Crazy bridal makeup prices!

[Butterbeer22]

So, I've been coming across a few TikToks basically asking the question what's a scam that's become normalised that we don't realise is a scam anymore? And a girl said MUA's bridal makeup.
Apparently some charge from £500 to a grand! And a few people in the comments were trying to justify the prices by saying they have to get up at 4.30, sometimes travelling for hours and have to carry loads of bags and another commenter said the price she was quoted included travel and wear and tear to her car 😲
I've never been married, so I don't have a clue about prices, but AIBU to think that them prices are insane!?

Feel free to add your own normalised scams 😂

FYI deposits should have been returned as it was lockdown and no service was provided. Read the following on the government website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds

@coffeecupsandfairylights I was talking about the quotes I’m currently looking at for my own wedding. A buffet line.
Again, I have been to plenty of weddings where things weren’t ‘perfect’. Most of the companies are still in business. They haven’t gone viral on social media and people aren’t stupid - they’re not going to avoid a company based on a couple of bad reviews.

With a recession coming up I’d be surprised if the wedding industry survives - but there’ll always be people who will spend silly money on getting married so…

Not quite right - deposits were to be returned, less any amounts covering work already done, which would include admin.

Wedding flowers can cost more than regular flowers

You're quite right, though the key word there is can. If a bride wants the very best/complicated arrangements then obviously that has to be paid for, but that hardly applies to some of the arrangements in favour now, or when identical work is charged at an extra ££££ purely because the word wedding is attached

FWIW I don't actually blame suppliers for charging whatever they can get away with, but what beats me is why folk are prepared to pay some of the sillier prices

Well its not a scam as they are very clear on what you are receiving for the cost and they deliver that. They are not luring you in and duping you.

If you think its too expensive, then that is personal preference and there are other options/suppliers to choose from.

As others have said everything shoots up as soon as you mention wedding or bridal. Dresses, venues, transport, food etc. Its all open to personal preference.

Whats value to you, is waste to another person.

A self trained makeup artist would charge £40 around here with lashes. If you want to book someone like Bryony Blake or Lisa Eldridge you’d be looking at thousands and then there’s everything in between that. It’s all about skill, qualification, experience and reputation like in most professions. You get solicitors in London charging extortionate fees to do do the same job as others charging less but nobody questions that.

These threads drive me crazy.

I work in the wedding industry (cake designer) I cannot stand it when people say 'mention wedding and £££ is added', and think they are being ripped off.

I do charge more for wedding cakes than non-wedding. Because it costs me more. Far more. Especially in time, and marketing. My marketing costs (both in money and time) for weddings are high, my marketing for birthday cakes is practically non-existent. I deliver wedding cakes (can take up to 3 hours), birthday cakes are collection only.

Admin for a wedding cake is generally far greater. Brides (even the easy going ones) DO take up more time in consultations, phone calls, emails etc. And the non easy going ones are very difficult to deal with, and how do I know which you are going to be before I start? I can hardly add on a PITA charge afterwards, so my 'average' time has to be factored in to all wedding cakes.

The customer doesn't see all the additional effort that goes into wedding services, so I can understand why they think money has been added for no reason. But that simply isn't the case in most cases.

Was it as popular then? I literally never met anyone who had their make up done by someone else until the last few years. I wonder whether I just have a sheltered existence or you were unusual. That’s a genuine query.

My marketing costs (both in money and time) for weddings are high, my marketing for birthday cakes is practically non-existent

I don’t understand this at all, don’t you include all your marketing costs underneath one overall business cost rather than splitting it out and adding a “marketing” cost to a wedding cake? Or is this a typo?

You get solicitors in London charging extortionate fees to do do the same job as others charging less but nobody questions that.

<eyeroll>

they don’t do the same job, you’re paying for the expertise and years of training. Or if they are, then you’re paying the London premium.

If people are prepared to pay it then MUAs will charge it.
I've booked someone who does lot of editorial and beauty campaigns, so a very accomplished artist. She's doing hair and make up, plus a trial for just over £200.
Seems a fair price for a several hours of skilled work.

@ShirleyPhallus but it’s the same thing. MUAs have different levels of training and expertise as well.

No, not a typo. I market almost exclusively towards the wedding market (wedding fairs, bridal magazines etc), so yes, I do add an extra 'marketing' cost to the price of a wedding cake, that I don't add to other cakes. Other cakes come purely from word of mouth, Facebook etc.

Was it as popular then? I literally never met anyone who had their make up done by someone else until the last few years. I wonder whether I just have a sheltered existence or you were unusual. That’s a genuine query

It wasn't unusual at all in the 90s. My friendship group all married in the 90s, and we all had our makeup done by a professional for our weddings. Sometimes bridesmaids as well. I don't think it was new then, and (as far as I knew) it was a very normal thing to do, as was getting your hair done for the wedding.

Then it isn’t “the same job” is it

Yeah it's insane.

I didn't ask for wedding makeup when I booked my makeup artist.

I make a booking to take place at my house for myself and 3 other people for makeup+lashes and didn't mention it was my wedding day. Nobody asked so I kept quiet.

I didn't hide that it was my wedding, the dresses were hung up in the room, there was wedding talk going on, bridesmaid gifts passed around, but I just didn't specifically ask for bridal makeup at the time of booking.

I suspect if I asked for a wedding package or specifically asked for wedding makeup the price as would have shot up despite receiving the exact same amount of time and makeup. The price list had a separate section for wedding related things that didn't have prices on.

I would like to add that the makeup was absolutely fine and looked flawless on the photos.

It depends in make up artist surely? I looked mine up most recent price is £50 (£50 for a trial too). £40 for other people. Not sure why bride is £10 extra twice but it's not the hundreds others are saying

So interesting and one of the things I like about mumsnet. Having my world view challenged!

I’m married 15yrs and it was the norm in my circle for a good while before that. I had a trial then make up and lashes on the day. I have used the same woman ever since for attending weddings, balls etc.

It's perfectly sensible business practice. Why should birthday cake buyers contribute to a cost that that part of the business doesn't incur because it isn't necessary?

There’s a huge difference between party make up and bridal make up. Bridal make up is longer lasting for one, and a decent MUA will make sure it’s flawless and perfect. That same attention to detail won’t be there for party make up.

Ultimately it depends how important your make up is to you on the day. For someone who doesn’t wear make up usually, a simple party make up look may look done up for them. For someone who regularly wears make up on an evening out, party make up won’t be the right look.

I was married many years ago now and all of this seems so different to how things were then. I did have an MUA, but she also sold make up. She had a deal where if you could help her to sell x amount of make up, then her services on the wedding day were free. So we had a make up party a few weeks before. We told every one who came that there was no pressure to buy, but they were very generous. I was the model for the evening and the MUA demonstrated her products on me. That served as the make up practice for the wedding. It was a lovely evening that I look back on fondly.

Why don’t you explain it to people then?
Also if you market especially to wedding fairs etc you must have a degree of specialism.

In my case I wanted a normal cake just wedding words instead of happy birthday and was charged £50 extra. They couldn’t tell me why, especially as I had mates phone up and order the exact same cake for other events.

My issues isn’t the price, it’s the lack of transparency

*at least £50

If I wanted a wedding wedding cake and to make a fuss I’d have been looking at a specialist, not an ordinary bakery …!