When Jesse Pleasants sent over the reference photos for his commission my jaw dropped.

Jesse and his wife had a destination wedding in Iceland, and to celebrate their first anniversary he commissioned an 18x24 in. painting from one of their wedding photos as a surprise.

The hardest part was picking which wedding photo to paint because they were all so insanely gorgeous! The couple looked like they stepped out of Vogue and the landscapes were stunning (I’m ready to book a trip to Iceland now!). Talk about a dream commission!

Read more about Jesse’s commission in the Q&A below!

Q: Why did you decide to gift a custom painting?

A: Almost immediately after seeing the photos from our destination wedding, I knew I wanted a special way to capture the moment. As our first anniversary was approaching, I thought a custom painting would be a great way to remember our special day and make a wonderful surprise gift for my wife.

Q: What was your favorite part of the commission process?

A: Clear communication throughout the process made it way less stressful. I was new to the commission process and didn't even know where to begin. I saw Sarah Jane's work and knew it matched the style I was hoping for, so I just reached out and she made the whole process very easy and straight forward.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone considering booking a commission?

A: Spend time finding an artist that matches the style you want and don't feel uncomfortable asking questions. I gave some general ideas to Sarah Jane and she asked all the right questions to make sure she could create what I had in mind and it turned out great!