A Truly Unique Wedding Gift: Custom Painting Joining Chesterfield UK & Pewaukee Wisconsin By Marco | Updated November 2025 | 12 min read
- Marco
- Jan 1, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 22
Looking for a wedding gift that will make the couple cry happy tears, be displayed proudly for decades, and never end up in a cupboard?
I recently faced exactly that challenge when my nephew William (born and raised in Chesterfield, UK) married the wonderful Coryn from Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
After rejecting the usual vouchers, kitchen gadgets, and photo frames, my wife had a light-bulb moment:
“Why don’t you paint something ?”
And that’s how “The Road Ahead” – a one-of-a-kind watercolour painting that unites two continents, two famous landmarks, and one beautiful love story – was born.
For those who know of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, UK it has one very significant building, the church. It's crooked, caused by the wet and green timbers used during construction twisting as they dried. Then we come to Pewaukee, it also has a very interesting few characteristics, firstly the village sits at the head of Lake Pewaukee and not far away is another distinctive church. The Holy Hill National Shrine.
So working from a basic sketch the composition started to take shape.
The Story Behind This International Wedding Painting
I wanted the painting to say:
“Two lives from opposite sides of the Atlantic have now become one beautiful journey together.”
When reviewing their respective early years and their love of tennis, the outdoors and community I had to find some elements that would draw their backgrounds together. It was tennis that took William to the US taking up a scolorship at South Carolina University before moving up to Wisconsin to start a career as a coach.
Now a very successful content creator and coach known as “The Prince of Pickleball
The composition elements therefore had to bring together three symbolic locations/buildings on a golden path disappearing toward the horizon, thus creating a future journey.
Why a Personalised Wedding Painting Beats Every Other Gift in 2025
Couples today already live together and own air-fryers. What they truly treasure are gifts that:
• Tell their unique story
• Can’t be bought in a shop
• Become family heirlooms
• Spark conversation whenever guests visit
In my 20+ years as a professional artist, custom paintings consistently top the “most loved gift” list from couples, parents, and wedding guests.
1. Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire – representing William’s roots
2. Pewaukee Lake waterfront at sunset – Coryn’s Wisconsin home
3. Holy Hill Basilica – the spiritual heart of the area and a nod to their shared faith
4. A winding golden path symbolising marriage and “The Road Ahead”
All significant landmarks that I hoped would give meaning and substance.
Adding detail and linking the three elements together proved quite a challenge whilst trying to convey the overall theme of two people from different parts of the world joining together on a journey into the future together.
The finished article is shown below
Step-by-Step: How I Create Every Custom Wedding Painting
1. Free consultation – We discuss the story, favourite places, and style preferences
2. Research & photography – I source reference images (or you supply them)
3. Pencil composition – You approve the layout before a brush touches canvas
4. Colour stage – First layers added
5. Detail & refinement – Multiple sessions until it’s perfect
6. Final approval & finishing
7. Secure shipping worldwide with full insurance
Average lead time: 6–10 weeks (rush options available)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you include our wedding venue instead of landmarks?
A: Absolutely – many couples choose their ceremony church, first-date location, or new home.
Q: Do you paint from photos only, or can we meet?
A: I work happily from photos (most international clients do), but UK clients are welcome to visit the studio in Derbyshire.
Q: Is it possible to keep it a surprise?
A: Yes! I’ve created dozens of surprise gifts – I liaise secretly with parents or wedding party.
Q: What if they already have everything?
A: That’s exactly why art wins. It’s the one thing they’d never buy themselves.
It was certainly a hit. If you would like something similar please contact me
Latest Update Nov 25
Meet Pippa East the latest significant addition to the journey and The Road Ahead.
Comments