To wonder what you paid - Calling all recent brides

[wrigleysextra]

I'm after some context as to whether a quote I have received for make up on my wedding day is a lot or not so was hoping for some input from any recent Mumsnet brides!

I've contacted several make up artists for a quote for 3 adults (bride, bridesmaid & mother of the bride) and an 11 year old who may just want a tiny bit of lipgloss & mascara applying.

The one make up artist who has come back to me so far is incidentally the one I liked the most but I'm quite staggered by her quote.

I completely understand she needs to factor in travel costs and time (just over an hour each way). I'm not looking for a cheap service and will gladly pay the going rate, but I don't actually know what that is! With nothing else so far to compare her quote to, I'm wondering what you would expect or did pay for similar on your wedding day?

Told on myself how?

I wasn’t surgery but my private fees in hospital were £200 for some tests. I paid £2000 for a dental implant which was surgery. This included the initial appointments and follow up appointments and materials and a dental assistant. So that charge is less per hour than £400. For dental surgery!

That’s fab, thank you so much!

.@novalia89 ... which would have a more significant impact on your health and quality of life!

Also some do a trial before hand to try out certain things so that is another day. Also Saturday's cost more than in the week and so on.

By letting slip that you think it’s just ‘vanity’ and a ‘short college course to apply foundation’ and scorning the idea of professional development being involved. Both sexist and deeply unintelligent. Btw, sounds like a bit of vanity wouldn’t have gone amiss for your own finances 🪥

Friend A booked the same make up artist for her wedding that friend B had previously used, when friend A was a bridesmaid, and friend B was paying for the bridal party make up. Friend B has spendthrift tendencies and knew that friend A would try to persuade her not to spend so much money, so she said it cost £250 for everyone.

When friend A got married, she'd assumed the cost would be similar and was embarrassed when the bill was over £500! She knows she should have checked herself.

Back in July I paid £150 for my hair and make-up, and £45 for my bridesmaid's hair only.

It’s absolutely NOT sexist. Who said that makeup artists are only woman or used by only woman? And who said that woman aren’t capable of doing the jobs that I listed, such as surgeons, other medics, lawyers, engineers? You added that sexism. I compared it to the day rate of a builder, which is usually held by a man.

Makeup artists often do do a short course in college. There is no studying for 5 years in university then another 2 years at a placement in a hospital, then another set of exams. Yet we pay our junior doctors a pitiful wage.

‘scorning the idea of professional development being involved.’ There is not legally mandated cpd involved like other professions, where a minimum number of hours is necessary. My last job we had to do this in our own time. My friend has to pay for her own professional fees for midwifery. It is not the same.

‘Btw, sounds like a bit of vanity wouldn’t have gone amiss for your own finances’ what is that supposed to mean? I should exploit people too, far beyond what it’s worth?

60 quid per person, hair and make up included. These quotes are insanity!

Well if customers are prepared to pay it...?

Personally I'd rather do my own than pay that much.

Ok, you have no concept of value or worth, or even what's being bought and sold in this transaction. You're not alone, plenty of people on this thread have the same issue, and I talk to a lot of professionals that have exactly the same problem pricing their services.

If all you're doing is buying an hour of time then it doesn't matter who does the job. You might as well ask your car mechanic do do your make-up.

What you're buying is looking good and feeling confident on your wedding day. That's the commodity you have to attach the value to, not the number of hours it takes.

That's is exactly what I've said 'What you're buying is looking good and feeling confident on your wedding day. That's the commodity you have to attach the value to, not the number of hours it takes.' Vanity is pricing this and people are exploiting it.

Unfortunately as a society we have priced vanity higher than items like teachers, doctors and people who risk their life or others lives. We don't fund the NHS properly and medics are on pitiful wages. My friend is a police officer and is assaulted frequently, yet he earns nothing like this. Teachers work stupid hours. Yet because people want to feel confident on their wedding day they are charged £1200+ for some hair and makeup. We are totally messed up and don't value important things. It's no wonder nurses are leaving the profession to do botox instead.

Glad I did - took two minutes to do mascara and lip gloss!

Some mua are targeting the luxury high end market and people who have huge budgets.
They will use all high end brands and will have the little touches that make it of a standard that people who are used to spending a lot of money expect.
This doesn't mean you are going to look radically different. The level of service may vary but really if you can afford £1200 for a face of make up then it wouldn't be a consideration as to if its expensive or not, and that's not a dig. It's just that there is the wedding market and then there's the luxury wedding market. It's like everything else, if there's a demand for it, it will exist.
If someone is super cheap I'd be suspicious. If someone wanted £500 to do my face I'd say thanks but not in my budget.
My bridal makeup is £130 I think, I'm in the greater Manchester area and that's reasonable. I want it to look great and j like the mua style so I know I'm going to be getting roughly what I want. So I'm happy with that.
Only you can decide what's worth it to you and what's in your budget. It's fair to get an idea if price range but without location I think it's probably less helpful.

@2jacqi

no, doing it herself will not look better. Not unless op happens to be a professional MUA

I paid £260 for my hair and make up, 2 adult bridesmaids hair and make up and hair for a 7 year old. That also included trial hair and make up for me. She was amazing and I think I got a real bargain reading some of these prices. I'm in the South West and this was in 2019.

@Parker231

surely you realise that most people want more than that for such a special occasion

@flutterby1

if you wouldn’t dream of it then your opinion isn’t very relevant is it

One of the most important days of my life but wanted to look like me and not something I’m not.

£300 for bride, 3 bridesmaids and MoB earlier this year (make-up only). Plus £65 for trials for me and my mum. The MUA I used is established for make-up but newish to bridal so I think her pricing is quite cheap for her ability, I wouldn't be surprised if her prices jump up once she has more bridal experience. The make-up was flawless, covered my facial birthmark without looking cakey, looked amazing in photos, and lasted all day in 25 degree heat. There is no comparison to doing it yourself (and I'm reasonably good with make-up), despite what people on this thread are trying to convince themselves.

When it comes to weddings things are more expensive because there's more at stake. They might not be saving lives but if they muck up your make-up that's how you look on your wedding day, in all your photos, in all your videos. It can ruin your day and ruin your memories. It's not vanity to say that. It is incredibly important work (and I'm a HCP so well aware of other important work, but it's daft to compare medical and creative industries. Hollywood actors make far more than surgeons for example).

ETA - the MUA also spent time and money buying products that she didn't already own specifically to try to cover my birthmark. In the end, we worked out that the best thing was the concealer I already use. So it's not option 1 - get a MUA, be caked in their products and look nothing like yourself, or option 2 DIY. You can work with the MUA to look like your best self.

@Parker231

most people do still look like themselves with professional makeup on , just a better, enhanced version of themselves.

There is a risk that you don't like how they make you up, that you don't look like your best-ever self. That would be my worry, you know through years of ( probable) make up use what looks good on you.

@bridgetreilly

nah!

I wouldn’t have looked like myself as I rarely wear any makeup.

@Parker231 Good for you, you're not like other girls...