown creates the painting during the reception, “it was also a nice touch of entertainment,” for guests, Jessica said.
Brown, 32, of Windsor, who originally planned to become a physician’s assistant, is a self-taught artist who started her business after losing her job at the start of the pandemic.
Her “Beret and Brush” offers live wedding paintings, paint nights and mural painting.
The weddings are her favorite because of that “emotional connection,” in part created by loved ones from every facet of the families coming together to celebrate.
Brown said there aren’t many live wedding painters in Connecticut but it’s a developing field often featured in Instagram and TikTok.
“Everybody loves watching it,” from 2-year-olds to grandparents,” she said. “It’s entertainment and people are impressed with the progress.”
Live wedding painters can focus on any aspect of a wedding they choose, but Brown likes to focus on the bride and groom. Often they want a painting of the walk up the aisle, first kiss or first dance.
Brown gets to the reception venue a few hours before cocktails and starts painting the background.
Later, she takes a photo of the moment the bride wants to capture and then starts painting at the reception.
She can add elements to the painting – pets, favorite Disney or other characters – whatever they want.
Sometimes the painting is done by the end of the reception, but if not, she finishes later.
“To me it’s more important to get a beautiful painting,” than to rush to finish that day, Brown said.
On the back of the painting she writes personal well wishes, cognizant that her paintings in many cases will become family heirlooms.
Her live wedding paintings are $1,200 to $2,500 depending on the size. A live wedding painter is a gift for people to chip in for, and not intended to replace a photographer, she said.
Brown said she always loved to “doodle,” but was never much of an artist as a child.
Then, from 2014 to 2019 when finances were tight, Brown did paintings for friends and family as gifts.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started she was laid off from her job and became depressed so her husband suggested a return to painting.
Then in 2021 she started working with a wedding photographer – before she started the business – and she ” fell in love with weddings ” the stories, dresses and the families coming together.
She was laid off from that job and saw live wedding painting on TikTok.
She honed her skills looking at YouTube videos and launched the business.
The photographer she had worked for helped her with the technical aspects of starting a business.
She posted about the business on Facebook and had 18 inquires in 48 hours.
“I became a true artist, which is kind of cool because I never envisioned this,” Brown said.
Brown can be reached at beretandbrush@gmail.com.
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CT woman creates painting at weddings. It's a growing trend. - Hartford Courant
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