Live artist Brittany Branson of By Brittany Branson creates stunning works of art from your most heartfelt moments
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson, via The Beards Photography
Your wedding may only be one day, but that day can live on through your pictures, video, and special keepsakes. It can even live on as a unique and captivating painting, thanks to live artist and BOLI Preferred Vendor By Brittany Branson.
Understanding the importance of truly knowing her couples, Brittany strives to create pieces that reflect not only your big day, but also your personalities, your values, and your beautiful love story.
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson, via Caity Kramer Photography
“There’s room and opportunity here to strike out on my own.” – By Brittany Branson
For Brittany, the need for flexibility inspired a career change. “My husband is a pilot, and he could be gone for one or two weeks at a time,” she explained. “I was actively working in arts management, and I realized quickly that there were no guarantees he’d be off on a Saturday or Sunday. So I needed to find something where I could take the reins in terms of my time.’”
Remembering her 2015 wedding sparked an idea. “We had a live artist, and they were the only one I had ever come across. I figured that I have this arts management background anyway, and I’ve got some talent. There’s room and opportunity here to strike out on my own.”
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson, of Giorgio’s Baiting Hollow
“When my couples trust me to get creative, that makes me happy.” – By Brittany Branson
While your wedding photographer will be able to capture things exactly as they happen, Brittany offers something different. “I thrive on developing a relationship with my couples,” she described. “I listen to what’s most important to them. For example, if they’ve booked a venue because they adore the ceremony space, but are really looking forward to their first dance, I’ll merge the first dance into their ceremony space. When my couples trust me to get creative, that makes me happy.”
“I go into the wedding with a sense of who they are, and how much creative freedom they’re going to allow me to take,” she continued. “Most of my couples want the painting to focus on the two of them and then the details of the scene, and that I can complete by the end of the night. When they want additional people or pets added, that’s when I take it home and continue to work on it. I don’t want to rush things just for the sake of getting it done by the end of the wedding.”
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson
“That’s where we get to have fun.” – By Brittany Branson
Yes, you read that correctly — Brittany can add people or pets into your painting, regardless of their attendance. “Pets are part of the immediate family, and they’re not always allowed to be present on the big day. They are always the number one request.” As an avid animal lover herself, Brittany donates a percentage of her proceeds to various animal welfare organizations.
She can even include loved ones who’ve passed away. “I do this very often. If couples want to add, let’s say, a male figure who would have worn the same tux as other men in the bridal party, I’ll ask for reference images and paint them in the same attire as if they were there. That’s really special.”
Knowing that sometimes the smallest details are the most meaningful, Brittany can bring in favorite decor items or floral touches as well. “If the couple is very excited about their cake or some of the ceremony florals that won’t be transferred to the reception, there’s absolutely no reason why I can’t add that into the painting. That’s where we get to have fun.”
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson, via Liz Banfield Photography
“I’m never going to forget this.” — By Brittany Branson
When asked about her favorite wedding memory, an incredible moment came to Brittany’s mind. “The one I always come back to is a wedding I did at the River Cafe in Brooklyn,” she remembered. “My mom was an ICU nurse at Staten Island University Hospital, and when she was my age, the River Cafe was one of her special spots. So it was cool to have that full circle moment.”
But it was the end of the night that left the biggest impact. “My dad is a 9/11 survivor, and of course you get this incredible view of the World Trade Center from the River Cafe. We were all out on the dock space doing this sparkler exit and they started blasting Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York.’ I got very emotional and thought, ‘I’m never going to forget this.’”
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson
“Put some blinders up to the people who may not get it right away.” – By Brittany Branson
Brittany had some valuable words of advice for brides of Long Island. “What I think is so cool about live painting is that I have my process, but then I have colleagues who are very much realism painters,” she said. “There’s an artist for everyone, so don’t feel like you have to settle for a style that you don’t vibe with. Open yourself up budget-wise and trust-wise to the idea of bringing someone in that is going to create something you want to hang on the wall, not something you want to hide in storage.”
She also stressed the value in resisting outside influences. “If your heart is set on a live artist, and you’re so excited about the process, the fact that it’s entertaining for your guests, and it’s something that’s tangible you get to keep forever, put some blinders up to the people who may not get it right away. It happens a lot that I’ll have a bride who is so excited to hire me, but the groom doesn’t really get it. By the time they’ve hired me and they see the finished product, the groom becomes the number one fan.”
Image courtesy of By Brittany Branson
