It’s one of the most tender questions I’m ever asked.
Can you include someone in our wedding painting… even if they weren’t physically there?
For Kim and Stephen’s wedding at the New Haven Lawn Club in New Haven, Connecticut, the answer was yes — and it was handled with great care.
Their reception was filled with energy. The ballroom glowed in soft gold light, the chandeliers reflecting off the polished floors, white florals lining the tables. Family and friends were joyful and fully present, celebrating the beginning of a new chapter.
And yet, there was someone deeply missed.
Before the wedding day, Kim shared photos of her mother with me. We spoke thoughtfully about how she envisioned honoring her — where she might stand within the composition, how she would be dressed, how she would feel in the room. This was not about digitally inserting a figure. It was about reverence. About presence. About love continuing beyond absence.
In the finished painting, her mother stands just behind them, softly illuminated, watching with pride. Not overshadowing the couple. Not removed from the moment. But exactly where she would want to be.
As I painted live during the reception, guests began to gather around my easel. When they realized who I was adding into the scene, something shifted in the room.
There wasn’t sadness in the traditional sense. There was emotion — deep, shared emotion. A collective understanding of how much Kim’s mother meant to everyone there. For a few quiet minutes, it felt almost like a pause in the celebration. A moment of respect.
Art has a way of doing that.
It allows us to hold memory and joy in the same space.
The Responsibility of Meaningful Art
Including someone who has passed away is something I approach with humility. I work from multiple photographs, studying expression, posture, and light so that the figure feels natural within the environment. The direction of the light from the sconces. The warmth in the walls. The balance of color so she belongs in the room — not as an afterthought, but as part of the story.
Years of practicing my craft — studying the figure, refining edges, softening transitions, improving color harmony — are not simply for aesthetic growth. They are preparation for moments like this.
When a couple entrusts me with something so meaningful, I want my skill to be steady enough to carry their vision clearly.
I listen carefully to my clients. Often these requests are shared quietly, sometimes with tears, sometimes with strength. My role is to translate that vision into something tangible — something that will hang on their wall for decades and continue to move them long after the wedding day.
A Celebration of Legacy
Kim and Stephen’s wedding was vibrant and full of life. The guests were engaged, smiling, clapping, celebrating their first dance. But woven into that joy was legacy — the reminder that weddings are not just about two people, but about the generations who shaped them.
When someone cannot physically attend, it does not erase their impact.
Through paint, we can acknowledge that impact.
As you watch the video from this evening, you’ll see the crowd gathered around the easel. What you won’t see are the many more guests who stepped forward after filming stopped. There was curiosity, then recognition, then emotion.
It was one of those rare moments where celebration and remembrance stood side by side — and neither diminished the other.
So yes, you can add someone into a wedding painting who wasn’t at the event.
When done thoughtfully, it becomes more than a painting.
It becomes an heirloom of presence, memory, and enduring love.
If you are wondering whether a wedding painting can include someone who holds deep meaning in your life, the answer is yes — and it can be done with care, respect, and intention.
Every story is different. Every memory deserves to be handled thoughtfully.
If there is someone you wish could stand beside you on your wedding day, I would be honored to listen to your vision and explore how we can bring that presence into your painting in a way that feels natural, beautiful, and true to your story.
Because meaningful art is never just about what we see — it is about what we feel.
Let’s begin that conversation.
