Mitch & Emily’s First Anniversary Wedding Painting
All of Ben’s wedding paintings tell a love story. And many hold the details of chapters that didn’t go quite as planned. Sometimes, it’s the ability to merge what was with what should have been that makes a painting so powerful—a reminder of beauty, resilience, and how far two people have come together.
When Mitch reached out to commission a first anniversary wedding painting for his wife, Emily, he already had something incredibly meaningful in mind. Their wedding day had been unforgettable—but not exactly how they’d imagined. They had originally planned to host their ceremony in a storybook Tudor garden—picture a lush green lawn, colorful florals in full bloom, and bridesmaids each wearing a different color dress, holding bouquets to match.
When It Rains on Your Wedding Day…
On the day of their wedding, everything had been styled to perfection and stood waiting for their guests to arrive.
And then, just before the ceremony, the skies opened up.
At the very last minute, they had to move the entire celebration indoors. It was still beautiful—still full of joy and meaning—but Mitch never forgot what they had originally dreamed of. As their first anniversary approached, he wanted to surprise Emily with a gift that honored all of it: the dream, the real moment, and the love that carried them through both.
His idea? A ceremony painting—not exactly as it happened, but as they had hoped it would be. A gorgeous garden ceremony, overflowing with greenery, blooms, and joyful color. The same vows, the same moment, but this time set in the backdrop they originally envisioned. Ben merged their wedding photos with details from the garden setup they sadly never got to use.
And trust us when we say: looking through their beautiful photos by Sarah Shank Photography and seeing the original garden design was soooooo hard. They were so, so close—but the weather just had its own plans.
Unveiling their First Anniversary Wedding Painting
Fast forward to this week: Mitch and Emily celebrated their anniversary, and we were overjoyed to hear from Mitch again. He shared that when Emily opened the first anniversary wedding painting, she looked at it and said, “I’ve never seen something more beautiful.”
He also shared the most incredible update—they just welcomed their first baby girl three weeks ago. She arrived early, and Mitch and Emily have walked through a rollercoaster of absolute joy sprinkled with so many unknowns in the past month. Knowing that this piece brought joy and comfort during such a tender, emotional season means the world to us.
For us, these wedding paintings are never just about one day.
They’re about telling—and sometimes gently rewriting—a moment. About holding space for both the beauty and the unexpected. About celebrating not only what was, but everything a couple has already weathered… and everything they’re stepping into, together. A story of love and also hope.
To Mitch, Emily, and the Sweetest New Beginning: Welcome to the world, little one. Your parents’ love story is already one for the books—what a joy for Ben to be invited to paint it! Cheers to this next chapter together as a family of three!
Emily & Mitch
The Tudor Place & The Westin Georgetown
Washington, DC
If you’re thinking through the perfect First Anniversary Wedding Gift, we would love to share more about Ben’s Wedding Paintings like Mitch and Emily’s that are created here in the studio, from wedding photos! Send us an email here and we would love to chat more!
Creative Team:
(Original) Ceremony Location: Tudor Place, Washington, DC
Ceremony & Reception Location: The Westin Georgetown, Washington, DC
Photographer: Sarah Shank Photography
Painter: Ben Keys Fine Art Studio
Floral & decor: Black Calla Events
