Elizabeth Rago Artist

Bring live art to your wedding with an interactive watercolor illustration experience your guests will love.

During cocktail hour and the reception, my assistant and I invite guests to stop by my station for a quick photo while they enjoy a drink, mingle, and celebrate. For larger events, I typically bring an assistant who focuses on photographing guests and managing the digital queue, allowing me to stay focused on painting and interacting with your guests.

Instead of having guests wait in a physical line, each guest who wants a portrait simply has their photo taken and is added to a digital queue. This means they can head back to the dance floor, enjoy dinner, visit with friends, and celebrate with you while I work through their portraits throughout the reception.

As the evening continues, I transform those photos into hand-painted watercolor illustrations at my station. Guests can stop by to watch their portraits come to life, chat with me while I paint, and pick up their finished artwork during the event.

The result is more than just a portrait—it becomes a fun, personal part of the wedding experience and a keepsake your guests can take home with them.

Includes:

• Live watercolor illustration experience during your reception

• Guest photos captured during cocktail hour

• Assistant for guest photography and digital queue management at most larger events

• Digital queue system so guests don't have to wait in line

• Up to 4 hours of live painting

• Hand-painted watercolor portraits created during the event

• An interactive experience where guests can watch their portraits come to life

• Finished portraits gifted to guests as unique wedding keepsakes

Starting at $900

Live Illustrations + Complete Guest Gallery

The perfect option for couples who want every guest to have the opportunity to receive a personalized keepsake.

Enjoy all the excitement of live wedding entertainment while ensuring no guest is left without a portrait. After the wedding, I complete any remaining illustrations using the guest photos captured during cocktail hour and deliver the finished artwork to you.

Includes:

• Everything included in The Signature Experience

• Additional illustrations completed after the wedding

• Finished portraits delivered within one week

• Artwork ready to include with thank-you cards or send directly to guests

• A complete collection of guest keepsakes from your celebration

Starting at $1,200

The Cocktail Hour Experience

A special offering for local weekend weddings | $650

Looking for a little live art without committing to a full reception experience?

The Cocktail Hour Experience is designed exclusively for weekend weddings within two hours of Monterey, California. It’s a shorter, intimate version of my live watercolor experience—perfect for couples who want to surprise their guests with personalized artwork while keeping things simple.

During cocktail hour, I’ll photograph guests as they mingle and enjoy drinks with friends and family. I’ll then begin painting their portraits live, allowing guests to stop by, watch their artwork come to life, and take home a one-of-a-kind watercolor keepsake.

For larger events, I typically bring an assistant to photograph guests and place them into a digital queue, so guests can enjoy cocktail hour without waiting in a physical line.

Includes:

• Up to 2 hours of live watercolor painting

• Guest photos captured during cocktail hour

• Digital queue for guests waiting to be painted

• Assistant for guest photography and queue management when appropriate

• Hand-painted watercolor portraits created live during the event

• Finished portraits gifted to guests as wedding keepsakes

• No travel fee for weddings within two hours of Monterey

$650

Available exclusively for weekend weddings located within two hours of Monterey, CA.

$450| Up to 16 people

Give your wedding party a keepsake made especially for them.

Before your wedding day, I’ll create a hand-painted watercolor portrait of each member of your wedding party, giving you a beautiful way to incorporate your closest friends and family into the celebration from the very beginning.

These personalized portraits can be displayed as place settings at your reception, tucked into welcome bags, or presented as bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts—creating a meaningful detail your wedding party can take home and treasure long after the wedding.

Includes:

• Hand-painted watercolor portraits of up to 16 wedding party members

• Portraits completed before the wedding

• Digital copies available for planning and display

• Artwork ready to incorporate into your table settings or gifting

• Beautiful, one-of-a-kind keepsakes for your wedding party

$450 for up to 16 portraits

Off-Site Wedding Guest Illustrations

Love the idea of personalized guest artwork but don’t need a live artist at your celebration? This option brings the experience to your wedding from anywhere.

Simply provide photos of your guests, and I’ll transform them into custom watercolor illustrations capturing their style, personality, and the joy of your celebration.

Choose the timing that works best for your wedding:

Pre-Wedding Keepsakes
Have your guest illustrations completed before your wedding day and receive the full collection in advance. These make a truly unique wedding favor that can be placed at each guest’s seat or handed out during your celebration.

Post-Wedding Thank You Keepsakes
Prefer to wait until after your wedding? I can complete your guest illustrations after your celebration and send the finished artwork to you, ready to include with thank-you cards or mail to your loved ones.

Collections:

The Intimate Collection
Up to 25 guest illustrations — $850

The Celebration Collection
Up to 50 guest illustrations — $1,500

The Complete Guest Collection
Up to 100 guest illustrations — $2,750

Additional guest illustrations: $30 each

Each collection includes:

• Custom watercolor illustrations created from your provided guest photos

• Original artwork on archival watercolor paper

• Individual packaging for each illustration

• Complete collection shipped directly to the couple

• Ready-to-gift keepsakes for your guests

A meaningful way to celebrate the people who make your wedding day unforgettable.