In this episode of Now That I’m Engaged, How Do I Get Married?, Kevin Dennis and August Yocher sit down with Renée van den Kerkhof, a live wedding painter and courtroom sketch artist from the Netherlands, to explore how couples can turn their wedding memories into one-of-a-kind works of art.

With nearly eight years of experience painting weddings across Europe, Renée shares what it's like to capture a wedding day in real time and why live wedding paintings offer couples a unique way to preserve the emotion, atmosphere, and meaningful moments of their celebration. From selecting the perfect scene to incorporating beloved pets, family members, and personal details, she explains how each painting becomes a reflection of the couple's story.

The conversation also covers what couples should know before hiring a live wedding painter, how artists work within the flow of a wedding day, and why trusting the creative process often leads to the most memorable results. Along the way, Renée shares unique wedding traditions she's encountered across Europe and offers practical advice for creating a keepsake that will feel just as meaningful years from now as it does on the wedding day.

If you've ever considered hiring a live wedding painter, wondered how a painting comes together during a wedding, or are looking for a personalized way to preserve your memories, this episode offers an inside look at the artistry behind live wedding painting.

Renée van den Kerkhof is a live wedding painter and courtroom sketch artist from the Netherlands. She specializes in romantic and detailed portraits that truly resemble the wedding couple while capturing the emotion and atmosphere of the day. Renée serves couples across Europe and lives with her partner and dogs in Dordrecht, near Rotterdam.

Highlights

• What live wedding painting is and how the process works

• How couples choose the perfect moment to capture

• Why live wedding paintings offer more than just a keepsake

• Creative ways to incorporate pets, loved ones, and personal details

• The guest experience of watching a painting come to life

• What couples should know before hiring a live wedding painter

• Unique wedding traditions from across Europe

• How to create a timeless and meaningful wedding keepsake

Connect with Renée:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

LinkedIn

Connect with Kevin & August:

Website

Instagram

Youtube

TikTok

Pinterest

LinkedIn

All right, folks, welcome to another episode. And now that I'm engaged, how do I get married? And we're here with Renee, all the way from the Netherlands. How are you doing? It's warm. It's funny because yeah, it's very we're, you know, we're in almost June here, end of May, and it's freezing in California right now where we are. So it's kind of kind of interesting. Anyway, Renee, tell us l a little bit about yourself and how we got you here today.

Hello. Very warm, but very nice. Yes, very well.

He ⁓

Well, thank you first of all that I am welcome as a guest. And I'm Renée van den Kerkhof but I know Dutch names for international couples can be a bit difficult, just say Renée, that's fine. I'm from the Netherlands. I currently live nearby Rotterdam, if people know that. And I've been an artist since I was very little, but

Of course.

Ha ha ha.

I didn't know I was gonna be an artist until I was ⁓ seventeen. That was that's when I decided to go to art academy. Well, more like when I was 20, but we can talk about that in a different episode. I I I wanted to be a vet at first, so that's ⁓ detour. Yes. I also sketched a lot of horses and dogs when I was a child, so

wow.

Mmm.

Yeah. ⁓

⁓ so you like animals?

⁓

okay, makes sense.

⁓ I went to Art Academy to study illustration. I've mainly done ⁓ commercial illustration at first, working for clients, working with art directors trying to visualize their ideas. And the factor "live" ⁓ more and more became a large part of what I do. So working on the spot during an event while people are watching over my shoulder, that's completely fine. I'm very used to it. It's

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

It's

Mm.

Wow.

impact such a case can have and like the fact that everybody knows what it means to have courtroom sketch. And ⁓ I did my first wedding in twenty eighteen, so it's almost been eight years, yeah. This year this fall will ⁓ it's been eight years so

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

wow.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I love it. Okay, so Renee, having a live wedding painter at a wedding is kind of like you said, you've only been doing it the last eight years. It's kind of a newer thing that couples are doing at the weddings. So can you tell us a little bit about what exactly is a live wedding painting and how does it the experien you know, like what does it feel like to work with a live painter on the wedding day itself?

Yeah. So there are of course everybody has their own personality way they show up at a wedding. ⁓ for me I've been told I'm very like a calm person working in the back, unless you well until you put on like some ABBA songs or you ask a question about dinosaurs or ⁓ September by by Earth Wind & Fire. That's also the jam. but it's basically

Of course.

Mm-hmm.

you

Yes!

there there's the divide between people who paint live and the the trend of doing guest illustrations. I used to do that as well, but I don't offer that anymore. But my main focus is on capturing an impression of the day on Canvas. So the like the the main characters are the wedding couple and ⁓

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

At the end of the night, usually the the painting is it it's starting to look at least like them. Sometimes it's finished, depends on what the people want. I can go into like what what I offer later, but it's more for now we can ⁓ say that it's an impression of the day of the moment that's most meaningful for the couple or like a setting that speaks to them. It's ⁓

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Not only a personal keepsake ticket to keep afterwards, but it's also artistic inspiration, it's entertainment, a bit more artsy, calm vibe, ⁓ live on the spot.

Mm-hmm.

I love it. I think it's another the w the way I look at it too, it's just another fun thing for the like I'm a big believer in guest experience and it's just another thing the guest to get to experience. Cause I know I when we've had live painters at events, it it's one of the favorite things for the guests to keep going back to the live painter and see where they're at with the painting and how it's progressing along and you you see people taking photos.

Yeah.

The guests.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Especially

I I like that arc where they have like at the beginning of the day they their face is like ⁓ I'm I'm I'm very inter I'm very interested to see what it will what what it's going to look like at the end. Like but I just started, I did like four blobs of paint that you can see like a little bit of shading. Yeah, but that that's that's alright. Like the if there

Yeah.

They're unsure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Just the foundation.

Expectations are very low at the beginning of the day. Somebody actually said to me, Well, that's not gonna be gonna be finished tonight. And I w was like, You wanna bet? You wanna bet? And then ⁓ the bigger the the the storyline arc pr like is, the the the more they can be surprised, the more they can see the progress, because it's like different every 30 minutes. That's there's another layer of color added, there are more details in the faces.

Mm-hmm.

suddenly the dog is also part of the painting, you know. It grows. And ⁓ there's this saying of trust the process, and that's very much like the ugly faces is ⁓ the ugly faces are very much part of live painting. I know lots of artists are like, I I don't I d it's it's way too scary to paint in front of people, but that's okay.

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

No.

you

No well.

Did you

find that hard? Like, I'm sure like, you know, going to school, like you learned to paint and I feel for a lot of people painting, like, it's kind of like a take your time type thing. Like, was it hard to develop a skill to finish it within a certain amount of time? Like, do you feel a lot of pressure to do that?

It is.

currently I but well there's always pressure in the same in a way in a way that I want to perform well, I want my couple to be happy, I want people to enjoy the day and see like be inspired. but it's less of a like very scary thing to do anymore. It's something you can get used to in the sense that

yeah.

Yeah.

There are fun fun challenges you can do in order to start working and painting quicker and quicker. It's all about making decisions. Like, am I gonna add a brushstroke here? Am I gonna use big brushes in the beginning? ⁓ it's it can be daring if you have like something over here and you have to put your entire brushstrokes on top of it.

Mmm.

Yeah.

But I know some artists may have a very let's say intense studio process where they work very tiny thingies and they need like fifty hours before it even looks like anything. Yeah, that's not really working live. People want to see a quick result, want to see at least something happening during the day.

Crazy.

Mmm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They l they they love the progress for sure when they're doing it. So so how Renee, when you're meeting with your couples, how do you come up with the the moment or the scene that you want to capture for them?

Yeah.

The- that's a good question. I always have well most of the time I have a video call with the client on beforehand. sometimes it's a surprise, sometimes I work through a planner or a friend ⁓ or parents. ⁓ but I have to have at least some kind of input. It does often they have somewhat of a vision what they want, but sometimes they're like

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Please help me. How do how do I pick what what what what we want? So I always try to like take a step back and ask them like what kind of moments are you looking forward to most? What what will be a very meaningful moment to you during the day? So I've had a couple who was ⁓ really looking forward to expressing their vows,

Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

so I've had ⁓ Marine who they did like a ceremony exit with the sabre arc, like did it

Mmm.

yeah, those

are always cool. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I've seen that before, yeah.

Very, very specific for them or family people who are like, no, we have to have our kids with us. We want to have like a big table with all of our guests. We're we like entertaining people, that's really them. I like when it's like the ceremony setting is I think the always a good choice if people are like, I don't really know what to pick because it's like the hard.

Mm-hmm.

That's cute.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

in metaphor

in like meaning of getting married, you're getting married during the ceremony. and it's always a good choice. ⁓ but I like it when people allow for a bit more how would you say it? yeah so the thing that's been more often that's been requested more often to have more of a

Mm-hmm.

flexibility.

like moment just between the couple. So without the pressure of the time line of we need to cut the cake, we need to do this, and we have to have another speech and we have to do this and then another speech and where where are my other shoes and even a ceremony ceremony is very tight. You don't like a photographer, we don't want to like intervene to get our reference folder. You're not saying in the middle of the ceremony, okay everybody wait

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

Yeah.

Yeah,

I know.

Mm-hmm.

Pose, pose.

You stand there, I'm gonna I'm gonna

you

capture intervening, you don't want that. so more and more ⁓ I've been ⁓ capturing my reference photos because I do take reference photos to work with as you might see behind me and in some of my portfolio works I don't work hyper realistic but I do work in a somewhat realistic and detailed style. So I need my reference photos.

But I can combine them and work with them. ⁓ but I more and more I take them during like a photo shoot, after the first look, or when they have like a little moment with a photographer after ceremony. I know the timeline timelines in the Netherlands are somewhat different than in America.

Mm-hmm.

okay.

Yeah, but I I'm gonna be honest with you. The weddings even in America are becoming really non very non traditional and all over the place as well. So I mean it I think that's happening all over the world, to be honest with you. I think it's going crazy. So do you care curious, do people 'cause pets are part of everyone's lives right now, do they ever even if the pet is not at the wedding, do they want you to add the pets to the photos? okay.

I love it. Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Yes. Yes, I've

actually I am adding some cats right now. But I'm adding some cats. it's it's mostly cats or dogs, but dogs are I'd say fifty percent of the time are actually present during the day. I love it when they bring like the rings, because I've add like this big

Yeah.

Yeah.

YAAAA-

Yeah.

Do you know what Alaskan Malamutes are? They're like this big, like husky type, huge. I've I've had a wedding where there was ⁓ two of them and one was gonna bring the rings, but he just passed the couple and went went to pee over there before coming back while the other one was trying to climb the couch they were sitting on. It's like, what's happening? And I've seen a little dog,

Yeah, huge. Yeah. Yeah. You're huge.

Oooooh

Yeah

Yeah.

⁓ my god,

yeah.

been lifted by the how'd you call ceremony speaker officiant. They lifted the dog up and they got their little paw in ink and the paw print was on like a dog marriage certificate like the things like that.

yeah.

officiate, yeah.

⁓ that's cute.

That's so cute. I've never seen that

before. That's really sweet.

No, but that's really cute. I could see that taking off.

Mm-hmm.

And they

they are ⁓ like the clients can add pets. ⁓ if they are missing like a loved one, a lost loved one, for example, but they still have reference photos. I mean the reference photos don't have to be of people actually in like a fancy dress or a fancy suit. We can work with that. Add that in if they want. I've actually had a cat. like the painting was depicting ⁓

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

that in.

Yeah.

The wedding couple and some of the VIPs, the very important guests, like raising their glasses and drinking, and there were like sweets and scones on the table. And I painted the cat in like he was like next to the sweets and like trying to

Mm-hmm.

Trying to sneak it.

that's so

sweet. I love that. That's really cute.

That's cute. Yeah.

So if we have a couple who is kind of on the fence of getting a wedding painter, but they're thinking about it, what are some big pros that you would want to let couples know that this is absolutely worth it to invest in?

So let's say you're looking for unique entertainment. Because every painting will be different, every person will be different. It's still like there way more DJs than painters, they're way more photographers. A lot of weddings will have at least a photographer, but there's only a small percentage of weddings that actually pick a painter. That's

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Yes.

completely

fine, but this so it's it's still quite a unique thing to experience.

And that's why we have you on here to to change that.

Mm-hmm. Yes.

Yes.

you should ⁓ choose a live painter if you're open for something else. ⁓ but also if you're a person who loves to capture moments. So if you have your house full with like keepsakes that mean are meaningful for you, that can be family pictures as well, photos as well, photos as well, or like something that's

Mm.

A terrible artwork but it's made by your children or ⁓ so maybe for the slightly sentimental, the nostalgics who like to pay special attention to the moments, have them freeze in time to be cherished ⁓ afterwards.

Right.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And ⁓ lots of my clients are art lovers, collectors, tattoo artists themselves. So that's also like if you're into art and you're it's your thing, that's definitely a reason. Yeah.

⁓ yeah.

Mmm.

It means a lot to them. Yeah.

Yeah.

'Cause the best thing you can do for your wedding is choose whatever fits you, what like any personal choice is a good choice, whether that's black cake or ⁓ a violinist or if it if it fits you, you don't have to explain.

Right.

I'm a big believer in that as well. It it should be about the couple and all that instead of, you know, we have to do it this way. We have to do it that way. Yeah. Yeah.

or that's the way it's always been done, you know? Like,

yeah, I love the non-traditional route and I just feel like, yeah, the day of, you're just gonna feel so much better and like, it's gonna feel genuine to you.

Yeah, the the something I all also hear from people are like they're looking for something authentic, so something they can experience, something that's close to them and not ⁓ like ⁓ something everybody has or like something that's mass produced or just like a tangible thing that's ⁓ made for them because it's like different than picking out a even if you're into art.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

It's different than going to like an art gallery and something that's like ready made, hanging there and pick it out. It's really like tailored to that specific couple, their specific day, their wishes. So it's really narrowed down to them.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah,

truly one of a kind, absolutely.

Yeah. And ⁓ you could also should or could also choose one if you're looking for a very personal thing to gift a couple. That could also be very 'cause like one third of my bookings are by family members or friends who want to or like Yeah, what what do we give to like a couple that already has everything and that's like Yeah.

Mmm.

So

A third, wow.

Yeah.

That's a nice gift, actually.

Mm-hmm.

⁓ and maybe then the it's time for the you shouldn't.

Yeah, let's hear those. I'm curious. Yeah.

Yeah.

I have a if I look over here, that's because I have my little list. ⁓ I know that there are couples who are very particular about their day, and I mean it's your day go yes, and it's completely fine. ⁓ but it's difficult to get a live painter if you are the person that needs to have total like have to be in c total control of what the end result will look like.

yeah, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

In the sense that yes, we can adjust, we can pivot. Any anytime I say pivot, I'm like in that friends meme, like pivot with the couch on the stairs, you know what I mean? yes, we can pivot, yes we can tailor. but having an artist there will ⁓ ask for a bit of trust. It will ask for

No, yeah

I know exactly what you're talking about,

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

allowing like the creative process to unfold and be inspired by what's happening on the spot and you can't always plan that. ⁓ like but a butterfly flying by, okay, I'm gonna paint that in, but you cannot plan well, you can hire butterflies, I guess, nowadays. But there are little things ⁓ that will contribute to actually ⁓ capturing the day off if you allow for like spontaneous moments to allow as well.

Mmm.

Yeah!

And I will always make decisions in the creative process that my couple looks great in it and they look happy and fun or whatever they want to look like. And I make sure we can ha we can talk about that later, like their insecurities are taken care of. But you cannot micromanage an artwork.

Mm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

No.

interesting too because like I do understand like the couples that are very type A and they do want to have some level of control on things but I feel like with the live painting specifically it's fun for it to be like a surprise at the end of the evening right like you do a reveal like I would just be excited to see where the artist takes the information we've given them so that is that is interesting

Yeah.

That that's also a good point 'cause ⁓ I l I allow for both scenarios. Sometimes my my couples they do want to opt for like a big reveal, even like not seeing the process in between, just completely blank going into like at the end of dinner, maybe the start of partying or reception or how you call it. It's all it's slightly different, but ⁓ and some they want to

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Yeah.

check in like every thirty minutes and I see them glancing over like they're with their three centimeters. Well they're more like the bombastic side eye, but like with a good ⁓

Micromanaging you.

Yes!

Yeah.

Exactly

So I I'm like, d do you want to check in in between or like do you want to surprise? So ⁓ we can cater to both.

Hmm.

Yeah. Makes sense.

and in in terms of ⁓ other reasons why somebody shouldn't. maybe I know it's it's a privileged way of saying, maybe my like my view, but ⁓ you don't have to get a painter. I know some have to plan a wedding with very limited funds. We know the world is in crisis.

Yeah.

Right, or time, yeah.

And it's not like an obligation to get one. It's not needed to be officially married. ⁓ so I don't want anybody to feel pressured 'cause they have seen it on TikTok and would like the trend to happen as well, but they're gonna go in debt or pressure themselves, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. No. Yeah, that makes sense.

Well, it's not for everyone, so and

And another

another consideration, I don't know, maybe question for Kevin, would you hate the idea of having yourself on your wall?

Yeah, I guess.

Well, it depends on what

part of my life you asked me. If you would have asked me that probably ten years ago, I would have said, Yeah. ⁓ I'm in a ⁓ now I'm August has helped me be I don't care anymore. And so yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

He's more

face forward now, especially with social media. He's had to get more comfortable showing his face and having it in public places. So yeah, maybe he's a little bit more comfy with that idea now than he was before.

So

Yeah.

That and that's a good I never thought about that. Some people are not very comfortable or a little bit more reserved, therefore why w Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Or they don't like photos, right? So...

Yeah. Yeah, or

⁓ there can there can be like like a compromise in the sense that maybe the scene okay, maybe you don't want to open your door and face yourself in like a enlarged zoomed-in portrait. But we can like zoom the scene out a bit more, maybe show a bit more of the venue, make you relatively smaller on the canvas, maybe there are

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

You're even like the

photo you have in the back there. I feel like that's the photo behind or the painting behind you. Like it's farther back. Like you can't see the faces too much, but I really like that scene. Yeah.

Yeah, it could be

I know it's so beautiful.

Thank you.

Could also be thank you. Could also be even smaller. But there that's option. ⁓ I know some of my colleagues have more like an impressionistic style. ⁓ someone does mainly focus on like abstract renderings of the bouquet. Maybe that's like a keeps saying. So there are but

Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

Mmm!

no.

I never

thought of doing, yeah, something other than the couple. That's really cool.

Yeah, and there are ⁓ some couples, I think, from religious reasons, from Muslim communities, there are communities who don't like to have faces like painted as an idol or shown on social media, but sometimes they opt for like a scene where they're walking away hand in hand, but you see them from the back, for example. That's another option you could think about. If you're not

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

yeah Yeah.

That's cute.

Yeah.

about in your face portraits. But I am

No, yeah.

in my in like personally I've been like putting the people on my canvas bigger and bigger. So I'm getting into the more detail ⁓ like more space for the facial details. But that's me personally.

Mmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Well, and you okay, so speaking of details, what kind of details should the couple think through before hiring a live painter like location, lighting, timing, any other logistical things they need to worry about, Renee?

Yeah. well a good one is where is the person gonna work and that might depend heavily on how they work. I know that my colleague Brittany, Brittany Branson, was here with a guest with you last year, and she does more ⁓ not I wouldn't say impressionistic but more like expressive painting and she sometimes used ⁓

Mm.

Mm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

She like illustrative techniques of combining things. ⁓ there are other painters who work very en plein air. Is that also how you say it in English? En plein air? plein air painting? Like that means you're painting whatever you're seeing. You're not using photos, you're just out there like in the mountains, painting the mountains. There are live painters who need to

N No, I'm not sure that one.

I'm not sure.

wow.

like see the exact perspective, exact scene, exact background of what they're painting. personally for me I do like to be able to see like the colors and somewhat of the perspective, but but I do take reference photos. So for me it's also okay to be like in the room next to that that very crowded room where everybody's having drinks but they can still watch me. But there's sometimes there's

Mmm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Cocktail, yeah.

Very little space logistically. And I'm trying to convert to American. I usually have at least ⁓ a meter and a half times two meters of space that would be three foot.

Mm-hmm.

Girl,

don't know. I wouldn't know. I don't know the...

Yeah, I was gonna say I would say about probably

Yeah.

about six feet by six feet. Yeah, yeah, I would ⁓ but anyway. We don't need to worry about it. You need a nice little bit of little bit of space to to work.

But you want to be

Yeah.

⁓ there's it it's especially when it's indoors, it's nice to have like somewhat of ⁓ proximity to a power socket or else like be placed next to a wall that you can elegantly place like a power cable cord. Yeah. Yeah, and it would it's also nice to be able to take a step back and not be

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Cord, yeah. For a light, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Too close to the canvas the entire time, take a step back. ⁓ see the entire-

⁓

or just even have room for

people to watch you too, right? Kind of like a perimeter, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

So for me it's at any given time, even when I'm struggling, people usually don't see I'm struggling, but I kind of feel like I'm struggling with the nose or something. It's for for me it's completely fine if ⁓ everybody can watch it like from the ten meters or I don't sorry, I don't know what's to do. Yes.

We'll do the conversions in the the caption. Yeah

No, don't worry. We'll do the yeah. Don't worry about it.

So let's say for example I'm painting while everybody's having dinner. I'm completely fine by either being somewhere in the middle of the space or somewhere near the wall and everybody's like nom nom nom having great conversations, tasting meals that are Chefs kiss, but and still seeing me paint. See still have a vision, like view of what's happening on canvas.

Mm-hmm.

unless it's like a surprise, then sometimes we want to like ⁓ live it.

Position

⁓ away from everybody, Pivot.

Yeah, because you have like a back and

yes. it also depends, some might work on a smaller canvas, some might work on a bigger canvas, or a client request, for example, a pan a panorama like a long dance tree. That could be something you need to take into account logistically.

wow.

For me personally, but that everybody has a different setup. I usually can walk from my car with all my stuff to the to the place in one go. So I have like a big suitcase and a box with my painting, and I have everything that I need in it. But some have a very elaborate and creative setup. I like seeing other live painter setups. Some have like little ⁓ artsy brush. ⁓

Mmm.

Like cups they keep the keep their brushes in, but decoration and such. you were asking about logistics, right? And other practical things? Trying to remember what the what the

Ooh, yeah.

Yeah.

also kind of curious, like, if you've seen, because I assume you mentioned you're international, right? So, like, what other countries have you been to? Like, what other styles have you dealt with? Are there other trends? Like, does that kind of differ depending on where you go to?

Yes.

Yes. So I am basic yes. how many things do you want? Yes. ⁓

Yeah. Yes to the all the above.

Yes, yes, yes,

all of the above.

So I a little bit of context. I'm based in the Netherlands, but I was born a hundred meters from Germany and five kilometers from Belgium. I've always had, I think, but I don't speak Latin and Greek, because they're not languages you speak, but I did have them in school. I can work in four languages, which is Dutch, English, ⁓ French, and German. And and

Mmm.

Wow.

Mm-hmm.

wow.

I have a like a destination wedding package. So I like my my region is currently contained to Europe, anything anywhere within Europe. Like Iceland is on my list. So it's if it if ever anybody is

Mm-hmm.

Mm.

Please, please, please.

Hire you,

Ha ha ha.

hire you.

⁓ let's see. Last year I went to France twice, I went to Germany twice, I went to Switzerland once. ⁓ Bel like Belgium is kinda like my second country. So like my package, like like my base package is within like travel within the Netherlands and Belgium, because it's I live near the Belgian border and yeah, I I love Belgian clients as well. They're they like they have little

No, that had to be pretty.

Mm-hmm.

⁓ okay.

It's like right there, yeah.

Yeah.

Other words that are just kinda Dutch but just other yeah. There are lots of similarities, but I do notice from traditions. ⁓ there's like this Danish tradition of when the ⁓

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Let's say you're all sitting in like the ⁓ dinner area, you're all eating on a table, and people start doing ching ching ching ching ching ching ching then the couple has to get on the table and kiss.

Yes.

Yep.

on the table No. Whoa Yeah.

⁓ on the table! Yeah, here it's just a kiss, but they can

Yeah.

be seated!

And if somebody stumps starts to stump with their foot and everybody stumping with their foot, they to get under the table and kiss. If one of the two, let's say it's a hetero heterosexual couple, because it's like tradition. ⁓ but I I work with all couples. ⁓ if it's a bride and groom and the bride leaves the building, well not the building, like the room to go powder her nose.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

this is like struggle with the dress to to try to be. then all the ladies can line up to give a kiss on the cheek to the men and other way around as well. I like last year last year I mentioned I went to Germany twice. one I saw there's they have this little tradition I I say little a lot. That does not mean I think it's

Mmm!

Those are fun!

No, yeah

Well yeah. I just like it. after the ceremony, the wedding couple gets a big saw and they saw through a big log of wood. And that's that resembles kinda like ⁓ like the first hurdle that they can do anything together. So they're like

Yeah.

Wow.

⁓ I got it. Okay. I like that

actually.

Very symbolic, yes.

Yeah.

Get a work out before the wedding.

let me let me think. There was the other one in Germany was in the Schwarzwald, which is like the Black Forest. And they had like very German sound ⁓ songs like the in the traditional clothing. that was fun. I'm trying to I had American expats in ⁓ Amsterdam.

Mmm.

Very fun.

And they had international guests and they had like tastings of Dutch cheese and they had like the ⁓ blue, like the original Delft art it's a style. We like in the Netherlands, we have a big ⁓ painting tradition. We have lots of great artists, like old masters, we have great paint quality as well. So lots of international painters use the the paint from the Netherlands or Belgium. We have like the

Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Ooh.

⁓ yeah, wow.

I didn't know that. That's

cool.

We have the blue, it's like a bit like China, but it's like there's this specific style. They had like those kind of guest favors and that kind of like Delft ⁓ style. I'm trying to see like do we have Dutch traditions? 'cause sometimes I'm like

I know it's hard when

you don't know how to compare it, I always think like, oh America, we don't have anything, but we do. It just feels just like your norm, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well for

for example with my American clients I've noticed like a s a simple thing is for my Dutch and Belgian clients, for example, they love having like when I ask what the dress code is, what the colors are, and I dress appropriately to match like blue. Okay, I wear blue. My American clients ask all their vendors to be in black. So like dress for example.

Mmm, the palette.

Yes, we always

wear black every time. Yep.

Like we're going to a funeral. Well, it's and it's funny because it I think that comes from the theater. So like if you're working, you're not seeing, if that makes sense. So that that's the meaning symbolism behind it.

⁓ yeah, but I like I got every colour

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

We have so many black clothes, like that's half my closet just from over the years. You're like, yep, this is just what I'm wearing today.

Yeah. Yeah.

I've also ⁓ enjoyed ⁓ Desi weddings like Indian ⁓ heritage. Also Turkish Turkish wedding where they have like this whole dance to ⁓ with a sword and then they cut the the huge cake. Yeah. Or the knife dance, yeah. I j I just love it seeing all the different things.

Yeah.

Mmm.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's cool.

Yeah.

For the cake, yeah. Yeah, we get

that too, the knife dance.

That's the best part, I think. Well, and being here in the Bay Area, you know, in California, we're such a melting pot with all the tech companies and things. And that is one of the greatest things is getting to learn other cultures. Yeah, other religions. And it just it's so interesting to learn all the traditions. And I I really that's one of my favorite parts about the wedding industry. It's like there's not one size fits all when it comes to a wedding. It's so many different things you can do and and have fun with it. So yeah. Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

You're exposed to so much, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

I've also seen ⁓ I'm not sure if it's Singapore or Chinese, but like ⁓ people dressed like dragons and dancing in them. Yeah. That's also been

Mmm.

⁓ Yep.

the lion dance. Yeah. Yeah, we

get those a lot here, too. They're very cool.

And loud with the drums. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent.

Yes. Yes. Where wear air protection as a vendor, please. Yes.

Yes, very loud, yes.

Yeah, no,

we should. We should, honestly. Kevin, you too as a DJ. Well, I guess you got your headphones, but...

Yeah. I got

Mm-hmm.

I got my ears are shot. I've already lost that battle. Yeah. Yeah. That's

We've passed that already.

What are you saying? I can't hear you no. That's also maybe

that's another cause you ask about practical side of things. sometimes I don't seem it, but I am very autistic and I don't work like I can get all the distractions. I do have the like hyper focus on the painting, but if you place me on the dance floor next to a speaker box, your painting is gonna be very angry, very overstimulated. You know what?

Mm.

Mm.

Mm.

Mm-hmm.

You're gonna be

Ooooo

Yeah.

Yeah. And people bumping in, like having their nicest clothes, their like suit and then bumped into into the wet paint, you don't want that for your guest as well.

Yeah.

⁓

No,

no, yeah. No, yeah.

not at all. So all right. And I converted, I I went to Google and converted. So basically ten feet is three meters. So that it's it's it's really close. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, we solved that mystery. Anyway. So I guess we're we're running here on time, ⁓ Renee. But how like one of the questions I wanted to ask you that we didn't get to is how

Square meters, ten ten square foot feet foot feet. Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Or or some things that a couple can do to the to make sure their t painting feels timeless, you know, when they're looking at it for years from now.

Yes.

Mm.

Yeah. Well I do love creative new things that whatever like and every year there's like this this new thing. new trend. I did love the like going back to more like the vintage, what we now nowadays call vintage, like the black and grey photography, the bit of blur, like the big Italian cakes that had have another like meah-.

New trend, yeah.

Yeah.

White, yeah.

Millefoglie, something like that. Like going going back to the maybe a bit more dressed down, a bit more about the experience and not a bit not about ⁓ what's hip and happening now. I mean as long as it's fitting, like it's a match with the core of who you are, which can be you're an animal lover.

Yeah. We'll trust you on that one.

Mm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

You like to entertain, you like to you love colors or you are an alternative Star Wars freak, ⁓ who wants the ATTs in the back, ATs in the back and the Death Star in the clouds. I've I've had ⁓ a couple who really loves bird watching.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Storm troopers and all that, yeah.

cute! Yeah.

And I've they've asked

me to add like little birds in the trees. Love that. The more ⁓ it's about you and your personalities and of course what we see, like the florals, the decorations, those visual things that you pick, of course, will I can paint that, it can be captured. But it's the core is who you are and what's what what you who you are.

Mm-hmm.

I just said that, but people, of course, we change over time and we try to work on ourselves, we try to improve ourselves, we are growing to be the best person we can be, but there will always be things that just belong to your core. And ⁓ I would say focus on that, use that as the starting point for your painting, but also for your

It makes sense.

Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Yeah.

Your wedding in general?

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And ⁓ I always try to make sure that the painting fits them, not only in what kind of moment they pick, but also in terms of the focus. Do we focus on them? Do we focus on vibe? Do we focus on like a zoomed out setting with all with the venue? And they just just lots of guests are present, like the entire family was able to get there, for example. and

Mm-hmm.

Something I love doing is ⁓ trying to be to have it be slightly more than just capturing what is. So like adding in the pets or the lost loved ones, but also in a very physical sense of the word. I like to capture the location. so for example, I've used water from like the nearby canal or the castle garden fountain in the for actual painting or the

Mm.

Yeah.

⁓ yeah.

Yes.

Mm-hmm.

yeah.

Sand from the beach in the texture of the paint? Stuff like that.

Mm-hmm.

⁓

that's cool. Yeah, no, I get it. Yeah.

Like physically, wow.

Physically.

Yeah, that's so cool. Wow, yeah.

Yeah, 'cause then it ta

it's with you forever. That's cool.

Yes.

Cause it's ⁓ the it's a time and like it's not only in time and in space that you all of you are there, but it all comes together and we try to it's not just a visual thing, it's also you see it and it triggers like the memory in your head and you're back in that moment, you're back on that day that your grandma gave a

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Sorry. That your grandma gave a big speech. You're back at that moment where you were crying because you look so pretty. ⁓ I'm so pretty. And your heart was full, and you're just back in that like emotional state, because it triggers like ⁓ when you smell a perfume from somebody you've lost. It's yeah.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Scent. Sent yeah.

Or like a sense memory, yeah.

I have sent memories.

It's it's just yeah.

But that must be fun for you

as a creative to like get on the side of the wedding and be like, okay, what can I use here for the painting today? Like that's super cool.

Yeah, that is really cool.

And no

worries, I will not go through the trash and things. It can be fun as long as it's like ⁓ not something that can mold because I don't want like I want the paintings to I use quality paint and I'm I- varish because I I want them to last as at least as long as they're marriage. ⁓ that's the goal. ⁓ but I do like trying to see how I can get that.

No that's good.

No! Yeah.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah. Yeah. That's the goal.

Mm-hmm.

I love it. All right, Renee, we can't thank you enough for being here today. You were an amazing guest. We really enjoyed ⁓ learning more and more about live painting with you. ⁓ Renee, tell us our listeners how they can find you and where where they can connect with you.

Thank you.

if you Google or type in anywhere, Renee Painter, Live Painter, Dutch Painter, I have an account name, but if I spell it, it's like N-E-E-T-J-E. I don't know how to spell in English, sorry. But it's ⁓ Yes. You you go to the links in the in in the in the show notes or in the thingy tagged. ⁓ but you you can find me Renee

Okay.

That's okay, we have all the links, we'll put them in ⁓ the show notes too.

Show notes.

Life Painter Netherlands. ⁓ find me, yeah. And

Perfect. Yep, we

Mm-hmm.

will

we'll make it easy for We'll put every all of Renee's information in the show notes and then that way it's very linkable and everyone can connect with you.

Yes.

Thank you.

No, thank you. All right. Folks, we want to remind those that have not subscribed to hit that little subscribe button. wherever you listen to Now That I'm Engaged, How Do I Get Married? And don't forget if you have stories or questions you want us to answer, please send us over a little note at [email protected]. Renee, we can't we can't thank you enough. You were a fabulous guest. And we hope to have you back sometime soon. All right. Bye, everyone.

Thank you and au revoir!

Mm.

Yes, I love to. Bye bye.