Images by Laura Quintero Photography

Miss Brittany has been a loyal follower of me for some time now. She’s always liking and commenting on instagram and it’s so nice to have that support! Brittany is a seriously talented custom wedding artist specializing in live panoramic painting, custom backdrops, guestbooks, seating charts, and venue inspired paintings. She “hand crafts each piece to be pretty, practical, and made with a whole lot of love.”

I asked Brittany if she would answer a few questions about starting her business and here is what she said:

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?

I have been in business for under one year.

 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START YOUR BUSINESS?

I decided to start my business after getting married myself. For our own wedding, my husband Tim and I decided to get married on the Chesapeake Bay. Instead of a traditional nautical wedding, we kept the colors delicate blush and white, with hints of pearl to celebrate the bay. But, we wanted to find a way to celebrate his love for aviation without infringing on our more delicate theme. I decided to paint a guestbook painting featuring a biplane trailing balloons (for the guests to sign), as well as our seating chart and a custom crest. The art was such a hit, and we have all of the pieces proudly displayed in our living room. It’s so great to get ready in the morning and read the messages our guests wrote for us. After our wedding photographs were featured on WeddingWire, and they weren’t afraid to feature my art, I figured I had stumbled on a great idea: pretty and practical wedding art that couples can use on their big day, but then display as keepsakes forever after!


Image by  Elizabeth Fogarty Photography

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

I absolutely love knowing that my pieces will be kept and treasured by a couple forever. They won’t just be tossed as leftover wedding decor at the end of the evening. I never take my clients for granted. I am truly honored that they trust me to create pieces that will beautify the most important day of their lives, as well as their home.

WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

I have a few short term and long term goals for my business.
Short term: receive more commissions for larger pieces such as backdrops. Also, I would love to be hired to do more live panoramic venue painting. The DMV, Eastern Shore, and Charlottesville areas are filled with gorgeous natural and historic venues. I would love to live paint them, especially considering not many live painters in the area concentrate solely on the venue and location. I would also love to do a proper full scale rebrand. Since my product is custom to each individual and couple, portraying a sense of style and cohesion isn’t so easy!

Long term: the ultimate goal is to quit my full-time job as a web developer to concentrate on my wedding art business. Since my husband is an airline pilot, remaining flexible is a huge priority for our little family. The ability to work from home, and do what I’m passionate about, would be a huge relief.

 

Images by Meghan Rose Photography and Vanessa Smith Photography

WHAT THREE PIECES OF ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE FOR NEW BUSINESS OWNERS?

• Don’t be afraid to reach out and take initiative with regards to meeting new people and colleagues. Of course, some people will not respond, but those that do will become invaluable to you and your new journey. Professionals are really honored when you take the time to reach out to them!
• Try to open a business that really fulfills a need, and remain realistic about how that need (or lack of) will influence your growth
• Keep working, even if it’s for yourself and to improve your own art. At first, clients will be hard to come by. Don’t just sit around and hope someone will hire you. Keep creating and improving for your portfolio’s sake. You don’t want to test the growth of your style and brand on new clients.

 

VISIT HER SITE

Follow along on instagram @bybrittanybranson