This was such a special wedding to be a part of. Himabindu and Prashanth celebrated at Raspberry Plain Manor in Leesburg, Virginia, and I had the honor of creating a live oil painting of the two of them on their wedding day.

For their painting, we chose a view of the couple holding hands on the driveway with Raspberry Plain Manor in the background. They chose my Sapphire Live Wedding Painting Package, which includes a 20 x 24 inch oil painting and six hours of live painting.

Starting the Painting Outside at Raspberry Plain Manor

I started this painting en plein air, meaning I actually set up my easel outside in front of the manor house and began painting directly from the scene.

I arrived before the guests and started by blocking in Raspberry Plain Manor and the landscape around it. By the time guests began arriving, I already had the first layers of the painting down, so they were able to see it from the very beginning and watch it slowly come together throughout the day.

This is one of my favorite parts about live wedding painting. I’m there for so much more than just the final scene I’m painting. I get to experience all of these little pieces of the wedding day happening around me while I work.

Experiencing My First South Asian Wedding

This was also my first time painting a South Asian wedding, which made the experience even more special.

While I was outside painting, I got to watch the groom arrive on horseback surrounded by his family and friends. Later, I watched the bride make her own arrival before the two of them eventually came together for their ceremony.

There was so much joy surrounding both of them, and it was really beautiful getting to experience each part of the day while working on their painting at the same time.

Once I had the manor house established, I started adding Himabindu and Prashanth into the painting in their traditional wedding attire. I especially loved working on all of the beautiful details in their clothing and jewelry. Against the manor house and greenery, they really became the focus of the piece.

Bringing the Live Painting Inside

Later in the evening, I packed up my outdoor setup and moved inside Raspberry Plain Manor so I could continue painting during the reception.

Guests had already seen the painting in its early stages outside, so it was really fun having them come find me again later and see how much had changed. People would stop by throughout the night to watch me paint, ask questions, and check in on the progress.

That interaction is a huge part of why I love live wedding painting. The couple gets an original piece of artwork from their wedding day, but their guests also get to be part of watching it being created.

And the guests at this wedding were SO excited about the painting, which made the entire experience even more fun.

Painting the Feeling of Their Wedding Day

When I create a live wedding painting, I’m not trying to recreate one photograph exactly. I’m pulling together different pieces of the day to create something that feels like the couple and their wedding.

For Himabindu and Prashanth, that meant the manor house in the background, the two of them together on the driveway, their traditional South Asian wedding attire, and all of the little details I was able to observe from actually being there.

I started the painting outside while their wedding day was just getting started, watched both of them arrive separately, saw their families and friends celebrating around them, and eventually watched them come together. There was something really sweet about getting to paint the two of them together while experiencing all of those moments in real time.

I’m so grateful I got to be a small part of this celebration and create something they’ll be able to keep from such a meaningful day.

I’m Nicka Pretorius, the artist behind Nicka Pretorius Fine Art Live Wedding and Event Painting and a live wedding painter based in Northern Virginia. I create original live oil paintings for weddings throughout Leesburg, Loudoun County, Northern Virginia, and the greater Washington, D.C. area, with each painting designed around the couple, their venue, and the moments they want to remember most.