Meet Jessica McGinley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica McGinley.  

Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m Jes from JesMarried, an artist based in Columbus, Ohio. I’m a wedding illustrator that focuses on drawings that take a bride from the moment she says yes to being just married. That’s where the name comes from JesMarried… just married. I use markers to create wedding invitations, signage, and portrait gifts for the couple and their friends and family. My recently added new service is attending weddings and drawing guests live as fun entertainment and guest favors, they won’t throw away. 

I started JesMarried in December 2015, when I was in the process of asking my bridesmaids to be in my wedding party. I created a bridal party drawing that showcased each girl standing next to the bride (me!) facing backward. It showed off each girl’s hair color, dress color, and style. The drawing was a huge hit with them, so I opened an Etsy shop soon after with that exact drawing and the words ‘Custom Bridal Party Drawing’ in the listing’s title. Just shy of 10,000 sales later, I have my own website, that the same Etsy shop and I took JesMarried full time in 2020 during a pandemic. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Getting to where I am today has definitely come with ups and downs, but I am blessed to say I have had more ups than downs. From 2015 through most of 2020, business was very steady and growing every year pretty rapidly. I was working full-time as a corporate graphic designer whilst building my business. I took my business full-time in 2020 and it felt like the riskiest and scariest thing I have ever done, but I knew it was the right decision – and turns out it was! 2021 & 2022 has definitely presented more challenges in terms of needing to pivot at times. Not comparing oneself to others is key to having a positive mindset. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Being a marker artist in the wedding industry isn’t extremely common. Most artists are focused on painting or graphic design, so being a marker artist does make my work a rare find in the industry. I specialize in invitations that mix your wedding vibe and personality, and I now offer live guest portrait artwork that is very rapidly growing in popularity. One of my most popular products is by far my mother-of-the-bride drawing. This is where I reference photos from dress shopping trips or website images to create artwork of a bride and a mother of the bride BEFORE a wedding day so that it is able to be gifted the day of. I call these my signature back-facing style drawings. I have grown this style to now offering it in any family variation such as mother of the groom, groom, fathers, sisters, and grandparents. 

How do you define success?
I used to define success by numbers but over the past couple years, I have started focusing on how my mindset is. If I am happy and achieving in the areas I love, then that is success. 

Pricing:

• Back-Facing Portraits start at $119
• Custom Invitations start at $2000
• Live Guest Portrait Illustrating starts at $2000
• Front-Facing Portraits start at $300
• Pet Portraits start at $180

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jesmarried.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesmarried/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesmarried/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/jesmarried

Image Credits
Ashley D Photography