The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

Episode 6 Art Teacher Turned Live Painter: Hannah Brauckmann Art

• James

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A painting can hold a feeling the way a photo can’t, and that’s exactly why we sat down with live wedding painter Hannah to unpack how memories become brushstrokes. From her leap out of the classroom into the aisle, she shares the unfiltered path—early nerves, comparison traps, and the moment she realized success had to fit life as a new mom.

We dig into the nuts and bolts: how she uses impressionistic realism to honor a scene without copying a photo, why the first kiss and aisle walk are popular picks, and how to plan your composition so the final piece reflects your vision. Hannah walks through her full workflow—pre‑event calls, mood and color planning, blocking in backgrounds before guests arrive, capturing reference from the key moment, and taking the canvas home to refine so it stands the test of time. For couples curious about watercolor guest portraits, she explains realistic on-site limits and smart ways to deliver finished sketches with thank‑you cards.

This conversation is also a playbook for choosing the right artist. We cover style fit, experience in tricky lighting, weather contingencies, and the red flags to avoid when a painter won’t hop on a call. On the business side, Hannah opens up about the tools that changed everything: a solid CRM, email templates, and occasional assistants to protect creative energy. We talk venues and logistics too—floor plan placement, an outlet, and basic hospitality go a long way. Threaded through it all is Hannah’s perspective on faith, memory, and making art that carries meaning long after the bouquet toss.

Thinking about adding a live painter to your day or testing the waters as an artist yourself? Press play to learn how to plan the perfect scene, set expectations, and get the most value from the experience. If you’re enjoying The Preferred List, subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more couples and vendors find the show.

Check out Hannah's work here:

https://www.instagram.com/hannahbrauckmann.art/

https://hannahbrauckmann.art/

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to the Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker. I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen. Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way. Let's meet today's wedding vendor. Hey Hannah, how's it going?

SPEAKER_02:

I am going well.

SPEAKER_00:

Going well. I am super excited to have you on today because you're not a photographer. As we said before, there's a lot of photographers. We love all of them, but you are a live painter. And I'm just so excited to hear more about your journey and what it is to have a live painter at a wedding day. So thanks for being on.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, thank you for inviting me.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So just give me a little bit of a backstory about how you got started as a live painter.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I have always been an artist. Ever since like middle school, high school, I went to college for art as well, art education. And I always thought the only thing I could do with art education was being an art teacher. So that was my track. That's what I did. That's what I trained to do. And I did that for a couple years. It's actually really hard to get a teaching job in Pennsylvania at all. So I didn't even get to teach art for two years, maybe. I was subbing, I was bouncing around school districts. And I finally landed in art position. And come to find out, I didn't really like doing it all that much. Um, a lot of teaching is behavior management and not, I didn't really get to do art with them, which is what I wanted to do really badly. And um I was, you know, what else can I do with an art degree? It's very limited for artists unless you're like selling out galleries, which I was not doing. And I actually uh on TikTok found a real or no, I guess it was a TikTok of a live painter. And I was like, what is this? This is very interesting. I could maybe do this. Um, that was in 2022 or 21. I don't know when TikTok was like really big. Yeah. And I asked a couple friends who had weddings coming up if I could try it out at their weddings. So I doubled up for a year teaching and live painting and then eventually quit teaching altogether and dove into live painting instead. So it was a a it came to me. I didn't really chase after it until I realized it was a lot of fun and it was something else I could do.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's it's so funny. You spend all the time trying to get the thing that you're looking for, and then you get there and you're like, oh, this isn't what I thought it was gonna be.

SPEAKER_02:

No, it was not at all, which was disappointing, but also uh it opened a new door for something else, which was exciting.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so you were painting and doing art like alongside of teaching, or were you kind of just focused more so on just like trying to find that teaching job?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I it was like a full-time job of both. I was doing I was focused on teaching because that's what I thought was like definitely more important, but I had just a few that year. I had like four or five weddings that same year. So I was really focused on making those as good as possible. And then also on the side, trying to like what can I do on social media that'll bring people to me? And what else can I paint that will show people that I'm good at this and I know what I'm doing? So it was a lot of learning during that time.

SPEAKER_00:

And we met at a wedding that I was actually I did photo for a couple. Was that your first yeah?

SPEAKER_02:

It was my first one ever, yes. I was so nervous that day.

SPEAKER_00:

Just so fun. I mean, the couple was they were awesome, amazing, yeah. Yeah, but that was so fun. I mean, um, sorry. I felt the same thing, but I was trying to figure out how to.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I'm all clogged up right now.

SPEAKER_00:

No, you're good. Um so it was so fun to meet you and hear that that was your first wedding. You were just getting started. Yeah. Um, talk to me about the journey from that wedding, uh, which was in 2023.

SPEAKER_02:

Three? Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Until now.

unknown:

Boy.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, that that wedding, I was sweating the whole day. I was so nervous. I was like, It was also very hot though. It was hot. I got there, I set up, and I realized I actually I don't know what I'm doing at all. This is my first time here. Thank God that they were the nicest people ever. And I was also doing it for free, so it didn't have to be great, but I wanted it to be great. So I put a lot of pressure on myself and it ended up being fine. I actually have a story to tell you later that involves you from that day. But um from that day uh until now, I've gone through a lot of overcoming comparison and overcoming self-doubt. Haven't even really fully overcome the self-doubt part, but lots of like settling into my own. Um I've had to really come to not come to terms with, but just kind of self-realize like, okay, everybody's art style is different. I'm my success doesn't look the same as somebody else's success. Um, fully booked for me doesn't look like fully booked for Susie Painter. Susie Painter. Um yeah, it's been a long journey of just figuring out who I am as an artist, as as a grown-up who graduated college, as a business owner. There's a lot of hats you have to wear in the wedding industry, which I have learned over the past couple years.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, there's a ton. I mean, you're doing all the things.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and no one tells you that. No one tells you that because I thought I would just be painting like at leisure, but no, I'm answering emails, I'm booking calls, I'm writing con. I'm doing a lot of stuff that isn't fun all the time.

SPEAKER_00:

So you're I mean, I feel the same with video. It's so easy to open up Instagram, for example, scroll through and be like, wow, my stuff doesn't look like their stuff. But in that though, you're probably, I would, I would assume you're you're finding your own style. Like, how would you describe, and maybe it's shifted from that first wedding that I saw you at to now, but like how would you describe your style? Um, maybe more specifically for like the portraits that you do for couples?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, well, I would describe my painting style as impressionistic realism, which might not mean anything to anybody listening, but which that just means um I'm I'm looking at your photo, I'm using your photo as a reference. It's not gonna look exactly like the photo. It's gonna look more artistic, it's gonna look um maybe a little bit less detailed, but the essence of what you look like and what the day looks like is going to be there.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So you're trying to represent what you actually saw. Are you taking like the same type of moments and painting those, or are they sort of like a vast variety of like different moments that you're pulling?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, it depends on what the couple wants, really. I the majority of my work is either the first kiss or them walking back down the aisle and getting like the flower arch and the greenery, or sometimes it's a church, wherever I'm at. Um, the ceremony moment tends to be the one that people want painted, they want to remember. Um, but yeah, it is a variety. I've had people pose. I I painted uh my friends got married and I painted them. They were sitting on a ski lift. They that was really important to them. Yeah, it was really cute. Um, I've painted a dip before, I've painted from photographs after the fact before too. So there, I would like for there to be more variety. I'm still waiting to do a first dance. So if anybody wants their first dance painted, I'd love to do it. But yeah, there it's really up to what the people want.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. What are the different types of painting services that you offer for weddings?

SPEAKER_02:

So I paint the big canvases, they're it's just called live wedding painting that I have different canvas sizes, um, ranging from 16 by 20, which is like I I view that as small. Some people view that as big, I view that one as small, all the way up to 24 by 36, which is like ginormous. Yeah. Um, and then I also do the guest portraits, the watercolor live illustrations, um, which are a ton of fun, but a completely different thing. Yeah. I basically do two separate visits. It's kind of like the same as photo or video. Gotcha. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's a great comparison. Are you getting booked for both at the same wedding? Are you really only doing one at a time? No. Oh my gosh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I have had people ask, can I do both of them? And I'm like, well, if you want a really unfinished painting, I can do both of them. But no, I can I'm a one-woman show right now. I can only do one at a time.

SPEAKER_00:

So talk to me through your process um on both like you can kind of separate it. So just the live painting and then the guest portraits. What's your process look like day of for both of those? And maybe there's some stuff that you're doing beforehand to kind of get more of an idea of who the couple is or what they're looking for, what they're most excited about for their live painting.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So if someone reaches out to me and says they want a live painting, they will I have like an inquiry form on my website, and I'll get as much information on that form as possible to alleviate annoying questions down the road. Like, what what day is your wedding? What time does it start? All that's out of the way already. Um, and if I am available that day, then we'll book a call and I'll get more of an idea of when you close your eyes, what does your wedding feel like? What colors do you want there to be? I'm trying to get a visual of what's gonna be happening. Um, how many people are going to be there? What dresses are your bridesmaids gonna be wearing? Things like that. What time of day is it? Am I do I have to prep for a nighttime or like a golden hour? Um, and then from there we will try to compose the painting. So I asked them, Do you what moment would you like? First kiss, aisle walk, a dip. Do you want to do a different pose later on? So we'll get that chosen. Um, and then I asked them, do you want more scenery in the painting, like the green stuff and the background, or do you want to be up close and personal or kind of in the middle? I'd I'd try to get a composition like sketch done basically, because it helps to make those decisions beforehand. So when we have our check-in meeting later, it's not like I don't know, can you just decide for me because I have too many things on my plate, which it's your painting. I don't want to make the decisions for you. Um, but once all that's set up and we have like the timeline, I've talked to the planner in the venue and everything about where I'm gonna be, then I show up, depending on what the moment is. So if it's the wedding ceremony, I will try my best to get there like two hours before, so I can set up and then paint as much of the plain stuff as I can, as much of like the shapes and the base colors and everything, so that when people start arriving and the ceremony happens, the guests have something to look at. And I'm not starting from scratch. And then from there I'll get whatever photo references, color references that I need, and I'll wait until your moment happens. I'll get a photo or video of that happening. And if it turns out really bad, then I'll pull you aside and say, Can we do that one more time? Which has happened before. But once I get the reference correct, then I will just paint until the cows come home, I guess. And the uh ceremonies or the receptions over, and oftentimes I will take the painting home to finish it. And I warn that, I warn them of that ahead of time because every painter is different. Some people can finish them in three hours, and some people take uh two months, like me. But I also do that because I don't want to feel rushed. If you're paying me and investing in this work of art, I do not want it to feel rushed or like I didn't put all of my effort into it. So I take it home to make sure it is like up to your standards and your expectations before it goes home with you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's cool. I mean, you're kind of setting the scene for like most of it to be happening kind of in front of everyone who's there. Yeah. And is that kind of like like how do you handle the pressure of like, I don't know, Uncle whoever, just like over your shoulder and like looking and like all the people that are kind of walking by?

SPEAKER_02:

I get well, you'd actually be surprised how many people are like don't want to bother me or are intimidated by what I'm doing. Um, but I will have Uncle Joe's come up behind my shoulder and be like, I can't even paint a stick figure. And I'm like, Yes, you can. You can totally do that. Um, but yeah, I I do that. I set up as much of a I set up as much as I can beforehand because live painting, it is something for you, but it's also entertainment for your guests. It's also another aspect of like this is a cool thing that I want you to see. Yeah, I invited you here. Look at this piece of art that's happening here. So it's it's a gift for yourself and it's also another guest entertainment piece.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and you're staying pretty much to the whole reception, just painting that whole time.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, for the most part, yeah. I might pack up like an hour early, depending on it's a very touch and go thing. So if I it's really easy to overwork a painting. So if I get to a point where I'm like, if I touch this again, I'm gonna ruin something. I will walk away or I'll let it sit and let I'll get out of the way so people can come see it. Um, I like to go the full time. I also have a baby at home. So like if bedtime's going poorly, I'll pack up ends at home to help. But yeah, for the most part, I'm there ceremony and reception.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. It's I'd have to imagine the reaction the couple might have. Like, that's gotta be so cool to see like your work in front of them and them being like, What are you? How did you even do this?

SPEAKER_02:

The reactions are the most fun part of the job for sure. Um, sometimes I have to like block with my body because I don't want them to see it and they'll get like sneaky glances. But for the most part, people want to be surprised as well. So yeah, at that wedding we did together, I was literally holding like a towel over the painting and moving the easel. I was like, dude, not look at it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Because they had the best reaction ever.

SPEAKER_00:

They did.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, yeah, that to for me to work on something and stare at it all night and be like, I don't know if this is going well, or I have to fix that thing and that thing, and other people to come up and be like, This is amazing. I know. Okay, maybe I'm doing something right for that.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, I'd have to imagine for photo and video and all these like creative mediums. Most of the time, couples aren't they're not really seeing the like nitty-gritty stuff that we see.

SPEAKER_02:

They're not picking it apart.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because you said that thing about like if I if I touch this one more time, I'm gonna ruin it. And I've I feel like I've had that like gut reaction to a film. I'm like, I can't it, I just need to set this aside and then come back to it.

SPEAKER_02:

I have ruined them before too. So I know now when to stop.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. No, that's so fun. So that's your process for the live painting, the couple's portraits. What's the process look like for the guest portraits that you're doing? Um, sort of similar, sort of different.

SPEAKER_02:

It's pretty similar. It's a lot less um pre-wedding work because there's not many questions the couple can really answer. It's more so how many people are gonna be there? How much paper do I need to prep? And just so you know, I'm not gonna finish everybody there unless you have a small wedding. I have done like 50-person weddings, 60-person weddings that I finished everybody there, but I regularly get like 150, 175, and I'm like, that's a lot of work for five hours.

SPEAKER_00:

Are they like is everyone coming up?

SPEAKER_02:

And not everybody comes up. A lot of people are again unsure of what's going on. I do my best with my signage to explain in as little words as possible what is happening at the table. But some people just also like don't care.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, which is fine. It's not everyone's cup of tea. But that process is the same. I will have a quick call with the couple when they are booking me about just like what it looks like for me to be there, what time I'm gonna get there, how long I'll be there, what my setup needs. And then um, I give them that same warning. I might not finish everybody, but I I will take it home and finish and I'll send it all to you. And people usually give those out like with their thank you cards, or like if it's close to Christmas, there'll be Christmas gifts for them.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's like a perfect little like in the thank you note personal kind of thing. That's so fun.

SPEAKER_02:

Are those what size are the I standard size is five by seven, but I've had four by six, I've had some people choose eight by ten. So it it's just dependent again on what the couple wants.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and then pretty much all of what you're doing is watercolors, or is there kind of like a different medium?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, for those, I will do watercolor and then I will outline everything with a little skinny ink marker just to give it some so it doesn't look so unfinished. Yeah, because sometimes watercolor will like run across the page and like, oh my gosh, well, his shirt isn't that big. So yeah, I'll outline everything and then add my little Hannah Brockman at the bottom.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's so fun. So I would assume that none of your couples have like hired a painter for anything before they're maybe hiring you to come paint for them. Do you feel like there's a lot of like education that you have to kind of provide for couples in that, or are they coming to the table with some knowledge on the painting side of things?

SPEAKER_02:

I think for the most part they know what a wedding painter is, they've seen it on TikTok or Instagram and are interested in pursuing what they've seen. Um, but if parents join the call, I do have to explain what the heck is happening because they're wedding painter, what is that?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, and I am happy to explain it all. And also, I don't always get the bride and groom asking. I get sometimes a maid of honor or a mother wanting to give a gift. So in those instances, I do explain what is happening uh more clearly with more detail because it is pretty new still. Yeah, it's not new to me. I've been doing it for a couple years now, so I assume everybody else also knows what's going on, but it's fairly uh new to the scene still.

SPEAKER_00:

When couples are reaching out to live painters, what what's some stuff that you wish they knew or um things that they should consider when they're reaching out to live painters?

SPEAKER_02:

That's a great question. Um people should definitely be uh aware that all painters are different. It's the same as like as your handwriting. You it's really hard to copy somebody else's handwriting because you have your own way that your hand holds a pencil. It's the same for painters. If you see a painting on Pinterest and you're like, I want that, you gotta find that artist because another artist is not gonna be able to recreate what you've seen. They will they could try, but they'll do it in their own way. Yeah, and so you should always be asking or always be looking for a portfolio or earlier work to make sure you're happy with it. And also the basics of like, if something goes wrong, what do you do? If it rains and we can't get the golden hour sunny shot, like what's our backup plan? Do you have experience painting outside versus inside versus nighttime? Just getting an idea of what they've done before and what their experience is can be really helpful and potentially save you from a disaster if something were to go wrong.

SPEAKER_00:

So, in that like rainy day scenario, are you only painting like that scene as it's happening? Or have couples asked you like, hey, could you put that sunset in there?

SPEAKER_02:

or Yeah, totally I mean, that's one of the things that we would determine beforehand in that meeting where I'm getting all their all the questions out of the way. If it were to rain, would you rather your painting be true today of, or do you really want that sunny sky? That's something that um I can prep for with I could go to the venue if it's not too far from my house, go to the venue beforehand and get some photos just in case. Or if they're cool with the painting a cloudy sky, then I'll transfer that idea onto the canvas instead. But that's something that would hopefully be decided beforehand. Gotcha. So you're going into it knowing I'm knowing plan A and plan B, and I'm making up plan C if we need it.

SPEAKER_00:

No, I love that. So um you're creative at heart, I can tell, but you're also a business owner and a mom. And a wife. Like, how do you manage all of those different avenues that like life's pulling you in?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, very imperfectly is how I manage that. Um first and foremost, I am a wife and a mom, and that will always be my first job and my first calling. And that takes up most of my day. So I do my best to manage nap time well, and I do my best to manage nighttime well, so I can get the necessary hours of painting practice and uh not letting emails sit too long, but it is secondary, and I I do I'm making it sound like it's off to the side, and it's not. It's a really important part of my life and my sanity and my creativity and what I do, but it is secondary to my first calling, which is to be present for my family. So, in terms of balance, it's not very balanced. I don't sleep a lot right now. Um, but I can function without that sleep, so it's been fine so far. But yeah, it's I think about that a lot because obviously we want more than one child, but the clock resets every time you have a baby. So I'm kind of like, oh, I'm gonna lose all that time that I finally found out how to get again. But everyone's in that same boat, and that's just how life is.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, well, what's it? So when I saw you at your first wedding, you're then pre-baby fiance, uh, or was he just your boyfriend?

SPEAKER_02:

At that time, actually. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so he was there literally like helping all day. But like, what's it mean to have that support system um in your life to also like help support. I mean, obviously, there's support like family stuff, but like more so specifically in your business to be like, go do the things like I got your back, I'm here for you.

SPEAKER_02:

He is really, really good at that. I will work myself into the ground making sure our house is clean and things are taken care of. And he's like, I'll watch her for two hours. Please go do something else. Please make sure you answer those emails. Make sure that you get some painting done. If I if he wasn't doing that, I'd it would look really different for me. So he has been extremely supportive from day one, especially that first year. I wanted to quit like a hundred times. Oh, really? Yeah, I felt like I was doing everything right and I wasn't. Obviously, I had so much to learn, but I wasn't getting inquiries. I wasn't my painting, wasn't up to my own standard, I wasn't meeting my own expectation. And I was like, I'm done. Yeah. A couple of different times. And he was like, You're not done. You will keep trying and it will be successful, and everything will be fine. So, really, this business is actually mostly thanks to him, or else it would have been in the ground like two years ago.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. That's so cool to see the journey that you've been on. Are you doing like a certain number of weddings every year? Is there like a goal that you have in mind? Are you kind of just like, whatever's coming in, you're just kind of doing?

SPEAKER_02:

It's mostly whatever's coming in, but I have found that this year I maxed myself out having the baby and having uh more weddings and more places to travel. So, like I said, success looks different for everybody. My first year of success was three free paintings. This year it was it's more like 15. And not free. No, not no. I did one for free, actually, because it was a venue that I wanted to go to. But um, yeah, it's been every year is different, and I take as much as I can until I'm like, okay, I'm in over my head, I have four paintings to finish. I need to not do this to myself next time.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um what do you want people to feel when they're working with you?

SPEAKER_02:

That's a big question. I would love for them to feel like they are being heard and they are being taken care of, and that their vision is in good hands. Um it's a really emotional thing to have a painting done. And I do my best to handle those very well because it's not always even a live wedding painting that I'm doing. I'm I'm doing portraits of newborns, I'm doing portraits of pets that have passed away, and those things are really heavy for people sometimes. So I want them to feel like their thing that they want represented is in good hands, and I will take care of it and I will put my energy and effort towards what you need to happen. Um, rather than it just being like a transactional thing. I really don't want it to feel business-y at all, even though it's a business and it's my livelihood. I would rather it feel like this is my heart, I am giving it to you. Or no, they say this is my heart, I'm giving it to you, and I'm receiving that and saying I will do my absolute best with this moment, with this memory, with this heart of yours, and give it back to you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I love that. Um is there a part of your painting approach that you feel like stands out from other live painters?

SPEAKER_02:

I definitely think so. I this business only exists because God has allowed it to exist for me. And each uh painting that I do. First and foremost is to the glory of God because He has given me the talent and the ability to be able to make these things happen. Yeah. Um, and each moment that I'm painting is somebody's blessing. A wedding ceremony is a blessing from God, a new baby is a blessing, a beloved pet or a family portrait. Those are all blessings that people are given, gifts that people are given. So my approach to art is to give glory to the creator that has given us those things. And then also, I am really obsessed with like holding on to memories and making sure things don't fade away. I have kept like every birthday card I've ever received ever. So when somebody says, Hey, I want this family portrait painted, maybe like a grandparent passed away or something, and this would be really meaningful to them. I am painting with that eternal mindset that I have. And then also memories are really important to keep alive. And we want to celebrate the joy that we had when they were happening. So aside from like the physical style that I paint in, I also have a very emotionally emotional attachment to all the things that I'm making for people. And I think, and that's not to say that other artists aren't doing that and don't have that, but that is what fuels me to continue.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's at the forefront of your mind when you're doing your art. Yeah. Um, is there kind of speaking to like venues on the wedding painting side of things? Is there something that venues can do? Like, what could they do to help your job be easier or be smoother? Or is there something that like when you go to a venue like, oh my gosh, thank you for having this thing.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, access to an outlet is actually the number one thing that's really helpful.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Or even being on the floor plan at all, I've been forgotten on floor plans before. And um when people just like remember that I'm coming is actually huge. Um who are you again? Some people, I had a bride last year. Oh, I forgot you were coming. You hired me to come. What do you mean? Um, but yeah, in terms of venues and planners, just for them to be like, okay, you're in this corner, and here's your table, and here's your outlet, and here's your window. Thank you. That's all I need to be successful. Um, I will have people, if you make friends like with the caterers or the white staff, they'll bring you a cup of water. Hey, do you want a sprite? Hey, do you want an hors d'oeuvre? Yes, I do. That always makes the day a little bit better. But yeah, honestly, the basics. I try to run a very low maintenance operation and be like out of the way, try to bring everything I need so I'm not bothering anybody day of. It's very like, I come, I paint, and then I'll leave.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um what's your best advice for couples planning their wedding?

SPEAKER_02:

Um to be flexible. Things change, budgets change, you go over budget, vendors have to cancel, vendors have babies, vendors aren't they're taking a break, you know. A lot of things will come your way. You can plan two years in advance and think you have everything set, and things will not be set. And even if they are perfectly set beforehand, the day up, something's gonna go wrong.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I've never been to a wedding that has been perfect to a T the way it was planned. So just to be flexible and not hold on to your perfect day so tightly, to go in with an open hand and be like, whatever happens, this is still gonna be the best day of my life because I am starting the rest of my life today. As long as you are not so expectant that it would be perfect, I think that's the best advice I could give.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because you from the time I first saw you or met you to now, you got married.

SPEAKER_02:

I did.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So you did all of this planning stuff.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and I realized that I started wedding painting before I had my wedding. I knew literally nothing about what goes into being a vendor, painting, like doing a service for somebody. And then afterwards, I was like, oh, that's why they didn't answer me right after I emailed them.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, what was the biggest takeaway from you planning your own wedding, painting before and painting after?

SPEAKER_02:

Um just understanding the vendor side of things. Uh, vendors are just people trying to make it through the day. They are doing their best to make you happy and also juggling like a million other people trying to make them happy. So if like if the tone of voice in their email comes off as rude, they're probably not being rude. They probably are just like answering five other emails, like understanding that vendors are going to do their absolute best to make your day as perfect and happy and joyful as possible. But they do not have the ultimate ability to give you that happiness. So if you are putting your stock in your vendors and your photographer and your painter and your planner to make your day absolutely perfect, like they're invested in you, but not you are not their life. So when I was reaching out to photographers and trying to figure out who my vendors were gonna be, I wanted them to care so much about my wedding. And I've come to realize like as a vendor, I care, I care a lot, but at the end of the day, it is still a job for all the vendors, it is still like their livelihood, it is still tiring for them. So just to, as you're on like the wedding side of things, give grace to people. Everyone is just a person like doing their best.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. No, I I the happiness thing is an interesting thing I had not thought about. Is like I would imagine there's a good number of couples that are placing that like whether or not they're happy on a vendor, and they're just another broken person who makes mistakes and might not come through in the perfect way at the perfect time. Um so I I guess like focusing, kind of getting that the mindset right before the day, before as you're kind of reaching out to all these vendors.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, just for your joy to be intrinsic and not um putting that burden on other people because those other people don't know you're putting that burden on them to make yourself happy or to make your day perfect. So as long as you are, you know, get married for the right reason because you love somebody and make your wedding day a celebration of families coming together and not this needs to be picture perfect so that everyone else can see that I had a perfect day.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Because something's gonna go wrong.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, always does.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, when couples are looking for their live painter, you talked a little bit about the style um matching with what they like. Um, are there like red flags when when couples are reaching out and trying to find the live painter that fits best with them? What kind of red flags are there that they should be looking out for?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, you should definitely be looking out for if they are not setting up a meeting with you or a phone call with you, because so much of a painting, again, is emotional. So if you reach out to a painter and they're like, great, it's this much, um, we'll talk later. I would caution because you, your painter, they need to first of all know what's going on visually and know what's going on emotionally, because so much that goes into a painting is emotion. Like if you are planning this moody, elegant, dark fall, winter day, and my paintings are bright pink and yellow and orange, that's not gonna go well. And you didn't know that beforehand because your painter didn't take the time to talk to you about it. So you should always be talking to your vendors, whether that's a phone call or a video. Like a paper trail is great, emails and texts and everything, but having a face-to-face conversation is super important, I think.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I would I would say that for probably most vendor types, maybe I don't know, maybe besides like food or something, but still, even though you gotta go taste that food too. Yeah, it's even then though, they're gonna be people that are interacting with your guests, and it's important in the in the way that you're cultivating your day, um you want the right people there. Even as a creative, like there's a style thing that you're trying to find, but like you want the right people there.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, you want your wedding to be comprised of people who like I don't want to say represent you, but who aren't gonna make your guests uncomfortable and who are gonna be like happy and welcoming and joyful and add to the day instead of take away.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um, thinking more on like the line of business, what's something that has helped you? I mean, we are creatives, but like what's something that's helped you grow as a creative business owner?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, outsourcing as much as possible. I recently invested in a what's it called? A CRM. Yeah. That is life-changing because I was writing every email off the top of my head by hand. I didn't know. I didn't know. Um, but it was recommended to me by a couple of friends. And yeah, if you can get your time back, even if it's a minute or two a day, it will add up to like more time. You'll have more time back. Um, yeah, outsourcing whatever does not have to be super personal, has been really helpful on the business side. Like email templates, um being able to send pictures and not like create something from scratch to show. Yeah. And that also comes with like time in the industry and having more examples and having more conversational experience. But you you gotta start somewhere.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And I started from zero. So really everything that I've done so far has been helpful to the business.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, but you'd say the CRM.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, outsourcing emails. If I mean, I'm not at this point yet, but I've I know that virtual assistance can be extremely helpful and take a huge load off of people's backs. So maybe eventually, and even having an assistant day of like I've had my sister come to a wedding, I've had uh Joe was with me, my my assistant for free.

SPEAKER_00:

Um those are the best.

SPEAKER_02:

I do pay my assistants now, but um, having someone there to like even answer questions that guests have or to package up the paintings once they're done, anything that you can do to get a couple minutes back, I think is a step in the right direction.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I would if you don't have a CRM and you're a new wedding vendor, you need one, definitely hop on that train. Um, are there other tools or habits that you have that help you continue to run a successful business?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, one thing that I learned recently is to clock in as Ashley. Ashley is your virtual assistant, Ashley is your receptionist, Ashley is your um your email person to separate your time as okay, well, in my case, this is my creative painting time. I'm gonna have an hour for this. But first, Ashley needs to get all these emails answered and Ashley needs to send this contract. If you can compartmentalize that, the businessy stuff out of the way to make more room for the things that people are hiring you for, like your paintings or your photos or your whatever it is, that has been a huge help.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that.

SPEAKER_02:

It's not my I stole it from somebody else. Um, I took a I took a class earlier this year, the the wedding painter's blueprints, and that was seriously helpful. Another thing is if you can learn from people who have more experience than you, yeah, that will help you immensely.

SPEAKER_00:

Are there a lot of other live painters around in this area?

SPEAKER_02:

This area, I think there are a handful, like four or five names that I'm familiar with. Yeah. There are, again, it's still a new thing. So I don't think people know how many there are, but in my I see them pop up everywhere.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um yeah, it's definitely there's a ton in Texas, there's a ton in Colorado.

SPEAKER_00:

There are a lot in like Philadelphia, Florida, Pennsylvania, but um Yeah, I I ask because like in the photo video side of things, most, and I wouldn't say all of them, but most vendors in that category, in those categories, are like very much community over competition. And I was curious if like the painting world is similar.

SPEAKER_02:

It's a very warm and welcoming community, very helpful. People will you could send your painting to the wedding painters Facebook group, and everyone will be like, this is great, just fix this one thing, it'll be even better. It's very community oriented, I would say, which has been like a breath of fresh air.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, for sure. I can imagine, I mean, starting out, it's there's so much that you have to learn so quickly as a business owner, and then you're also trying to like hone your craft as a painter.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it can be really tough, but people are very willing to help lead you in your direction.

SPEAKER_00:

What like what are some of the other like super big takeaways that you've learned? Like your Ashley thing was I mean, I I feel like I need that. You need an Ashley, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, one takeaway from just the overall, like me getting married, me being a business owner, me being a painter, um, you gotta not compare yourself because that will kill you. You'll feel awful, you will think you're not doing enough, you're not doing well enough. But everybody is in their own space, everybody is on their own path. And me starting out looks different than somebody else starting out who already has had a jump start, who already has collectors, who already has people following them. You are not seeing every side of everybody's story, of everybody's journey, of everybody's life. So you cannot compare yourself to only the good things you are seeing in other people. It will, it will set you back.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because there's probably a lot of other not good things that they're not showing.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

In social media specifically.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, you put the best of the best out on social media for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, what's the most memorable or unique uh wedding that you've painted, or or maybe it's like a a scene like your painting that you got to do at a wedding?

SPEAKER_02:

The most memorable one that I did was probably that first one because it was like baptism by fire. I everything was getting thrown at me. I was making mistakes left and right. Yeah, I showed it to them at the end of the night, thinking like they're gonna hate this and I'm gonna have to go home and do it again.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

But they were so happy and they loved it. Um, but yeah, that scene was watercolor, which I've also never done again at a wedding. That was I painted the entire crowd, which I've never done again for a wedding. So I wonder why it is hard. And like people are so easy to mess up. Chairs are so easy to mess up. So I really avoid those at all costs now because I remember from that first one that was really tough. Maybe not my cup of tea. Yeah. But yeah. Um, I think the first wedding that anyone ever does will probably stick out a lot in the brain. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, for sure. So when you're traveling with all of your stuff, like how much stuff are you bringing? And like, how do you get it from point A to point B?

SPEAKER_02:

I'm bringing a lot of stuff with me, but I've since condensed to shoving everything into one suitcase. So I'm not like making trips back and forth. Um, but yeah, I'm just I'm just rocking and I'm I'm throwing bags on my shoulders, I'm lugging my easel around, I'm trying to do everything in one trip because going back and forth is like you're losing time and you're getting tired before the day even starts because everything's really heavy. Yeah. It's if you can condense as much as possible, that is huge. Or if you can just get a bigger bag that fits everything.

SPEAKER_00:

Or a strong assistant to carry all your stuff.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I used to have an assistant. Now he's my babysitter. So I'm doing everything solo.

SPEAKER_00:

Joe, come on. Um, what what kind of like gear recommendations do you have for like a budding wedding painter?

SPEAKER_02:

That's awesome. Um, an easel for sure. A travel easel is gonna be the number one thing that you you need it. You can't do a job without an easel. Um, just a simple French box. They're like$80,$100. Um, you want to know your paints well beforehand. Paint there's paint is like a whole different world. Color theory is a whole different world. Um, you want to be familiar with like the consistencies and how they mix before you get there. So any practice you can give yourself, very helpful. Make sure you have a palette or palette paper, make sure you have a lighting situation, whether it's like a clippy lamp or you know for sure that they have something there for you. Um, and get like a tray table or a little something to put your stuff down because I was holding iPad, brush, water cup, easel, and like painting like this for a while before I figured out I needed like more surface area. Yeah. But yeah, just the basics. You want to try to recreate your studio on the go. It's not gonna be all the same stuff, but as much surface area as you need, and then like your water cup, your paper towels, just everything that you need. And if you forget something, it's not the end of the world, you can send your assistant to Michael's to go get it. Yeah, or you can fix it at home.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's true. Um how do you know if you're a painter out there and you're listening, how do they know that that like weddings are a good fit for them? Live painting at weddings is a good fit. Like, how do they know that that's something that maybe they would be good at or would enjoy?

SPEAKER_02:

I think you're not gonna know until you try it, which is like a really annoying answer because it's like, what's the chicken or the egg? You know, I'm not gonna know if I like it if I do it, and I shouldn't do it unless I like it. But people are always getting married. People are getting married every weekend, people are getting married on Mondays. Like, reach out to a venue close to you and say, Hey, do you have any couples who might be interested in this that I could try for free? Or if you have any friends getting married, or like fringe friends, like acquaintances whose wedding you're not gonna be invited to. Because you want to enjoy the wedding if you're gonna be invited. Hey, are you interested in is this something I could try? And um, if it sucks, then I'll leave. Like, you want you need to you need to know that you're gonna like it before you invest and dive into it. So I would say like figure out places that you could try. And honestly, if you can't find a wedding, like go to a park and give yourself two hours and see what you can get done. Can you work under pressure? Do you enjoy it? Are you getting frustrated? Um, is your is your paint not working well? Do you need more water? Like, figure out all the little things before you make somebody pay you to do it and then realize, oh, this isn't great.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. It's even a good idea, even if you couldn't get toe lighting to just like put yourself in the like live painting scenario.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, the pressure is the number one thing that you can't like predict how you're gonna react.

SPEAKER_00:

So also you can fix it or or finish it at home.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I I tell myself, I every painting I do, I'm like, I need to fix that at home. I need to fix that at home.

SPEAKER_00:

But again, probably all stuff that they're not even seeing. I'm guessing, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. I mean, people will look at a painting that I have only halfway done and they're like, this is great. And I'm like, it's done, right? Yeah, I haven't painted their faces yet.

SPEAKER_00:

Like you don't need to. Um no, I I I feel like recreating that pressure in any way that you could, even if it's not a wedding, to be like set a timer. Is it enjoyable? Like you said, are you getting frustrated and like what's working and what's not working? Even to give yourself a chance to practice before you get to maybe a real wedding that you're maybe not doing for a whole lot of money, or maybe it's free, to at least give yourself like a good chance at success.

SPEAKER_02:

A little bit of a head start, whatever you can give yourself, even if it's just I have nothing to do this Friday night after dinner. I'm gonna paint for four hours and see what I can finish. Yeah, give yourself a frame of reference because people are gonna ask, like, can you finish? What can you get done? If you're like, I can do the background in four hours, you need a little bit more practice.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, or even just an example of like what one of your paintings instead of being like, Well, they would maybe look like this.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and I have been in that position before and they hired me anyway. So maybe you'll get lucky. But yeah, to be able to answer questions that are thrown at you, the only way you're gonna be able to answer them is by practicing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, definitely. That there might not be a specific answer for this question, but what advice would you have for couples trying to decide whether or not a live painter is right for them?

SPEAKER_02:

Um it really is just a matter of is this am I am I trying to follow a trend? Is this something that other people are doing that I want in on, or is this something that I'm gonna love for the next 50 years that I'm gonna be happy to see every day on my wall? Because again, it's a really there's a lot of gravity in a live painting. Like that's the day that you got married to somebody. That's the day that your family started. Um, are you going to look at that every day and feel that in your heart? Or are you gonna look at that every day and say, I spent$4,500 on this and it takes up space on my wall?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So it's the investment. Are you thinking about it as an investment in in kind of capturing the day, the feeling, the emotion, or are you just trying to jump on the bandwagon of like, well, all of my friends got this, so I should maybe try to find someone that can do it?

SPEAKER_02:

It should definitely be a matter of the heart. Am I gonna love this? Is this gonna be worth it for me? Or am I doing it just so other people can say, like my wedding was cool?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Speaking of the trends, are there trends that you're loving in like the live painting? I um even like how much has it changed just like in the landscape of all painters, not just yourself, but like has it changed much over the years and there are trends that you're like loving?

SPEAKER_02:

I have a love-hate relationship with the guest portraits, honestly. I love that people enjoy them so much, and the trends that I'm seeing are people adding their little personal tidbits to them. So some painters I've seen add like glitter or they'll add like background swirlies. And that's a really cool mark as an artist to like somebody looks at this and knows that I made it because I added this cool thing. So I'm loving that. Um, but I also am seeing a lot of people just do that because it's hot, it's popular, and there's not a ton of heart behind what they're making. So it's trending in that direction of it's becoming like more like a cash grab for artists, which I don't love, but the artists who are they have their own style. Like I can look at that and know that Hannah Brockman made that. That's what I am really happy to see happening right now.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I mean, I would imagine that would feel pretty good as an artist, too, for someone to be like, oh, that's a Hannah Brockman piece.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I'm I'm still waiting for somebody to say that to me.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, it's probably not helpful that all this stuff is in people's houses.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, do you see the industry, the live painting industry, like going somewhere the next couple of years? Do you feel like it's kind of at a spot where it's gonna like chill for a bit?

SPEAKER_02:

Um, I definitely see more and more painters popping up. I think it's it's really hot right now. People are joining the industry because there are so many artists who have like nothing to do. They're just painting in their rooms, hoping somebody else likes it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, people interested in art, hiring an artist, that's gonna attract a ton of new people. And then it's also gonna make it explode even more as like a signature vendor. So I see it growing a lot more. I see it becoming a lot more popular. There are career artists who are, hey, I'm gonna start live painting. Like, yes, that's so cool. Continue to grow it because a rising tide raises all ships. So if it's growing and there's more community, I think that is the coolest thing. And I do foresee that happening.

SPEAKER_00:

How can couples get the most value from their live painter that they're booked with?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think that when you decide who your live painter is gonna be, have conversations with them, especially in that setup call or meeting, about what you want the painting to actually look like. Like have your scene kind of in mind. You don't have to have everything decided. But if you can come in with like a framework for your artist to jump off of, that is so helpful because when you come in and say, I just really love live painting, I don't know what I want, but I just know I want a painting, that puts your artist in a really uncomfortable position because this is your wedding and your painting and the thing that's gonna hang in your house for however long. For me to make those decisions about what's gonna be your painting is I don't think that's up for me to decide. It's up for me to decide like shadows and colors and where to put flowers and stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

I would hope I would hope that they would be like trusting you to do that.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, but the scene setting, yeah, I don't want to decide that because what if I really think your first kiss looks great, but you wanted a dip, and now you spent all this money on a first kiss painting that you come to find out you didn't really want. Like, come with again, doesn't have to be all planned out, but come with a few compositional elements that you know you want to be there, and then that can help your artist set the scene.

SPEAKER_00:

You're giving the option or opportunity for couples to come in and and And really give their two cents before it's a very important part of the state.

SPEAKER_02:

It's collaborative. You have an idea, I'm gonna make it happen, but I cannot have the idea and also make it happen.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Or you could, but like you said, you're gonna you might not end up with the same spot that the couple would end up in. And with it being an investment kind of mindset, you want them to have have your expectations ready. Yeah. Um, well, Hannah, thank you so much for being on the preferred list. Uh I've learned a ton, and I hope everyone that's listening has also learned a ton about what a live painter is, what it's not, and all the stuff in between. Um, where can people follow along with your live painting journey?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I'm morally against TikTok, so I only have Instagram, but my Instagram is hanabrockman.art, and that's the same as my website is.art. I don't have a dot com. So if you type that in, I'll come up on Instagram or the internet or Facebook too. But yeah, Hannah Brockman Art, Hannah Brockman.art.

SPEAKER_00:

Awesome. All of that will be linked down in the description below. And that's all for this episode. All right. Thanks for tuning in. I appreciate everyone tuning in. Um, if you're listening, you've been enjoying the preferred list, please make sure you subscribe and let us know what you're thinking about all of these episodes that are coming out. And we'll catch you next time on the preferred list.