Why have caricatures at your wedding? We may be biased, but we think that it’s a great idea.
After all, what better opportunity is there to have a great time and enjoy creative entertainment than at a big party with all of your family and friends? And we’ve sent out almost every type of entertainer we work with to these happy occasions – LED-suited stilt-walkers to warm up the dance floor, face paint artists who add glam and glitter to your guests’ makeup, balloon twisters and magicians for Kids Zones, you name it. But caricatures are, by far, the most common entertainment type that wedding clients are looking for. Why?
To start with, caricatures offer a fun and relaxed entertainment option that guests can engage with in passing or at length. Most often, guests simply enjoy just stopping by the stand to watch their sister-in-law or college roommate get a crazy drawing done (it’s very fun to snicker ominously at the subjects while the artist is drawing them). They may stay for a minute or two, or chat a bit before heading off to the open bar. But oftentimes, groups end up forming and mingling at the caricature stand, all watching lighthearted artwork come to life in real time. It’s quite hypnotic to watch a professional caricature artist at work, drawing swiftly off of muscle memory while still capturing all of the unique details of their subjects’ faces.
And this ice-breaker element continues even after guests have left the art stand. Weddings are often attended by guests who are familiar with the bride and groom, but not all of the other guests. After all, a new family is coming together in real time! You want all of those loved ones talking to each other, making new connections, and starting the foundation of your shared future with your spouse. Caricatures at your wedding are a great way to get your great-auntie laughing with your college roommate, an ice-breaker that can start your dad chatting your future father-in-law, and overall a great way to get the new family talking to one another in a way that is lighthearted and warm.
As you can see in the phoots attached to this blog post, a very common request is that the artist sets aside time to draw the bride & groom while they are booked out for wedding receptions. Of course, they are always happy to oblige! These goofy lively versions of wedding portraits are much easier to enjoy during the party of your reception than the photos you’ll need to wait weeks to receive. That awesome caricature is going right up on the fridge as soon as you’re back from your honeymoon!
Another thing to remember is that caricature art captures a passing moment in time – the makeup, apparel, hairstyle and mood that your guests wore to your special day, the smile they had on their face from how great your party was. Each piece of artwork is more than ink and paper. They are a representation of the way that another human being saw you, at a specific place and time. Your caricature will be influenced by the thoughts you shared with the artist as you chatted and laughed and worried about how you’d look when the drawing was turned around. Maybe that will be as simple as a little garden pot in the background, that’s there because you decided to tell the artist about how you’ve been working in the garden all week. But it’s there because that person listened to you and saw in your face that you loved your garden. That, to us, is very special. Photographers are amazing, and caricature artists won’t replace them, obviously, but they will offer you a different sort of snapshot. Everyone knows that the big day goes by way too fast, and caricatures at your wedding are an awesome way to stop the clock and look back.
Overall, caricatures are an excellent option for any wedding, from formal black-tie receptions in hotel ballrooms to backyard weddings on family farms. We have sent artists out to events from NYC to Tennessee and gotten rave reviews from every kind of bride and every type of wedding. You can’t go wrong with booking caricatures at your wedding! And, if you’re still on the fence….the humble author of this silly post is getting married this year, and I wouldn’t skip the artist for anything!
