Matthew Slater: Sketch Artist offers a VERY UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT take on your wedding day to help you remember the wonderful occasion alongside your other photos or videos.

A PDF booklet summarising what I do is now available on my website.

Firstly, what I am not:

I am not, at the moment, a Caracaturist doing portraits of people just to fill an hour or two to entertain the guests. I might in the future but I work differently to other artists.

What do I do then?

​I capture special moments as a photographer would do, except I draw them instead, creating memories of the atmosphere and vibe of your event.

I sketch anything I see which will recreate the story of your day – beautiful venues, stunning table decorations and flowers, guests chatting and dancing, impressive wedding cakes, late evening nibbles, classy hats and outfits, and those special individual touches you have chosen.

I work quickly and unobtrusively, and I like to be there for the whole day to capture as much as possible, creating around 40+ reportage style sketches.

My pictures will tell your story in a way that photographs are not able to do. Other artists may draw caricatures of guests as entertainment but I am passionate about the whole experience and how all elements of the day interact to create a visual feast.

Ultimately, it is about creating memories for the happy couple (or whoever I am drawing for).

Personalised pictures of your wedding day would make an ideal gift for the happy couple. Not only are they a unique gift for those ‘who already have everything they need’, but the pictures would be long treasured and remembered. Why not add wedding sketches to your wedding present list, or suggest it to your favourite auntie who wants to buy you something very special?

What is your style?

Quirky, fun, light-hearted, characterful! A lively mix of Quentin Blake meets Ronald Searle. I work quickly and intuitively - this brings my work to life in a very free and expressive style.

How do I work?

Using an iPad or a sketchbook with pen/ink/watercolour, I can potentially create around 40-50 unique images of your special day. I work fast, and what I draw on the day is what you get.

How long are you there on the day?

For a mid-day/early afternoon wedding, I like to arrive around 10am when I will do a few venue/scene setting sketches. I will stay until late, usually 11.30pm or so, long after the photographer has gone. So I can sometimes do a 12 hour day! Late afternoon/evening bookings are possible though I can't do as much work, but I will do as much as I can for you. I will give a different quote for half a day.

What does my £700 get from you? It might sound a bit of a luxury item... (or a bargain!)

It might be, but here is what you get:

• All original sketches, all images digitally, a presentation photo book, a framed montage (tbc)... you can decide how to add them to your other collections of memories.
• I'm on site as long as possible which means I can be working for up to 12 hours or so
• I'm almost invisible on the day, blending into the background unobtrusively and skilled at drawing people and things from a distance
• I'm a supplier who does not request and food or drink - I like to be self-contained and I need nothing on the day
• I'm a professional designer and illustrator from the commercial/retail world and I am skilled at doing this unique style of work
• I communicate well about what, where, when, why, etc. so you should have nothing to worry about
• I'm passionate about what I do
• I offer something quite UNIQUE and ORIGINAL with artwork free from AI generation or enhancement. I have developed a particular style of quick, live, on-the-spot illustration which cannot easily be replicated

Where am I based?

South Bedfordshire/North Hertfordshire

Where can we see or meet you?

Instagram - I regularly post there! Any wedding fairs or events I'm attending are listed on my website. I can often be found drawing in Hitchin at the weekend so happy to meet up for a coffee if that works for you... or anywhere else in the area.

I am going full-time with my illustration work from January 2027 so could be free anytime.

Do contact me like to understand more about how I could enhance your special day and I will send you a sample book of drawings from a previous wedding.