Live portraits for your guests. Drawn on the day.
Charcoal and ink portraits during the celebration — found guests, finished drawings, handed over the same evening. Weddings across Kent, London, and the South East.
Not caricature. Not a photo booth. Something closer to a painting.
At some point in the evening, someone at your wedding will glance across the room and notice another guest being drawn. They'll drift closer. A small, quiet crowd will gather — not because anyone called for attention, but because something real is happening.
I work through the room the way a good host moves through a celebration — naturally, warmly, without a queue. The portrait builds in layers. The guest watches. When it's finished, it goes into an envelope — with a note in my own hand — and belongs to them from that moment.
The day, step by step.
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01
Arrival
I arrive 20–30 minutes before drawing begins — time to walk the venue, understand the flow, find where guests will naturally gather. I introduce myself to your coordinator, and then I'm ready. No stage, no booth, no setup to manage.
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02
Drawing
I find guests naturally — at the bar, between courses, drifting to a quieter corner. Each portrait is built in charcoal and ink, starting with overall shape and posture, then detail. Around five to ten minutes each. Guests can chat, hold a drink, turn to talk to someone — that's part of what makes the work interesting.
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03
Handover
Each finished portrait goes into an envelope and is either given directly to the guest or kept safely for them to collect. They leave with it that night. No waiting, no postage, no follow-up.
Four collections, shaped around your day.
Each collection is built around a different rhythm for the day. The work is the same — the time and arrangement differ. Pricing is shared after a short conversation about your date and venue.
Pricing is shared on enquiry. Start your enquiry →
Drawn in charcoal and ink. A5. Handed over the same evening.
Each portrait is made on 300gsm cold-press paper — A5, the right size to look at properly, to frame, or to slip into a bag and find again months later. No photographic reference. Drawn from life, in the room, in front of the person.
The work sits between a quick sketch and a considered likeness. The kind of drawing where the guest recognises themselves and feels, for a moment, that someone looked carefully.
A few ways to add to the day.
All enhancements are optional and priced separately. Details are shared as part of the private pricing menu, after an initial conversation.
A hero illustration of the ceremony setting or venue, drawn and mounted on the day.
A wide-angle reception scene — drawn on the day, framed as a statement piece.
Couple portrait, drawn quietly from a phone photo during the evening.
Personalised backing cards — your names, date, or wedding mark.
Upgraded textured envelope in place of the standard envelope.
3–4 post-wedding portraits from photographs, as gifts for close family.
A post-wedding conversation: missed moments turned into drawings.
Often a good fit when…
- Your guests are curious, warm, and happy to pause for a few minutes
- The reception has a natural gathering moment where people will linger
- You'd rather offer something personal and kept than something spectacular and forgotten
- The tone of your day is relaxed, warm, and considered
- You're happy for the portrait service to be discovered, not announced
Worth being honest about:
The couples who get the most from this are those whose guests linger — who like a conversation, who'll notice a drawing taking shape and want to watch. If every guest being drawn matters, a longer collection serves that better. Portrait counts are guidance, not guarantees — the number drawn depends on how the day flows.
From couples.
"The portraits were the detail people talked about. Not just on the night — weeks after. We still get messages from guests who've framed them."
"I was nervous it would be a novelty. It wasn't. It was quiet and personal and exactly what our wedding needed."
"We didn't know what to say when guests asked who the artist was. We felt like we'd discovered something they hadn't heard of yet."
Things couples usually ask.
Portrait counts are guidance, not guarantees. Timings, flow, and quiet spells all affect output. If there are specific guests you'd like prioritised — a grandparent, someone you particularly want drawn — that's worth mentioning at enquiry stage.
A5 (148 × 210mm) on 300gsm cold-press paper. Large enough to frame properly, small enough to slip into a bag. Each one goes into an envelope before it's handed over.
No. They can chat, hold a drink, turn to talk to someone. Drawing people as they actually are — not as they're trying to look — is part of what makes the work interesting.
Both. Good natural light makes portraits more beautiful, but I'm equipped for artificial light too. Unusual venue conditions are worth mentioning at enquiry stage.
Based in Kent, working regularly across London, Surrey, and Sussex. Destination weddings have been covered before. Travel is discussed as part of the booking conversation.
Yes — two hours (the Glow collection). The experience is designed to be woven into the day, not slotted in around the edges.
Neither. Charcoal and ink portraits that are clearly of the person — rooted in their features — but rendered with a line quality that feels drawn rather than photographic. Warm, observational, and made by hand.
Tell me about your day.
I take a limited number of weddings each year. Fill in what you know — if some details are still being confirmed, no matter. I read every enquiry personally and reply myself, usually within a working day.
Enquire about your date →Wedding planner or venue coordinator? See the planning guide →