Guest Portraits

Why should you have live portraits at your wedding? It’s a great mix of entertaining your guests and giving them something of quality they can keep, and even put on their wall! You can’t say that about many favours. It makes a lovely reminder of your wedding!

There are times during the day when the guests don’t have a lot to do, and live portraits are perfect for this! People can have their portrait done or watch other portraits being drawn. Typically this would be the time before, after the reception, or even during the evening, but it can be any other time that’s suitable. I am happy to take a break in between the busy times.

The portraits can be drawn on paper or digitally on my tablet, in which case your guests get a digital portrait sent to their phone or email when finished, or download it from an online gallery. There are quite a few advantages of doing it that way, for example the digital portrait won’t get damaged or left behind accidentally, and more than one person can enjoy having the copy or even prints afterwards. Each portrait is completely free-hand drawn the same way it would be on real paper.

I offer 3 styles for guest illustrations:

Live Guest Portraits Inspired by Quentin Blake

If you would like to have something fun and lighthearted, this is the option to go for. Fastest style. Choose this one if you want to make your guest laugh.
About 4-5 minutes per face

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Illustrative Guest Portraits

Illustrative, stylised drawings, choose this style if you want your guests to go: “Awwww!” when they see it.
About 6-7 minutes per face

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Sketch Portraits

This style is similar to the Story of Your Wedding style. The most realistic style.
About 8-9 minutes per face.

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There are two options for doing the drawing:

• Drawing live while people sit for me. This is the more natural and fun option as we would usually get a bit of time to chat and the sketches will feel less staged, people relax a little after the initial “photo face”, you can only keep it for so long anyway 🙂 . I do try to make people feel comfortable.
• Drawing from a photo that I take. These will be the most posed and least natural drawings.

How Many Guests Can I Sketch?

It very much depends on the style of the drawing, the more detailed style takes longer but it also depends on the situation, there can be delays between guests coming for example. If you have a lot of guests it’s likely I won’t be able to draw everyone, so please do get in touch, I will be very happy to suggest the best option and what it realistic. The drawing is done on first come first served basis.