Live Wedding Painting at Château de la Tour: Two Traditions, One Canvas

Ophélie wrote to me a full year before her wedding.

A year! Her question was short and to the point: was it possible to paint live on her wedding day?

It was. And I had no idea yet how much I would love that day.

A Couple Who Plans Ahead (and Loves Art)

Contacting a live wedding painter a year in advance says a lot about a couple. Ophélie and Christian knew exactly what they wanted, and they cared about art. Not only did they want a painting of their day, they also wanted their guests to leave with a little keepsake.

I will come back to that in a moment, because it led to my favourite kind of collaboration.

Château de la Tour, Gouvieux: A Castle on a Lawn

The wedding took place at the Château de la Tour in Gouvieux, north of Paris, near Chantilly. It is a romantic estate with timbered façades, red accents and a long green lawn that rolls out in front of the main house.

It was also the perfect subject for a canvas. I worked from a reference photo of the building, and kept the whole scene wide and generous: the château, the lawn, and the couple kissing under the burgundy-draped arch.

Two Traditions, One Wedding

Here is the part I loved most.

Christian is Vietnamese, like me. So on the day I had the joy of seeing the couple in two outfits: first the “European” look, a white dress and a suit, and later the ao dai, the traditional Vietnamese dress, in red and in blue.

I adore weddings that include both of a couple’s traditions. It makes the whole day feel more personal, and it gave me a very warm feeling of home.

Painting Among the Guests

I set up my easel and started, as I always do, with an orange underpainting. The warm base helps me judge the values and gives the finished painting a quiet glow.

Live Painting and Guest Portraits: Why I Don’t Do Both

Remember the keepsake for the guests? Ophélie and Christian wanted both: a live painting and a personal portrait for everyone who came.

Here I have to be honest. I do not offer a package with both at the same wedding, because it is humanly impossible for me to do either of them justice if I do both. A live painting needs my full attention from the first brushstroke to the last. So I suggested an event painter I knew from social media, Faustine Jolivot, and the couple booked her for the guest portraits while I focused on the canvas.

Live painting or guest portraits: which should you choose?

If you are torn between the two, here is how I see it:

• A live wedding painting gives you one large canvas of your day, a single piece of art to hang at home.
• Guest portraits give every guest a small watercolour to take home, and keep them entertained during the cocktail hour.

If you want both at the same wedding, do what Ophélie and Christian did: book two artists.

Two Little Boys and a Paintbrush

During the performance, I always invite guests to add a brushstroke to the canvas. This time, two little boys became my biggest fans.

They followed the whole process with real enthusiasm, and when I held out the brush, they got to add their own brushstroke. There is nothing like a child’s concentration when they are allowed to paint on a real wedding canvas. It was one of my favourite moments of the evening.

If you love the idea of guests joining in, you can read about the surprise at Ferme du Lignon in Geneva, or about the lively brushwork debate at Château du Feÿ in Burgundy.

The End of the Night, and the Studio Finish

By the end of the evening, the canvas was ready to be shown, and so were we: smiling, and very happy.

Slide to compare the photograph of the couple with the final painting, after the studio touch-ups. | Photography: GC Photographie

I can’t recommend Linh enough! A huge thank you for her incredible work on our wedding day. Her live paintings were not only stunning — they truly captured the essence of our love. She brought such a special, artistic energy to our celebration. If you’re looking for a talented live wedding painter who creates unforgettable custom wedding artwork, she’s the one. Thanks again for everything!

Ophélie and Christian, thank you for trusting me a year in advance. It was an honour.

Planning a wedding near Paris, or a destination wedding in France?

Tell me about your date, your venue and the traditions you want to celebrate. I would love to hear your story.

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The Creative Team

• Wedding Venue | Château de la Tour
• Photographer | GC Photographie (Gwendoline Chopineau)
• Ceremony Officiant | Evenemenciel (Myriam Tyrban)
• Guest Portraits | Faustine Jolivot
• Assistant & Additional Photography | @pichou_
• Live Painter | Dang de toi