A Picture Perfect Gift

Posted on February 26th, 2017

After an overnight flight and a workday fueled by espresso, we are back and settling in post Hawaiian honeymoon!  Which mostly just means we did five loads of laundry, but we also made a place in our little home for a very special gift.  We dashed out of town shortly after Valentine’s Day so I did not have a chance to share my present to Ian with you all, but forgive me as I toot my own horn and declare it to be some of my finest gift-giving work.

In the fall, I was perusing the depths of Instagram when I read about the coolest concept ever.  An artist in South Carolina (@cbrookering) would come to your wedding and live paint it– the ultimate wedding momento!  Since I got married in the summer I was obviously a bit late to the game on that one, but I loved Brooke’s work and hatched a plan to have her retroactively paint our wedding from our photos.  It felt like the perfect way to incorporate into our home the happiest day of our life without creating a full-blown shrine (although I’m still tempted).

Of all the amazing moments on the best day, my favorite was at the end, when we all headed outside for a full firework display.  Ian and I stepped away from our guests to watch together, and I was completely overwhelmed by the enormity and joy of the moment.  I shared with Brooke a few photos from that part of the wedding, and like a true professional, she took it from there.

Some inspiration…

And the result!  Which completely exceeded my wildest expectations, and caught Ian completely by surprise.  Our apartment is poorly lit, so it is hard to do the work justice, but the colors and texture are perfect.

Working with Brooke was a wonderful experience.  I love to support young female entrepreneurs who are pursuing their passions, and it is even easier to feel excited about doing so when they make it so painless and fun, even from all the way across the country.  I would 1000% work with her again on another commission, and would love to add some of her other pieces to our collection, too (the ballerinas are a definite favorite!).  Our gorgeous painting is hanging in our apartment, where it will serve as a daily reminder of the day we said I do.