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?

£150 makeup and I think similar for hair

For those paying the at the upper end were you left with all of the products that were used?

£500 approx for me, four bridesmaids and MOB. That includes the trial and some extra for travel as I was outside of her ‘free’ locations.

I paid £180 for just me. That included trial but was just make up ( I went to the hairdressers)

This was just make up, not hair.

That time did include dressing, veil, putting on jewellery, helping the bride go for a wee 😂, tidying room and photographic arrangement of dress/veil etc

Book a normal hairdresser and make up artist, not a wedding specific one! Mine was £350 for me and 3 bridesmaids hair and make up. That was 10 years ago so even with inflation, £550?

I was quoted €1,700 for bride and three groomswomen - just outside Dublin. The groomswomen told me not to even consider paying it - they did mine and then helped each other with theirs in the end!

Goodjob

But surely the price would be the same even without all that extra stuff as the price is set before the day or did the bride agree to her doing all that beforehand and therefore it was included as part of her quote?

To be honest it sounds weird I can't imagine getting a random stranger to help me get dressed or go for a wee.

The price was for hair and makeup, she just did all the other stuff too

Christ, I paid £350 for me and MOH to have hair done, but that included the trial - plus MOH has alopecia so we wanted someone good with that so she could feel good about herself as it upsets her.

My mate did my make up as a gift (she's not an MUA, just a good amateur), and now I'm even more grateful for that!

I assume all these prices included a trial session, not just on the day?

I completely understand she needs to factor in travel costs and time (just over an hour each way)

You're generally paying the whole day rate for this type of service, regardless of how long it actually takes. It's extremely unlikely they can do two jobs in one day, so anyone that's any good is charging full rate no matter how few hours you expect them to take.

Exactly I don’t understand why people think it’s per hour?

250 in 2021

Myself
2 bridesmaids
Motb
Trial

& That includes a £50 non refundable deposit to secure date. She travelled about 40 mens to an hour each way and had to pay £10 parking near by.

Was getting quotes for £700 plus I thought she was joking when she told me her prices.

She's won County brides awards since and top 10 makeup artist of the year and she's amazing.

£600 for hair and make up for bride and 6 bridesmaids. I had quoted up to £1000 though.

To be honest it sounds weird I can't imagine getting a random stranger to help me get dressed or go for a wee

That’s fine, you do you …….
I’m just answering the OP’s question.

For hair & make up - £1,450 - bride (including trial), 6 bridesmaids and 2 mothers. We had 3 x artists to cover the 9 of us.

It's easy to understand. They don't think it's a proper job, they have no concept of opportunity cost, they don't realise that when there are only 52 Saturdays a year that these will be at a premium, etc. etc.

Agreed, you’re also paying for the expertise and products, expensive brushes etc which would run into the hundreds of you bought them all and possibly wouldn’t use again

If the make up artists cater to a specific culture then it will be very high. Average bridal quotes were £650, £1000 for the renowned ones. That’s just the bride. Although it does include helping you into your outfit, jewellery placement and dressing you. They don’t even leave you the lipstick to top up throughout the day! English make up artists are much lower cost

£280 hair and makeup Bride only including the trial (Bath area)

Wow they can see brides coming!! These costs are crazy.

My quotes were between £800 and 1k for 1 bride, 2 bridesmaids.

I am fussy and and didn't want to look cakey / like a drag act

In the end I went to bobbi brown and did a few classes and bought about £100 of products... practiced a bit and took photos to ensure it photographed well.

My make up looked good and I saved a lot of money

I can't believe these prices, am mid fifties now though. Twenty odd years ago when I got married I went to Bobbi Brown counter few days before for a make over, bought the products, did it myself and made up my bridesmaid. I can't imagine anything worse than someone else doing my make up, fear of not looking like my usual self I suppose. But I do get why people enjoy it and pay for it. Just seems so steep!