From the wedding favors and decor, to the dress. Every bride wants their wedding to be unique and memorable. But don’t just make it memorable for the guests, remember to make it memorable for you too! Are you getting married and looking for keepsake that’s different from the norm? Looking for someway to preserve your love story in a unique way? Brittany Branson is a SUPER talented fine wedding and floral artist, and she’s the girl you want for your live painting of your big day, venue painting, tailored keepsake, and backdrops. For today’s vendor spotlight, Brittany is sharing more about why she loves what she does, and why hiring a live painter for your wedding can be the perfect thing that makes your wedding even more special.

Website: www.bybrittanybranson.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ByBrittanyBranson

Instagram: @bybrittanybranson

• What do you love most about working in the DC metro area?

  There are just soooooo many different “areas” within the DMV that all have their own look and feel! What I really mean by that is…you can head into Downtown DC and immediately be surrounded by stunning and historic architecture. Take a drive 30 minutes west into Virginia, and you’re in wine country. If you go about 15 minutes further, you’re surrounded by historic plantation homes. If you start heading east of the city, you’ll smack into the Chesapeake Bay region and all of the quaint coastal towns that make it so special! As a creative, you’re never “bored” living here. There’s always an area or region to constantly inspire you!

• How did you get into painting?

  Cue the eye rolls, but it was really my own wedding that inspired me to get started! I was always an artist as a kid…but I NEVER painted. I was too terrified that I wouldn’t be able to make my painting look like real life. But, when my husband and I got married, we couldn’t find ideas and decor that would help us celebrate his love for aviation without making our wedding too cheesy. So, I created some aviation-themed paintings that we still treasure to this day! When so many people responded to them so positively, I felt in my heart that I wanted to help other couples and wedding industry professionals use art to capture their/their clients’ personalities.

• What inspired you to focus on floral and wedding art?

  I think it was half identifying a “need” in the industry, and half listening to what was on my heart! For the wedding art, I still do not see many professionals utilizing art as a foundation for wedding-day design. And yet, it’s one of the most custom and personal ways to truly capture a couple’s personality! AND! They can keep the piece(s) long after their big day has passed! So, I’m still constantly trying to educate professionals on how they can best do so! For the floral art, it definitely stems from my love of fresh flowers. I swear I was a florist in a past life. And yet, I don’t see too many artists capturing florals the way I do. They’re usually very traditional [oil] painters, or quite abstract. I think my style is a happy medium. Also, constantly working on flowers actually makes my wedding art better! Or, I’ve had couples see my floral art first, but then ask me to create a wedding-related piece utilizing floral imagery. So, they’ve complemented one another so far!

• Do you have a favorite piece of yours? If so, why?

  Oh man, this is a tough one! For wedding-related work, I still think a 25-foot ceremony backdrop/aisle runner I created in Summer 2016 is still a top contender for “favorite.” I think this is so because it was both a challenge for me as an artist (to create a consistent piece of work that’s 25 feet long, but also an “ideal” project, in that my art served as a foundational element for the rest of the ceremony design/decor and not just an “extra.” For floral art, one of my more recent pieces, “Odette,” may be my favorite at the moment, simply because she was a huge experiment for me! Not only is she on the larger side (30×40), but I wanted to push myself to capture what peonies would look like in the rain. So, it was a heck of a lot of fun finger painting and dropping water all over the canvas to get that look!

• What are some of your favorite wedding trends right now?

  FINALLY, I think the industry is moving towards highly personalized weddings, as opposed to “Pinterest-themed” design. Even when my husband and I married nearly two years ago we had to hire an invitation designer based in Ireland because she was the only person I could find that did completely custom invitations based on custom paintings! Now, I’m seeing a lot of stationery designers incorporating personal elements, such as venue paintings or even likenesses of the couple. That’s a huge first step!

• What trends would you love to see more of?

  I think so many couples are afraid to really use themselves and their personalities as the foundation for their wedding design because they think their wedding won’t look “pretty” or “elegant.” I definitely want to be a part of a movement to encourage professionals to use what makes their clients special as the foundation for design, decor, and feel….beyond the initial stationery or invitations. I also want to see the industry itself begin to celebrate diversity a bit more. In my honest opinion…a lot of the work we’re producing…and the work that’s being celebrated…is beginning to look the same. It really bothers me when the industry pigeon-holes vendors into specialization categories. We should celebrate couples for the unit they are/are becoming, and encourage them to do so as well…and not just look at each as an “ideal” or “non-ideal” potential client.

• What is live painting?

  Live painting is AWESOME! It’s hiring an artist to paint, on-site, various elements of the wedding day.

• What are some advantages of hiring a live painter for a wedding?

  I think there are two wonderful advantages to hiring a live painter! One, is that it provides an extra entertainment for your guests! If there are guests who are not necessarily interested in heavy drinking or dancing, they are able to step back and watch the progress of a live painter over the course of the evening. It’s a great conversation starter! Also, because the artist is producing a painting, you have the ability to capture exactly what you want in that painting. Unlike a photographer, who is limited to capturing the moment and everything that’s in it, a painter can “create” a moment. If your ceremony and reception are in two different locations, you can ask the painter to blend the two! Or, if you happen to have some loved ones who weren’t able to physically make it to the wedding, you can ask the painter to include their likenesses in the final painting! It’s really up to you!

• Any special projects in the works?

  I am SUPER excited for all of my spring/summer wedding art! Each project is highly personalized and truly allows me to flex my creative muscles…pushing what “wedding art” truly means! I’m also super stoked for my seasonal live painting opportunities coming up…the majority of which will be capturing venues and ceremonies! Those are two things very close to my heart!

• What should brides know about Brittany? 

  Oh man! Brittany the person can be a lovingly scatterbrained goofball! She adores her pilot hubby Tim and rescue fur baby Bolt. She can’t paint without a vanilla candle burning or sipping on a Starbucks very berry hibiscus refresher. She’s also obsessed with water or being near the water. As an artist and vendor, Brittany never takes for granted the opportunity to be a part of someone’s most special day, or even just creating a piece that will mean the world to someone. She very recently quit her full-time career to paint full-time. So, it truly warms her heart when someone trusts her to create something for them…because it’s also supporting her entrepreneurial dream!