Will all guests be painted during the live painting session?
- Marius Pokutta
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
One of the most frequent questions I get from engaged couples is:
"Can all the guests at our wedding really be painted?"
The short answer is: Yes, basically.
Many couples worry that at larger parties, only some guests will get a picture or that long queues will form. In reality, this depends less on the number of guests and more on how much time is allocated for the live painting and when the finished pictures are needed.
How many people are born during a wedding?
During live painting, an average of about 10 illustrations are created per hour.
It doesn't matter whether the people are painted individually, as a couple, or together as a family. What matters is the number of people in the picture.
This number is only a guideline, however. Illustrations aren't mass-produced during a wedding. Photographing guests, conversations, congratulations, and general interaction are all part of the experience and take time.
Some hours are therefore particularly productive, others somewhat quieter.
Experience shows that during a longer session of about eight hours, illustrations by around 60 people are created.
How does live painting work at a wedding?
During the event, I will be at my painting table on site, and guests can come to me at any time.
There I take a quick photograph of them and then use the photo as a template for the illustration.
Experience has shown that this works particularly well when guests know they can drop by at any time. Often, a short speech by the bride and groom, the best man and maid of honor, or the DJ is enough.
Of course, I also approach guests myself and make sure there's always something going on. However, the more independently the guests approach me, the more efficiently I can work and the more illustrations can be created during the celebration.
What happens at large weddings?
My biggest wedding so far had 110 guests.
Basically, there is no fixed upper limit for the number of guests.
The more important question is:
Which guests should receive their picture on the same day?
For smaller and medium-sized groups, it is often possible to complete a large portion of the photos directly during the celebration.
For larger weddings, I work with the couple to plan which people absolutely should receive their finished photos on site. These are often their immediate family, best man/maid of honor, or particularly important guests.
A practical example
Not every wedding has the same goal.
For example, at one celebration I was only there for four hours. A list of names was created beforehand together with the bride and groom, so that a specific group of people could be painted.
At other weddings, I stay for a significantly longer time so that as many guests as possible can spontaneously come to me.
Both work perfectly – the crucial factor is what best suits your daily routine.
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What happens to pictures that aren't finished on location?
Should it not be possible to complete all illustrations on the day of the event, I will finish the remaining images afterwards.
The finished illustrations are then carefully packaged and sent by post about two weeks after the wedding, or can be picked up by arrangement.
This allows even larger groups to be accommodated without any problems, ensuring that no guests go away empty-handed.
My tip for large weddings
If you are expecting a lot of guests, I would focus less on the total number.
The more important question is:
Who absolutely needs to receive their picture on the wedding day?
If the main people can be painted on location, the process is more relaxed for everyone involved. All other illustrations can then be completed to the same high standard.
This ensures that live painting remains a special experience during the celebration – regardless of whether you invite 30, 60 or over 100 guests.
Conclusion
Yes, in principle, all guests can be painted during live painting.
The number of guests does not determine whether a picture is created, but only whether it is completed directly during the celebration or afterwards.
If you are unsure which package best suits your number of guests and your schedule, I would be happy to advise you personally.
Would you like to know how many guests can realistically be painted at your wedding and which package best suits your wedding day schedule?
Then feel free to send me a non-binding inquiry – together we will find the right solution for your celebration.
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