How much are wedding painters?

What is the cost of a wedding painter?

Answering this question is going to depend on the requirements of your painting, the location of your wedding, the artists experience level and some other details we will cover later on. Many artists offer several packages for you to choose from, so whether you have a high or low wedding budget, you can be confident you’ll be able to find an artist to suit your requirements.

If you’re considering having a live wedding painter attend your wedding, then it’s probably a good idea that you first understand what key aspects are going to have the greatest effect on the price. This way you have a better starting point and initial figure in mind, when you come to contact your chosen live wedding painter. 

wedding dancing
wedding at night

Here are the 5 key aspects that we have found to have the greatest effect on the cost of commissioning a live wedding painter.

  • The artists experience level and talent
  • The artists’ location relative to your wedding venue
  • The type of package your want
  • The time the artist spends at your wedding venue
  • Any additional requirements you want to have

The Artists Experience Level and Talent

Like all experienced based crafts, the more experience and artists has, the more they are able to charge. This is because of the countless hours of practice and commitment they have put into perfecting their craft. Meaning their ability and quality of work is higher relative to others in their field.

All of this hard work enables them to be more efficient so are able to produce a higher number of quality portraits per hour. Additionally, they are likely to have painted in live situations before, so can provide you and your guests with a more involved experience. 

wedding in the mountains
wedding painting brushes

Painters Location Relative to your Wedding

If an artist is required to travel far or stay over to complete a painting you can expect there to be travel expenses associated. Some of these expenses include:

  • Driving costs for travelling to and from your venue at a cost typically between 40-50p per mile. Usually the first 30-50 miles will be free.
  • Accommodation costs if the artist is required to stay over after your wedding at a rate between £100-£150 per night.
  • Trains and flight fairs if your wedding is too far to drive or abroad. If an artist is required to fly they will also require checked baggage to transport their equipment.
  • Food and drink expenses if food is not provided at your wedding typically between £30-£50 per day.

Live Wedding Painting Package

Many, if not all artists, will offer several packages for you to choose from, each with there own features and prices. If you want them to paint just you and your partner, you and your guests, the scenery or all of the above each will differ in price. As the more feature inclusive package will require more time and effort from the artist, the price will increase. Depending on experience this can range quite a bit, but most artists packages start between £1000-£1200 and can exceed £2000+. This price is likely to be just for the package itself, with no added extras or travel included.

wedding

Optional Extras

You can usually add optional extras to your package including prints of your portrait to hand out to loved ones, additional portraits of guests for them to take home or framing. Not all artists offer these extras and some will offer more, this must be determined before the painting is commissioned.

  • Prints can cost anywhere from £10-£50 per print depending on the quality and size.
  • Additional guest portraits for them to take home range between £125-£1000+, again depending on the size and amount.
  • Framing can vary massively, but we have found them to average between £100-£350 size depending.

The Time the Artist Arrives at your Wedding

Now most artists don’t charge an hourly rate, however some offer smaller, more affordable packages that are based on their time spent at your wedding. You can expect artists to value their time at anywhere between £200-£300 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours required at your wedding venue. This means the shortest time they will spend at your venue will be 2 hours.

This also doesn’t usually apply to weekends or bank holidays as time is more valuable during these days. In this time you can expect most experienced artists to complete between 4-6 paintings at A4 size consisting of only individuals. Couples and family portraits will reduce this number due to their complexity.

Summary

  • Experience Charge = Priceless
  • Location from Venue = 40-50p per mile, £100-£150 per night for accommodation, £30-£50 per day for food/drinks
  • Live Wedding Painters Package = £1000-£2000+
  • Optional Extras = £10-£50 per print, £125-£1000+ for additional guest portraits, £100-£350 for framing
  • Time Spent at Venue = £200-£300 per hour