Kuenzli Wedding Art

Kuenzli Wedding Art is the studio of Stephanie Künzli Ycaza, a Swiss fine artist and live wedding painter based in Basel. She paints a wedding in oil on site while it happens, so guests can watch the painting come to life, and she and a second illustrator also paint live watercolor illustrations of guests. A studio program adds hand-painted keepsakes with published starting prices, from painted champagne bottles to illustrated seating charts. The whole site is in English, and she describes herself as available throughout Switzerland, Europe and worldwide.

The live wedding painting

The core offer is a painting made during the celebration itself. The about page says she works discreetly through the wedding and watches for the details that often pass unnoticed: the movement of a dress, the changing light, the elegance of the venue and the emotions of the day. Each artwork, the page says, is carefully composed and hand-painted in oil, and the homepage adds that every original painting and illustration is completed in her studio in Basel using museum-quality materials. So what the couple receives is finished after the event, not handed over at the end of the evening.

Her own summary of the style is "refined, romantic, and deeply atmospheric." She makes a point of saying the painting is more than a recreation of a photograph: it is meant to hold the feeling of a moment, such as the anticipation before a first dance or evening light over a mountain landscape. The site's argument for it is a simple one: "while flowers fade and the music eventually ends, a painting remains."

Live guest illustrations

The second live service is watercolor illustrations of guests. The events page describes the format for corporate clients, and the mechanics carry over to a wedding: each guest is photographed while enjoying the celebration, and illustrations are painted live through the day or evening. If there are more guests than can be finished on the day, the remaining illustrations are completed in the Basel studio and shipped. Each is individually signed. The about page says Natalia, a new live illustrator on the team, joins Stephanie for weddings, corporate events and special celebrations, and that "With two illustrators, we can create more portraits throughout an event."

The corporate packages on the events page give a sense of scale: the Executive Collection from CHF 950 (up to 4 hours on site, up to 25 guest illustrations), the Signature Corporate Experience from CHF 2,500 (up to 7 hours, up to 70 illustrations, travel within Switzerland included) and the Grand Corporate Experience from CHF 3,900 (up to 8 hours, up to 120 illustrations, second illustrator available, international travel available). Those are priced for companies, not weddings, but they are the only published figures for live work.

The Art Atelier and its prices

The page titled Prices, called The Art Atelier, lists handmade pieces made in the studio or live at the wedding, each with a starting price:

• Hand-painted champagne and wine bottles, from CHF 280, suggested as table décor, a gift for parents or a bottle saved for the first anniversary.
• Hand-painted perfume bottles, from CHF 290, for the scent the bride wore on the day.
• Hand-painted silk scarves, from CHF 490, which begin as an original watercolor and are printed onto silk.
• Custom group illustrations, from CHF 450, combining several reference photos into one watercolor of the wedding party or family.
• Custom wedding letters in watercolor and calligraphy, from CHF 180, for vows or letters to parents.
• Hand-painted wedding dresses, from CHF 1,500, painting flowers, landscapes or quotes onto the gown.
• Personalized playing cards, from CHF 250, as a wedding favor.
• Hand- or digitally painted tote bags, from CHF 140.
• An illustrated seating chart, from CHF 450, which becomes an artwork for home afterwards.

The page also mentions interactive art workshops for guests. Every piece, she writes, "begins with a conversation," and the process runs in four steps: share the vision, design together, handmade with care, a lasting memory.

The team

Stephanie writes that she has devoted over 15 years to painting human connection and trained in fine arts in Basel, Munich and Madrid, with a focus on classical oil painting and portraiture. Claudia is the creative experience and event coordinator, handling content, client experience and event coordination, and advising couples, companies, hotels and planners. Thierry is the team's event photographer and videographer, producing photography, films, social media reels and highlight trailers. Natalia is the live illustrator described above.

Destination weddings and booking

The about page names the kind of settings she travels to: the Swiss Alps, the shores of Lake Lucerne, a historic château in France, the Amalfi Coast or an exclusive private estate, and the homepage adds Provence. The site states that 2026 and 2027 are open for bookings. Inquiries go through the contact form on the homepage, by email to info@stephaniekuenzli.com or by phone on +41 (0)79 595 99 90, and the Instagram account @kuenzliweddingart shows recent work.

What the site does not settle

There is no price for the live oil painting itself: the Prices page covers the atelier pieces, and the events page covers corporate illustration packages. Couples should ask for a live painting quote directly, along with the canvas size, how many hours she stays and what travel and accommodation cost for a wedding outside Basel. The site does not publish a booking lead time, deposit or cancellation terms. It also does not say whether a wedding painting is always by Stephanie herself or may involve Natalia, which matters to couples booking her for her own oil work. Delivery times for the finished painting are not stated.

Who this suits

This suits couples who want an original oil painting of their day and are happy for an artist to work among the guests, and couples who like the idea of guest illustrations as a favor. The atelier list is useful even without the live painting: a seating chart, a set of playing cards or a painted bottle can be ordered as studio work. With a Basel base and a site written in English, she is an easy fit for international weddings, and the site presents destination work as a regular part of the business.

The caveat is budget clarity. The keepsakes are priced, the live painting is not, and the corporate figures suggest live work is a significant spend. Couples who want everything priced up front will need a quote before they can compare, and those who would rather not have an artist present during the ceremony may prefer the studio pieces alone.