French Garden Weddings: A Painter’s Perspective

Wedding

June 6, 2025

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I create timeless heirloom paintings for couples looking for an original and intentional way to capture their wedding day, and I do it live.

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i'M COURTNEY KIBBY

Let’s be honest — if you’re getting married in France, you probably already have good taste. But if you’re getting married in a French garden, well… now we’re speaking my love language.

I don’t say this lightly: French gardens are actual magic. The kind that makes you want to twirl around barefoot with a coupe of Champagne in one hand and your dress slightly grass-stained in the best way. The kind that looks like a painting even before I start painting.

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Here’s why French garden weddings are basically made for watercolor

There’s this effortless harmony that only happens in a well-loved garden. You’ve got all the structure — the pea gravel, the tidy boxwoods, the iconic tree-lined alleés. But then nature just shows off — with overflowing roses, sun-dappled lavender, ivy doing its own thing. It’s all texture and softness and light.

As a watercolor artist, I LIVE for this. I get to layer all those textures and tones — the warm blush of garden roses, the soft blue of distant shutters, the dusty green of olive leaves — into something painterly and romantic and totally you.

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GREG FINCK, FRANCE

Want to know what looks stunning in a painting?

Ohhh, I thought you’d never ask:

  • A ceremony under a floral arch, with trees behind you and your people in front of you.
  • Dinner al fresco, under twinkle lights, with long tables winding through the garden and your aunt giving the best toast of the night.
  • Cocktail hour tucked under the trees, with friends catching up, glasses clinking, and that one guest who’s already crying happy tears.

Every one of those moments? Paintable. Memorable. Yours.

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Bride and groom kiss at reception dinner in Lake Como, Italy at Villa Regina Teodolinda
Watercolor Wedding Painting at Villa Regina Teodolinda

Let’s talk vibes

You’re going for intentional and romantic — not stiff or overly styled. You want your guests to feel like they’ve stepped into a dreamy little slice of France, not a wedding Pinterest board. And guess what? That shows up in the art.

Because here’s the thing: I’m not just painting what it looked like. I’m painting how it felt. And French gardens? They give me all the feelings. (In a good way.)

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Guest portraits under the trees? Yes, please.

Picture this: I set up at a quiet little spot in the garden — a shady corner with a 6-foot table and a view of the party. While everyone’s mingling, I sketch your guests in real-time. No posing. No cheesy caricatures. Just soft, joyful impressions of the people you love, done in watercolor. It’s intimate, personal, and let’s be honest — way better than a favor they’ll forget in their suitcase.

And here’s the cherry on top: after the wedding, you get a custom hardcover coffee table book filled with every single portrait and painterly vignette from the day. Like the lavender blooming outside your suite. The gravel path you walked to the altar. The candlelit tables at dusk. It’s the art version of a love letter to your wedding day.

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TL;DR?

If you’re planning a French garden wedding, I’m already picturing it — and I’d be so honored to paint it for you.

Because in the end, it’s not just a pretty backdrop. It’s your story. Your people. Your once-in-a-lifetime kind of day.

And French gardens? They make really good stories.

Want help adding a little watercolor magic to your French garden celebration? Let’s chat.

Bringing your wedding day to life, thrilling your guests with a show-stopping live wedding painting experience, and creating a timeless keepsake that honors your sacred bond and will warm your heart every time you look at it – it’s what I do best.

Hey, I'm Courtney.

From behind the easel, I serve timeless brides who still embrace the unexpected by creating heirloom painting experiences that are immersive, one-of-a-kind, and thrilling to watch.

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YOUR WEDDING DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED.

With a slightly abstract Impressionist live painting experience that captures the love and joy of your story, shows off the beauty of your wedding day, and helps everyone who enters your future home to feel your wedding day, you’ll finally have THE THING that makes your wedding day unforgettable.

And your guests? They'll talk about your wedding forever because of the experience you gave them.

PAINT MY WEDDING

This is way more than just a wedding painting.