Wedding make up too early - bridesmaid dilemma

Someone had to go first, obviously it makes most sense for it to be the people in the hotel. This is part of being a bridesmaid. For gods sake stop whinging, it’s meant to be fun! Your poor friend with you sulking about the effort she’s made to plan her wedding.

No, it doesn't. However, you did what suited you and each to their own.

The ones that booked for it wanted it. My expense. The ones that didn’t, did their own.

For a 1pm wedding and a bridal party of 6 hairdressers would normally arrive about 6am. Mine did. Time flies. I got up at 5am because it was a beautiful spring morning and I was excited to marry the love of my life.

Hope that clarifies things for you.

What a whole lot of kerfuffle over nothing. And if getting out of bed at 6.30am is hardly the end of the world, neither is not having a 'professional' make-up. Hair, I can understand. But this is a wedding, not the Chanel 2026 spring/summer collection.

Had the bride paid for this pretension my response would be the same as many others: anything other than going ahead on the decided basis would be rude. But given you're paying for this yourself and for some reason have been willing to humour this nonsense, I'd be skipping the slot and would apply my make up myself.

I happily did this on my own wedding day. And I can promise you, the number of invited guests who will notice how (and by whom) the bridesmaids' make up has been applied, isn't going to make it north of zero.

Weddings!

My friend paid for my make up but my slot was 7am because after I’d had it done I then had to drive to the next town to pick up her wedding flowers amongst other jobs 🤣

It was fine, my make up still looked good enough in pictures and obviously she should get the prime slot. It’s her wedding day.

Im doing MOH for my friend and I have to be up at 6.30am to be at her house for around 7.45 to then drive to hairdressers for a 9am appointment. Its one day, but we know its a long day, but its fun and an honour to be stood by our best friends side, so we do what is planned at what time it's planned.

On my wedding day I got up at about 7.30, showered and washed my hair, and walked along to the pub where we had our reception to help my mum and mother in law set out the tables for the food. I went home at 9.30, got changed and did my makeup and left at 10 for an 11 o’clock wedding 😆. I can’t imagine putting up with all the faffing around that brides seem to have nowadays.

And why would a bride care about anyone else's make-up? Is this even a thing? What will be next - brides telling bridesmaids to all go blonde or something?

I would never expect anyone to pay for their own hotel, or to pay for their own make-up (7am or any other time) in order to attend MY wedding. What is the world coming to? How rude.

I defo don't think it's outrageous to have make up done at 7am with 6 bridesmaids to sort out. I'd be up early with excitement for the day personally.

Only on mumsnet is the idea of washing your hair the day before and having someone put make up be so abhorrent (well according to some answers !!!)

Talk about extreme! 😂

Well that's a very early start, even for your own wedding
Why didn't you just let them do their own hair and makeup? That's what used to happen.

Can you not have your lie in and do the make up yourself? I'm with you 100% on not wanting to get up at 6.00 am for a friend's wedding. You'll be exhausted!

None of this is going to make the Marriage, that is up to the Bride and Groom. Do what is right for you so: if the time is wrong get your own hair/make up done go somewhere else. Join in the fun etc later when it suits you.

Biggest stress for bride can be bridesmaids. Shouldn’t be like that.

I had 4 BM’s and two made a big fuss about being the first for hair/makeup and kept on making representations to me and DH!

It was the length and thickness of their hair that put them first. One (single - in her 20’s) crying about wanting a lie in. I was up at 5am!

Have you ever been part of a bridal party? I’d say for absolute vast majority of weddings when part of the main act, You don’t get to just wake up and spend your morning relaxing and getting ready on your own terms.

For a 1pm wedding everyone needs to be ready by 11am. It’s really not a log of time.

This sounds awful to me, especially if it’s a rare weekend away without your kids. I’d cancel the professional makeup (even if you’ll lose money) and just do it yourself at a civilised hour. Surely it’s more important to be relaxed and well rested anyway?

People get really weird about weddings on MN sometimes. Don’t forget it’s supposed to be a happy occasion, not a military operation.

Weddings are always stressful .. look at it this way you are first to get makeup and hair done which in turn means you won’t be rushing and can chill and relax ..its a one off so think getting up a little early than usual is not a big deal

I didn’t get up at that time of the morning, on my OWN wedding

It sounds awful. But then I wouldn't let anyone near my face because I've been doing my own makeup every day for 38 years!

This is the norm when there are so many bridesmaids unfortunately. At my friends wedding last year we had to be up for hair and make up from 6am as there were 6 bridesmaids, the bride, mother of the bride and 2 flower girls to get through and only 2 ladies doing it all. The bride typically goes last, just get your make up done and the make up artist will put on plenty of setting spray so it’ll last all day and night. It sounds like you are quite stressed but it’s your friends day, just relax and get through it as best as you can it’s one day.

Make that night a night to sleep. I'd be in bed by 7. I'm a single mum of two and a caregiver to my own mum. I dream about a hotel room to myself to sleep. So, I'm jealous. 😩
Honestly, early dinner, no alcohol, shower, clothes laid out, alarms set plus put in for a wake-up call, dress, grab a coffee and pastry and get your make-up done. You will thank yourself for having had a good sleep because your skin will look great and you will feel great.

7am for first slot actually sounds quite reasonable... I've had a 5.30am slot for a 1pm wedding 😅.

Its your friends wedding and you're looking at it about how it affects you, suck it up and think about your friend on her wedding day

I'd have no issue with the time but if I'd insisted on bridesmaids having professional makeup done I'd have paid for it myself. I gave mine the choice and they wanted to do their own.

78% of voters say it’s not.