Presley Bergmooser turns I dos into forever art in under five hours, racing the clock while guests watch every brushstroke.
At a Glance
- The 23-year-old live wedding painter finishes each canvas before the last dance
- She switched from studio murals to weddings in 2024 after one hometown request
- Base price: $2,500 for Detroit couples, rising with travel
- Why it matters: Couples leave with a one-of-a-kind keepsake created in real time
Presley Bergmooser no longer waits for paint to dry in a quiet studio. Instead, she sets up her easel beside bridal bouquets and champagne toasts, transforming ceremonies into oil-on-canvas memories before the reception ends.
From Murals to Marriage Moments
Bergmooser spent her early career painting large-scale murals until a 2024 call from a Detroit couple changed everything. They asked if she would capture their vows live. She messaged another live painter for advice, accepted, and “fell in love with it” the moment the first stroke hit the canvas.
“I knew I wanted to be an artist. I always said that if I could travel the world and paint walls, I would be happy,” she told News Of Los Angeles. “The way that this has so naturally evolved, I still do murals and I still love them, but my calendar is much more focused on live art, and I love it.”
The Five-Hour Sprint
Her timeline is brutal:
- Ceremony starts → she snaps mental photos
- 20 minutes post-vows → she sketches outlines on a fresh canvas
- Reception hours → color, detail, highlights
- Last dance → finished piece unveiled
“I’m an adrenaline junkie to the core,” she says. Most artists can walk away when stuck; Bergmooser has to push through. “When I only have a couple of hours, I have to force myself to work through that. By the end of the night, I have no choice. It needs to be done.”
Performance Meets Paint
Guests become part of the process. Early on, she chats, takes suggestions, even lets someone choose a shade. Once the background is set, headphones go on-beats, jazz, or Metallica-and she zones in.
“I love talking to people. I’m doing it in the beginning stages. I usually try to bring in as many people as I can, too,” she explains. “I’ll put my headphones on…and then I rock it out.”
The final reveal follows a ritual: headphones off, step back, scan the canvas, then wave over the newlyweds. “This part is the most relaxing because I get to play the part, take a step back, look at everything, and show people, and everyone comes over and takes photos.”
Confidence in Every Stroke
Paint often ends up on her hands, cheeks, and jeans, but that mess signals success. “The best part of the social aspect is that I have gained so much confidence in myself, as a young woman and as an artist,” she says. “I know that what I do is good because I’ve practiced it, I’ve put in the time and the effort. I know what my craft is, and no one else in the room can do it.”
She walks into each venue certain of her role: “I know when I walk into that room, I’m the only person who can do this. I know that people are going to be enamored by it. It’s my job to put everything that I can into it.”
Booking Boom and Heartbreak
Viral clips on TikTok and Instagram flooded her inbox. She now turns away more requests than she accepts; up to five couples have asked for the same Saturday. One assistant travels with her, but the two-woman team can only be in one place at a time.
“I have to let people down now and then,” she admits. Local weddings start at $2,500; destination events cost more. Texas is the farthest she has traveled so far, yet she dreams of painting ceremonies in Europe, Asia, anywhere vows are exchanged.
Key Takeaways
- Bergmooser traded studio solitude for wedding-day adrenaline in 2024
- Each canvas must be complete before the venue lights dim
- Couples receive a bespoke artwork and a memory of its creation
- Demand now outpaces supply, forcing her to decline multiple requests per weekend
