Two North Wales entrepreneurs have launched a dedicated marketplace for wedding art.
TheWeddingPainters, co-founded by Huw Davies-Cooke and Jack Cheetham, was built to help couples who want to source live wedding painting or bespoke illustration.
Couples can browse artist profiles, compare styles and portfolios, send enquiries, communicate directly and book securely. Artists get access to qualified wedding leads and a structured booking process with no upfront fees. The platform earns a commission only when a booking is made.
The idea originated from personal experience. Co-founder Huw Davies-Cooke first encountered live wedding painting at his sister's wedding. Huw said finding the right artist had been “unnecessarily difficult”.
Since 1 January 2026, TheWeddingPainters has generated nearly £20,000 in booking value for artists on the platform, which now lists more than 35 artists and is growing weekly. Interest has extended beyond the UK, with artists from the USA and Europe also joining.
“The gap was obvious,” said Huw Davies-Cooke, co-founder. “Couples were piecing everything together themselves, and artists were missing out on work they should have been winning. We built the infrastructure this category needed — a platform that makes wedding art easier to find, easier to trust and easier to book.”
The business has been fully bootstrapped alongside employment. Davies-Cooke brings a background in technical SEO and business consulting and Cheetham brings experience in customer care and sales.
“This isn't another wedding supplier directory,” said Jack Cheetham, co-founder. “Wedding art is one of the most personal purchases a couple makes. They're choosing something that will hang in their home for the rest of their lives. That demands a platform built specifically around trust, fit and quality — not just a listing.”
Alongside facilitating bookings, the founders are developing an educational layer for artists on the platform, sharing marketplace data and practical guidance to help artists sharpen how they position their work, handle enquiries and convert interest into confirmed bookings.
The long-term ambition is to expand internationally.
