I flew into Palm Springs the morning of Jay and Agustín's wedding celebration wearing a sweater and sweatpants, because I left Portland at 60 degrees and my brain had not yet processed that I was landing in 98. I also left my wallet on the plane. So that's how the day started. But I promise, it got so much better from there.
This was my first time in Palm Springs and my first time painting live portraits for two grooms, and I have been thinking about that evening ever since. Jay and Agustín found me somewhat out of nowhere, flew me down to SoCal, and then handed me a room full of the most gorgeously dressed people I have ever painted. The Avalon Hotel by the Presidio pool, 98 degrees of pure desert heat, and guests who picked their outfits specifically to see how I'd paint them.
PS: You'll find all the vendor links in the vendor section at the end of the blog.
Here's what we're discussing:
Landing in Palm Springs at 98 degrees with no wallet
Jay and Agustín, two grooms, and a first for me
The portrait gift that arrives before the party does
What happens when a couple warns their guests about the live artist
The looks I'm still thinking about
Banquet tables under bistro lights and the toasts that followed
Drag performances, a churro cart, and a dance floor that did not quit
Why painting LGBTQ+ celebrations hits the way it does
The vendor team who built this thing
About the Author
Danison Fronda-Tietz is the founder of Bowtie & Brush and a live wedding artist based in Portland, serving weddings and events across the West Coast and nationwide. He specializes in live watercolor guest portraits in a fashion illustration style—chic and flattering, painted entirely by hand in real time.
He shows up in a coordinated suit and bowtie (the green one is becoming a whole personality), paints approximately 20 guests per hour, and treats "easiest vendor in the room" as a personal standard. Bowtie & Brush is an Asian owned and queer affirming business. You can read more about how this whole thing started here.
Landing in Palm Springs at 98 Degrees
Let me set the scene properly. I flew in the morning of, which is my usual move for a travel wedding. I left Portland in a sweater and sweatpants because it was 60 degrees and gray, and I stepped off that plane into what I can only describe as a blow dryer pointed directly at my face. Ninety-eight degrees. In the actual middle of the desert. No jokes about it.
Then I realized my wallet was still on the plane.
So the day opened rough and hot, and somehow none of that mattered by the time I got to the Avalon Hotel. Palm Springs in that kind of heat has a specific glow to it—everything is bright and a little dreamlike, and the light does something to color that I high key loved painting in. I get why people keep going back.
Jay and Agustín, Two Grooms, and a First for Me
Jay and Agustín found me, which still surprises me a little. We hopped on a call, talked through every detail of the day, and I liked them immediately.
Here's the part that made this one land differently: they were my first gay male couple for guest portraits. Two grooms. After more than a hundred weddings, that was a first, and I was obsessed from the moment we booked.
They had already gotten legally married before this, so the Palm Springs event was a big gay celebration in the truest sense. No ceremony logistics, no timeline pressure around vows—just a party built entirely around their people. Guests flew in from the East Coast, Tennessee, New York, and Australia. When your guest list requires that many time zones, you know something.
I believe that's the mark of a couple people actually love. Everybody showed up.
The Portrait Gift That Arrives Before the Party Does
One thing we do for every couple: a portrait of the two of them, painted ahead of time from their engagement shoot photos, ready and waiting before guests ever line up.
It's part of our gifting process, and it's the piece I'm most protective of.
On the big day, guests get their portraits during the party. But the couple deserves theirs waiting for them when they walk in. For Jay and Agustín, that meant working super quickly when they arrived so their portrait was finished before the first guest ever stopped by my table. Why should your guests have all the fun?
When a Couple Warns Their Guests About the Live Artist
Okay, this is my favorite part and I need everyone to understand what happened here.
On our planning call, Jay and Agustín mentioned they'd told their guests about me ahead of time. They warned them, in the best possible way. And then the invitation went out with an instruction from Jay: dress to impress. Show up and show out.
Friends. They did not disappoint.
Cocktail hour by the Presidio pool started and person after person walked up to my table and said some version of the same thing:
"Oh my gosh, I picked this outfit because I wanted to see how you'd paint it."
I have never had that happen at that scale. An entire guest list that got dressed with the portrait in mind. Every look was considered and bold, and every single one was a joy to paint. It turned the portrait table into the thing people planned around instead of the thing people stumbled onto.
If you're a couple reading this and you're wondering whether to tell your guests we're coming: tell them. It changes the whole energy of the night.
The looks I'm still thinking about
A few of my faves from the evening:
One guest in the most gorgeous purple that I could have painted five more times happily
Two older ladies whose outfits were absolute fire and who asked me every question about my background and my process
A run of tailoring so sharp I kept looking up between brushstrokes just to check I'd gotten it right
Those two ladies especially—they kept telling me how talented I was and how they could not wait to frame their portraits. And I mean, come on. Who isn't excited about that. But they were so sweet and so generous with it, and I genuinely wanted to hug everyone in that room.
Also, my green branded suit got an absurd number of compliments, so it's staying in rotation permanently.
Banquet Tables Under Bistro Lights
As the sun went down, dinner opened up and the setup was so simple and so good: three long banquet-style tables, everyone seated together under bistro lights, desert air finally cooling off.
The toasts started with a welcome speech from Jay and Agustín, then moved through their best friends, a father, and a mother. Heartfelt and warm the entire way through. There's something about a long-table setup that makes speeches land harder—nobody is tucked away at a far corner table, everyone is in it together, and the whole room reacts at the same time.
I was painting straight through all of it, which is my favorite way to experience a wedding. I get the whole evening from a front-row seat with a brush in my hand.
Drag Performances, a Churro Cart, and a Dance Floor That Did Not Quit
Then they brought out drag performers.
Samara Sin and Yza Vision, both impeccable. The dance floor after that was a mix of Spanish tracks and everything else I love getting down to, and I was painting away with the biggest grin.
They also had a photo booth that people kept cycling in and out of all night, and a churro cart with ice cream. I have an enormous sweet tooth, so the churro cart is going in my personal wedding hall of fame.
This is the thing I want couples to hear: the guest experience at this wedding was stacked. Live portraits and drag and a photo booth and churros, all of it running at once, all of it giving guests something to do and something to take home. That's how you build a party people talk about on the flight back to Australia.
Why Painting LGBTQ+ Celebrations Hits the Way It Does
I love all my couples. I need that on the record first.
And as a gay artist, painting a room like this one means something specific. The LGBTQ+ community builds celebrations on love and support in a way you can feel the second you walk in. I felt safe there. I felt like I was at home with people I'd known for years, and I'd met most of them ninety minutes earlier.
Jay and Agustín are deeply fashionable people and so are their friends, and the whole night carried this joyful, generous, everybody-is-welcome energy. Painting my first two grooms live inside that room is something I will carry for a very long time.
Congratulations to you both. Thank you for trusting me with your celebration, and for flying me out to be part of it. This one lives in my heart permanently.
The Vendor Team
This night was built by people who are very good at their jobs.
Venue: Avalon Hotel & Bungalows Palm Springs
Planning & Design: Michelle at Michelle Garibay Events
Photography: Carmen Lopez Photography
Floral Design: Flores Arturo
DJ/MC: Invisible Touch Events
Rentals: Signature Party Rentals, Adore Folklore, Something Vintage Rentals
Lighting: Brilliant Event Lighting
Signage: Tasha Rae Designs
Photo Booth: Classic Photo Booths
Churros: LaLa Tacos
Drag Performance: Samara Sin and Yza Vision
Live Painter: Bowtie & Brush
And obviously, can we take a moment to always shout out Carmen Lopez! Working alongside a photographer who moves through a room this well makes my job so much easier, and I cannot wait to see the full gallery from this one.
FAQ
Do you travel to Palm Springs and Southern California for weddings?
Absolutely. Jay and Agustín flew me down from Portland for this one, and travel weddings are a regular part of what we do. We serve the West Coast and destination events nationwide, and travel is quoted as a flat rate with your package so there are no surprises later.
Should we tell our guests the live artist is coming?
Yes, and this wedding is my best argument for it. Jay and Agustín told their guests in advance, and people chose outfits specifically for the portraits. It turned the portrait table into part of the plan and made the whole night more fun. A line in the invitation or a note on the website does the trick.
Do the couple get their own portrait?
Every time. We paint the couple's portrait ahead of the event typically while ceremony is happening so it's finished and waiting when they walk into cocktail hour.
How many guests can you paint at a desert or outdoor wedding?
We paint approximately 20 guests per hour. For an outdoor summer event, we'll talk through shade and setup placement during planning—desert heat affects both the paper and the line at the table, so positioning matters more than people expect. Full details on packages are here.
Do you work LGBTQ+ weddings and celebrations?
Always, and joyfully. Bowtie & Brush is a queer affirming business and these celebrations are some of the most meaningful events on our calendar.
Can live portraits work at a party that isn't a traditional ceremony-and-reception wedding?
Yes. Jay and Agustín were already legally married, so this was purely a celebration—no ceremony, no formal timeline. Live portraits fit beautifully into receptions, anniversary parties, and celebration-only events where the entire evening is built around the guests.
Ready to Give Your Guests Something Worth Dressing Up For?
If Jay and Agustín's desert party has you picturing live watercolor guest portraits at your own celebration—in Palm Springs, across SoCal, or anywhere we can get a flight to—I would love to talk it through with you.
Reach out through the inquiry form and we'll get your custom quote back within 24 hours. Here's to more love and more fashion and more art in the world.
