• Planning Tools
    • 12-Month Planning Checklist
    • How To Get A Marriage License
    • Wedding Budget & Tipping Guide
    • Questions to Ask Your Vendors
  • Venues
    • Art Galleries & Museums
    • Ballrooms
    • Barns & Farms
    • Ceremony
    • Church/Chapels
    • City/Downtown
    • Country Clubs & Golf Courses
    • Destination Weddings
    • Historic Locations
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Industrial/Loft
    • Outdoor
    • Rehearsal Dinner
    • Restaurants
    • Waterfront
    • Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
  • Vendors
    • Bands, Orchestras, DJs & Entertainers
    • Beauty, Hair & Makeup
    • Bridal Fashion & Alterations
    • Cakes, Sweets & Desserts
    • Catering, Beverages, Ice Sculptures & Staffing
    • Event Rentals
    • Floral, Décor & Event Design
    • Honeymoon
    • Invitations & Stationery
    • Jewelry
    • Men's Fashion
    • Officiants, Clergy & Other Services
    • Photography & Videography
    • Planning & Coordination
    • Specialty Services, Favors & Gifts
    • Transportation
  • Inspiring Ideas
    • Wedding Ideas
    • Spotlight on Style
    • Real Weddings
    • Styled Shoots
    • Designers' Challenge
  • Articles & Advice
    • Beauty & Fitness
    • Budget
    • Cakes & Desserts
    • Catering & Cocktails
    • Expert Advice
    • Fashion & Jewelry
    • Honeymoon & Destination Weddings
    • New to the Scene
    • Planning
    • Trending Topics
    • Venues
    • Wedding Colors & Style
  • Magazines
  • Events
Menu
  • Planning Tools
    • 12-Month Planning Checklist
    • How To Get A Marriage License
    • Wedding Budget & Tipping Guide
    • Questions to Ask Your Vendors
  • Venues
    • Art Galleries & Museums
    • Ballrooms
    • Barns & Farms
    • Ceremony
    • City/Downtown
    • Church/Chapels
    • Country Clubs & Golf Courses
    • Destination Weddings
    • Historic Locations
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Industrial/Loft
    • Outdoor
    • Rehearsal Dinner
    • Restaurants
    • Waterfront
    • Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries
  • Vendors
    • Bands, Orchestras, DJs & Entertainers
    • Beauty, Hair & Makeup
    • Bridal Fashion & Alterations
    • Cakes, Sweets & Desserts
    • Catering, Beverages, Ice Sculptures & Staffing
    • Event Rentals
    • Floral, Décor & Event Design
    • Honeymoon
    • Invitations & Stationery
    • Jewelry
    • Men's Fashion
    • Officiants, Clergy & Other Services
    • Photography & Videography
    • Planning & Coordination
    • Specialty Services, Favors & Gifts
    • Transportation
  • Inspiring Ideas
    • Wedding Ideas
    • Spotlight on Style
    • Real Weddings
    • Styled Shoots
    • Designers Challenge
  • Articles & Advice
    • Beauty & Fitness
    • Budget
    • Contest & Giveaway Winners
    • Engagement
    • Expert Advice
    • Fashion & Jewelry
    • Honeymoon & Destination Weddings
    • New to the Scene
    • Planning
    • Trending Topics
    • Wedding Colors & Style
    • All Articles
  • Magazines
  • Events

Live Artist: How Much Does It Cost?

A painting is a such a unique way to capture your big day. How much would it cost to have a live wedding artist paint your wedding? We’re giving you the inside scoop from the pros themselves on just how much this beautiful wedding memory will actually cost.

Check out this feature in “How Much Does It Cost” in our 2018 print issue of Chicago Style Weddings, formerly The Celebration Society Weddings.


Live Artist
$3,500+
Wed on Canvas

A picture is worth a thousand word, but a painting is worth so much more. Showcase the most memorable moment of your big day with a beautiful painting that will last for years to come!

Breakdown
Ben’s canvas collection opens with a generous 24″ x 30″ canvas that allows him to beautifully capture the background and foreground details while maintaining the focal point of the composition on the couple. (He also offers two larger canvas sizes!) At the event, he uses acrylic paint that has multiple benefits, the biggest being that it’s odor free. All the materials he uses for both paintings and reproductions of paintings are museum grade and archival quality. When taken care of properly, the paintings should last for many generations, and the print reproductions are rated to last at least 100 years, though they will likely last much longer. Each painting is delivered to the couple properly wired and “ready to hang,” meaning that a frame is completely optional!

Cost
Each live painting based on canvas size, rather than an hourly contracted rate. The entire day is blocked off for the couple—Ben arrives before the guests’ arrival and paints through the entirety of the ceremony and reception. The 24″ x 30″ canvas retails for $3,500 and pricing scales according to the canvas size. (Travel outside of Charleston, SC is additional.) “I want to make sure each painting is perfect, so after the wedding, the painting goes back to the studio for finishing touches with an 8-10 week turnaround.”

The artist says…
“Two of the highest compliments we receive after many of our weddings is that “everyone is talking about it!” and that it was the couple’s favorite part of their wedding day!  A live painting not only brings a lovely entertainment aspect to an event, but it’s also an investment in bespoke artwork that can be enjoyed for generations.” -Ben Keys, Wed on Canvas

Photos by Concept Photography

Meet The Author
ChicagoStyleWeddings
We are a small team of love junkies at heart, we love seeing, reading and sharing the beautiful stories that come across our desks. We’ve seen a lot, so we have advice to share! We are lucky we get to share this love and show off the teamwork and trust of our couples and our amazing vendors and venues. It all starts with love and we are lucky to love what we do.

What do you think?

There Are One Thoughts On This Post

  1. Hazel Owens
    December 17, 2018

    That’s good to know that the cost of a live painting is based on the canvas size and not the hourly contracted rate. My daughter wants a celebration painting for her wedding this upcoming summer, so I’m looking into it for her. We’ll have to find a few in our area so we can check out different pricing of the canvas sizes and see which style she likes the best.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Related Posts

Budget,
Modern Guide to Gratuities
Budget, Planning
Start the Conversation with Your Budget
Budget, Expert Advice
5 Things to Remember When Creating Your Wedding Budget – with Lillian Rose Events
About This Post

Assigned Topics

  • Budget
  • How Much Does It Cost?
  • Music & Entertainment

More Great Topics

Beauty & Fitness
Cakes & Desserts
Catering & Cocktails
Ceremony & Reception
Contest Winners
Designers’ Challenge
Engagement
Expert Advice
FAQ
Fashion & Jewelry
Fashion Features
Favors & Gifts
Flowers & Decor
For the Groom
Honeymoon & Destination Weddings
Invitations & Stationery
Linens & Rentals
New to the Scene
Photo & Video
Planning
Registry & Favors
Spotlight on Style
Styled Photoshoot
Transportation
Trending Topics
Vendor Viewpoint
Venues
Virtual Venue Tours
Wedding Colors & Style

Chicago Style Weddings

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Submissions
  • Magazines
  • Advertising
  • Advertiser Resources
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Sister Publications

Planning Your Wedding

  • Venues
  • Vendors
  • Planning Tools
  • Ideas & Inspiration
  • Real Weddings
  • Articles & Advice
© 2026 Chicago Style Weddings/Nei-Turner Media Group.
Crafted by: Bold City Agency
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT