Choosing A caricaturist for your wedding.

Wedding caricaturists are increasingly in demand these days and can provide great value entertainment at a special occasion. Despite their growing popularity, on-the-spot caricatures are still a novelty for most people and with the right choice of artist and a little thought as to the timing and situation, they can really go down a storm!

I freely admit to being not entirely impartial on this subject as I earn much of my living as a wedding caricaturist myself but if you are considering hiring a caricaturist for your wedding (or for any other event for that matter) then you will do well to consider a few basic points.

First and foremost there is the tricky issue of choosing the right caricaturist. You will want someone who will mix easily with your guests, produce attractive drawings with good likenesses and do them fast (you should expect at least 10 heads per hour).

Fast on the spot caricaturing is a very specialized and difficult skill to master. There are dozens of websites on the internet advertising on-the-spot caricaturist services but not all can actually deliver the goods. Look for real examples of on-the-spot work. Don't be taken in by examples of work done from photos. However good they look, examples from photos give no clue as to how good an artist is at drawing fast, live and under pressure. Photos taken at real events with subjects holding up their own caricatures to the camera are a good indication

On the spot caricature by Charlie Everett

– but also bear in mind that a situation where the artist is charging for each caricature such as at a fair or on the street is also not representative as the artist is not under the same pressure to work quickly (10 or 15 minutes for a street caricature is quite acceptable).

Testimonials and other credentials are helpful and personal recommendation is great. Many people choose to pay extra and go to an agency that can recommend a good artist. In any event you should be cautious about choosing the cheapest. A typical fee for a 2 or 3 hour performance is usulally between 2 and 3 hundred pounds depending on travel time. Artists may be willing to work for less near to home or on week days.

So you have chosen your caricaturist. What else is there to consider? This rather depends on what you want from him/her. Sometimes the host's primary desire is for entertainment other times there might be more of a focus on volume. A caricaturist walking about or standing in the crowd is decidedly more stylish and entertaining than one sitting down but many artists will be more productive if set up with a couple of chairs in a convenient spot. It may also suit your event better for guests to be able to come and find the caricaturist rather than wait for him to come and find them.

The quantity and quality of the caricatures done is nearly always important to some extent and to this end you should consider how you can make things as easy as possible for the caricaturist. The things that make the caricaturist's life easier or more difficult are probably counter-intuitive for a lot of people. The first thing people often think of is lighting but from my own experience it is often easier to draw well in the dim lighting of a late party than in glaring bright sunlight.

On the whole lighting is less important than you might imagine. What is important – particularly in a walkabout scenario is for the artist to have enough space to operate (particularly around tables) and for there not to be too much else going on for the artist to hold the attention of his subjects. Schedule the artist to work around speeches and other performers where possible and avoid having them work the tables during the main course and getting in the way of the waiters.