A Day in the Life: Behind the Scenes with a Bay Area Live Wedding Painter | Art By Audie
A Day in the Life: Your Behind-the-Scenes Look at Live Wedding Painting
Hey there! I'm often asked what it's really like to be a live wedding painter. Since I travel from Oakdale to venues across the Bay Area, each wedding day is quite an adventure. Here's a real behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating your wedding painting!
Morning: Prep in Oakdale
11:00 AM - Getting Ready
Double-checking all my supplies
Loading up my car with:
Easel
Acrylic paints and brushes
Canvas
Reference photos if we're including special elements
Lighting equipment
Quick lunch (it's going to be a long day!)
12:00 PM - The Journey Begins
Heading out from Oakdale
2+ hours to San Francisco venues
1.5+ hours to East Bay locations
2+ hours to South Bay destinations
Always planning for Bay Area traffic!
Early Afternoon: Venue Arrival
2:00 PM - First Look at the Venue
Finally arriving after the drive
First time seeing the space
Meeting the coordinator
Walking around to find my perfect spot
2:30 PM - Setup Begins
Setting up my easel
Organizing my acrylic paints
Getting my canvas ready
Placing any reference photos nearby
3:00 PM - Starting the Foundation
Beginning initial sketches
Blocking in basic shapes with acrylics
Getting familiar with the space
Watching the venue transform as other vendors set up
The Main Event
4:00 PM - Ceremony Time
Capturing key moments
Quick decisions about what to include
Working efficiently (acrylics dry quickly, which helps!)
Taking mental notes of special moments to add
5:00 PM - Cocktail Hour
Continuing to develop the painting
Chatting with curious guests
Adding more details
Adjusting to changing lighting
Reception Magic
6:00 PM - Evening Progress
Working through dinner
Adding special elements
Making sure key moments are captured
Enjoying the celebration's energy
9:00 PM - Final Touches
Adding last details of the night
Taking photos of the progress
Packing up supplies
Carefully loading the painting
10:00 PM - Heading Home
The quiet drive back to Oakdale
Reflecting on the day's work
Planning studio details to add
Already excited for the next event
After the Big Day
Since I work with acrylic paints, the drying process is much quicker than other mediums. Here's what happens after the wedding:
The Next Four Weeks:
Studio work where I:
Perfect every detail
Add final touches
Ensure special elements are just right
Create your finished heirloom piece
I take four weeks to complete your painting not because of drying time (acrylics dry quite quickly!), but because I want to give proper attention to every detail and make sure your painting is absolutely perfect.
What Makes Each Wedding Day Special
Every wedding is unique, but what makes them all special is:
The excitement of seeing a new venue
Meeting wonderful couples and their families
Creating something meaningful
Being part of such important celebrations
Even with the long drives from Oakdale to Bay Area venues, each wedding energizes me - there's nothing quite like creating art that captures such special moments!
Ready to Have Your Bay Area Wedding Painted Live?
I'd love to be part of your special day! Whether you're celebrating in San Francisco, Wine Country, or anywhere in between, let's talk about creating a unique painting of your wedding.
