The wedding industry was purportedly worth a staggering $70.3 billion in the United States as of 2023—it’s not difficult to understand why after seeing the lengths people go to celebrate their special day.
From venues, food, and decorations to videographers, hotels, and other bespoke services to help couples celebrate their union, there’s a potential for a lot of money to be spent.
The average American drops $30,000 on their wedding day, which is more than the median down payment for a home in 26 States.
It’s not uncommon for folks to call out brides and grooms for the amount of money that they spend on their ceremonies and receptions. Now, a wedding painter is going viral for the amount of money she charged a couple for a live painting of them at their wedding.
A TikToker named Quinn (@kwen4u) stitched a clip showing an example of one of these live paintings the artist in question created for a bride and groom. Quinn, along with several other users on the platform, questioned the artist’s pricing structure in the clip, with many stating that they didn’t believe the quality of the painting the couple received was worth what the artist was purportedly charging.
@kwen4u #stitch with @BeccaPaintsLive if i payed over a thousand dollars i would cry 😭😭 #weddingpainting #wedding #maipaintslive ♬ original sound – quinn
Quinn writes in a text overlay of the video, “No hate to the painter at all, but she [paid] over $1,200 plus travel fees for this painting. it’s not a bad painting at all but..”
The camera then pans over to the painting, which was on display at the wedding. The bride speaks to the artist, stating that she’s going to change and then come back to the reception area with her groom.
The TikToker then highlights a screenshot of a now-deleted page from the artist’s website, advertising the services that they provide—”CHOOSE YOUR MAGICAL MOMENT I do a custom package for each and every couple. The prices start at $1,200 and the canvas sizes range from 16″ x 20″ – 48″ x 60.” The Daily Dot confirmed that this page was live before it was taken down after the backlash.
The Daily Dot also reached out to Quinn via TikTok comment. Judging from the comments left by TikTokers who saw Quinn’s post, it didn’t seem like they were too enthused with the outcome of the artist’s work.
“Like it looks like a South Park drawing,” one person wrote.
Another penned, “I wish I had this kind of confidence in my pricing,” while someone else remarked, “I am realizing I am not nearly delusional enough in my skills.”
However, one TikTok user wrote that the bride must’ve known what she was getting upon seeing the artist’s work.
“The thing is the painter has pictures posted of her drawings and style so she had to have known what it would look like,” they said.
The Daily Dot was able to get in contact with the artist, who wished to remain anonymous, via email. In the interview, the artist shared how they had been a painter for 20 years, which included doing pet portraits and art classes for at least 14 years.
They said they “started live wedding painting just before Covid happened” and spoke to the aesthetic of their work.
“I am not a realistic painter and have never claimed to be,” they wrote. “I have a style I call abstract but I do get caught up in some details. I tell my clients that the faces will not be detailed. They always see my previous work before hiring me. They tell me what they want and I do it.”
The painter also addressed the online debate surrounding their painting in the TikTok, stating the main reason they shared the clip online was to highlight how happy and “cute” the bride was. They also added that the couple was very pleased with the end result, along with wedding guests and members of their family.
“It’s been fascinating to watch this unfold. I was so naive to put up that video with a terrible shot of the live painting of the couple at the end,” the artist shared. “…I thought I’d get a few bookings from it. It didn’t even occur to me that they’d even notice the painting or I would’ve made sure it looked better.”
The artist explained how the lighting affected how the painting looked but assured that the bride and groom did not dislike the artwork at all.
“They loved it. The groom thanked me 3 times. The mom thanked me and said it was perfect. Not to mention the swarms of gorgeous people who encircled my easel all night telling me how great I was!” they said. They also confirmed that the couple did indeed pay them $1,000, stating that they would “never misrepresent what my services are to include.”
The painter continued that they have been reading the responses to their work online and that it was “disheartening” to see so many individuals critique their creations.
“I’ve read every comment. I did see people defending me but they had to agree it was bad even after saying that the clients see my work first,” the artist said. “The overwhelming majority was so filled with hatred that it’s like all of these ‘commenters’ don’t realize there’s another human being on the other side of this.”
They also found the “fixation with [their]…pricing” to be “really weird,” and spoke to the experiences customers have had with their work.
“I’ve never had an unhappy client ever that I can think of,” the artist said. “Maybe a tweak here or there on a mural…Over 20 years, I have created many original works that I have sold, done probably 200 murals, 100 pet portraits/commissions, many weddings, and 14 years of countless painting classes/camps for kids and adult sip n paint classes.”
The artist concluded their interview with, “I would say that that would not have been possible if my clients were not ‘generally satisfied’ with my services.”
