Makeup Artist
Stephanie May Artistry
Posts: 442
Lewistown, Pennsylvania, US
Jordan Liberty wrote:
I charge an arm and a leg, I have a minimum of 4 people including the bride. Guaranteed $500 at least. Anything less isn't worth the dramz. I do the same thing... I won't even consider walking out my door to do a wedding for less than $400. Thats the bride and 2 members on the bridal party. If its only 2 people.. I will still do it buts its still $400. Each additional person is $80.
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
In Your Face Make-up wrote:
I do the same thing... I won't even consider walking out my door to do a wedding for less than $400. Thats the bride and 2 members on the bridal party. If its only 2 people.. I will still do it buts its still $400. Each additional person is $80. That is very reasonable!!!
I charge $100 per person. Weddings are a lot of work .
Usually that time of season I am fairly booked up.
Money is money and work is work !
Makeup Artist
Stephanie May Artistry
Posts: 442
Lewistown, Pennsylvania, US
Gina Cicero wrote:
That is very reasonable!!!
I charge $100 per person. Weddings are a lot of work .
Usually that time of season I am fairly booked up.
Money is money and work is work ! I agree.. I think its a reasonable starting price... Most of my weddings end up paying around $800. With is great for 4-5 hours of work give or take. But you'd be surprised the people who contact me and think that its too much money.. they would rather go to the Mac counter and have it done for free.. on your wedding day??? Really you want free?? Crazy bitches.
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
In Your Face Make-up wrote:
I agree.. I think its a reasonable starting price... Most of my weddings end up paying around $800. With is great for 4-5 hours of work give or take. But you'd be surprised the people who contact me and think that its too much money.. they would rather go to the Mac counter and have it done for free.. on your wedding day??? Really you want free?? Crazy bitches. OMG girl I know exactly what you are talking about.
With my price, I usually go to the bride, plus a consultation, and the lashes and I guarantee my work for the day. So when I hear it is too much money I just laugh. Especially when I hear well I will just go to mac GO RIGHT AHEAD.
I will no longer play around with my prices I have paid my dues. Unless I have a huge party meaning 7 or more then I will go down to 85. Less than that FORGET IT!
Makeup Artist
courthart
Posts: 2365
Los Angeles, California, US
Jordan Liberty wrote:
I love doing weddings. Pays for my kit! I like weddings too....I have been pretty lucky to never have had it TOO TOO bad....but I know brides can get a little crazy.....
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
courtney hart wrote:
I like weddings too....I have been pretty lucky to never have had it TOO TOO bad....but I know brides can get a little crazy..... HA HA INDEED
The best is when a bride says she wants a....Vibrant, smokey, poppin eyes, but yet natural 
Makeup Artist
courthart
Posts: 2365
Los Angeles, California, US
Gina Cicero wrote:
HA HA INDEED
The best is when a bride says she wants a....Vibrant, smokey, poppin eyes, but yet natural lol! i have heard that EXACT thing SO many times
"I want it to be REALLY REALLY natural....I never wear make-up......can you make me look like Jennifer Lopez????" AHHHHHHHHH!!!! lol.....and then the shimmery bronzer comes out! 
Makeup Artist
Rachel Lisa
Posts: 2975
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Actually I find the most difficult brides are the ones that NEVER wear makeup. I swear, sometimes I'll have to do 3 looks for their trial. They are so not used to it, they think it's all soooo dramatic. I'm thinking, "Girl, I barely put anything on you". And they ALWAYS end up deciding the first one I picked was the best. And that is why I charge the same for the trial now as I do for the day of.
Makeup Artist
Stephanie May Artistry
Posts: 442
Lewistown, Pennsylvania, US
Gina Cicero wrote:
HA HA INDEED
The best is when a bride says she wants a....Vibrant, smokey, poppin eyes, but yet natural OH... I get that all the time too.. "I want really dramatic eyes!!"" And I am like "Honey.. your wedding is at 11am?!?! WTF?" And the newest one for this wedding season is "I want that Old Hollywood Vintage kind of look" When did this become a "look" for bridal??
Makeup Artist
LisaJohnson
Posts: 10525
Nashville, Tennessee, US
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
In Your Face Make-up wrote:
OH... I get that all the time too.. "I want really dramatic eyes!!"" And I am like "Honey.. your wedding is at 11am?!?! WTF?" And the newest one for this wedding season is "I want that Old Hollywood Vintage kind of look" When did this become a "look" for bridal?? Lmaoooooooooooo!!!!!! I am telling you have to love them.
Girl you crack me up!
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
courtney hart wrote:
lol! i have heard that EXACT thing SO many times
"I want it to be REALLY REALLY natural....I never wear make-up......can you make me look like Jennifer Lopez????" AHHHHHHHHH!!!! lol.....and then the shimmery bronzer comes out! Oh absolutelyyyyyy!!!
This other time I had one bride do her trial with me and it all went very well, then the day of the wedding she comes to me and tells me she wants little rhinestones
set across the lashline.....(ummmm didn't know I was doing make up for studio 54) but anyhoo I was like ok. Told her she should have let me known sooner she was like no problem. OMG she pulls out these stones, they weren't even little I was like there is no way your eyes will even be able to stay open. SHe argued and said her cousin had it done when she got married and she wanted them and was not going to pay me unless I did it!
NOT only did I worn this dummy that it would look terrible in a nice way, it fell off and took the eyelash in the middle of her I do's !!!!!
Needless to say she called me crying right after church begged for me to come back and fix her up without any arguements
Hair Stylist
Contemporary Classic
Posts: 60
New York, New York, US
I most definitely do bridal hair & make-up on the side, it pays you more than the fashion world (when just starting out) will pay you on any given day. Brides can become your bread & butter during wedding season. Think about it, aren't alot of high fashion designers developing bridal lines? Clothing Designers definitely see it as a 'big ticket item'. No one looks down on Vera Wang's Brides (she's cornered the fashion bridal market).
But what I do think can be cheesy is having bridal photos in your port. I'm sure artist agencies won't look on that too fondly as they are not in the bridal business. You would have to be very careful and selective when having bridal pictures in your port if the bride isn't a model wearing a couture gown with great lighting, don't submit it! You don't want to come off as an amateur, it would be similiar to a model submitting her high school prom pictures (just don't do it!).
All The Best,
Rita
Makeup Artist
Stephanie May Artistry
Posts: 442
Lewistown, Pennsylvania, US
Gina Cicero wrote:
Oh absolutelyyyyyy!!!
This other time I had one bride do her trial with me and it all went very well, then the day of the wedding she comes to me and tells me she wants little rhinestones
set across the lashline.....(ummmm didn't know I was doing make up for studio 54) but anyhoo I was like ok. Told her she should have let me known sooner she was like no problem. OMG she pulls out these stones, they weren't even little I was like there is no way your eyes will even be able to stay open. SHe argued and said her cousin had it done when she got married and she wanted them and was not going to pay me unless I did it!
NOT only did I worn this dummy that it would look terrible in a nice way, it fell off and took the eyelash in the middle of her I do's !!!!!
Needless to say she called me crying right after church begged for me to come back and fix her up without any arguements OMG!!!! Thats SOOOOO funny...
Why is it.. when they want something really, really fucking ugly and we tell them nicely it won't look good.. that they STILL think they know best.. That lash and rhinestone falling off was your "I told ya so!" in her face..
I had this mom of the bride recently who brought in this pic that was WAY dramatic and not at all age appropriate for her. It also didn't go with her face shape or anything. So I told her I would use it as "inspiration" but make the look suit her face and be age appropriate. So.. I get done and she hates it... and starts telling me what she doesn't like... Sure enough all the things she didn't like were the things I took from the pic and incorporated into her look..AH!!! She let me start over and do what I originally had in mind for her and she loved it..some people just don't understand that we are professionals for a reason..
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
In Your Face Make-up wrote:
OMG!!!! Thats SOOOOO funny...
Why is it.. when they want something really, really fucking ugly and we tell them nicely it won't look good.. that they STILL think they know best.. That lash and rhinestone falling off was your "I told ya so!" in her face..
I had this mom of the bride recently who brought in this pic that was WAY dramatic and not at all age appropriate for her. It also didn't go with her face shape or anything. So I told her I would use it as "inspiration" but make the look suit her face and be age appropriate. So.. I get done and she hates it... and starts telling me what she doesn't like... Sure enough all the things she didn't like were the things I took from the pic and incorporated into her look..AH!!! She let me start over and do what I originally had in mind for her and she loved it..some people just don't understand that we are professionals for a reason.. Oh yeah for sure I love when people bring a "picture" of what they want.
Especially when its a pic of britney and they are 50
Makeup Artist
David Klasfeld
Posts: 2665
New York, New York, US
Weddings were at one point, early in my career, my bread and butter. This was when I was still working retail, and based out of Westchester County, NY which is a very affluent area, by and large. This was between '96 - '00, and even then my rates were at least $375.00 for the bride, and $225.00 for every other face I touched - even the groom! If they wanted me there for the full day, it was $5,000.00 with a 12 person maximum. My friends who were based out of Manhattan were charging close to double that. Just imagine what you could get away with charging now!  Besides what my schedule doesn't allow for anymore, it's still not something I pursue anymore. I can tell you that far and away, above any high profile commercial or editorial job I've ever worked on, there is no more tense experience as a makeup artist than a wedding. Your clients just have ten times the personal investment in your work than any other type of client ever will. They also feel free to be more critical, rude and demanding than any other as well. And at this stage of my career, I just don't have the patience to be put through that anymore. So that said, it takes a very special, very talented and patient person to be a bridal makeup artist and they deserve a lot of, lot of respect, and every penny they charge. It's a shame the perception is so opposite in this industry, with most bridal (and other personal service) artists being viewed as "less than". If you have the personality and the time to do it, you'd be crazy not to.
Makeup Artist
TheMakeupMan
Posts: 3799
Los Angeles, California, US
makeupladydiva wrote:
just wondering
do any of the makeup artists here do bridal on the side as a regular?
i know someone who thinks it's tacky and unprofessional for a fashion mua to do weddings
yet i have a friend that does fashion and is deep into the bridal biz also (they regularly do bridal mags and society brides)
what's your opinion? I rater have someone spit in my eye than do bridal, not for me !
Makeup Artist
Jordan Liberty
Posts: 4831
New York, New York, US
I don't understand why everyone else finds bridal work to be tense! I absolutely love doing weddings, it's my greatest form of supplemental income. All my brides have been so wonderful, patient, grateful, and excited to have me be part of their special day. I love sharing it with them, and I'm starting to think I should knock on wood because I always hear about everyone's horror stories on here!
I'd rather work with a bride than some of the models I work with:)
Makeup Artist
TheMakeupMan
Posts: 3799
Los Angeles, California, US
I dont personally find it tense as boring and ugly , so few Hip/ cool brides ....and the worst is my little sister is getting married this month and I have to do her hair and makeup and give her away , I really just want to give her away lol but alas I will curl and pin and make her as soft as a feather
I need some rocker brides! or ones into period
The only bridal I have really enjoyed was an editorial shoot and some crazy editorial looking advertising
Makeup Artist
Gina Cicero
Posts: 822
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TheMakeupman wrote:
I dont personally find it tense as boring and ugly , so few Hip/ cool brides ....and the worst is my little sister is getting married this month and I have to do her hair and makeup and give her away , I really just want to give her away lol but alas I will curl and pin and make her as soft as a feather
I need some rocker brides! or ones into period
The only bridal I have really enjoyed was an editorial shoot and some crazy editorial looking advertising I agree 10000000000%
Okay so when I get married you can do mine 
Makeup Artist
TheMakeupMan
Posts: 3799
Los Angeles, California, US
Gina Cicero wrote:
I agree 10000000000%
Okay so when I get married you can do mine Thats a DATE!!!!!!
Makeup Artist
Jordan Liberty
Posts: 4831
New York, New York, US
TheMakeupman wrote:
I dont personally find it tense as boring and ugly , so few Hip/ cool brides ....and the worst is my little sister is getting married this month and I have to do her hair and makeup and give her away , I really just want to give her away lol but alas I will curl and pin and make her as soft as a feather
I need some rocker brides! or ones into period
The only bridal I have really enjoyed was an editorial shoot and some crazy editorial looking advertising Meh, it's great pay and it's super easy. I have no complaints. I do soooo much crazy editorial work, it's nice to just do simple work and get paid a boatload for it.
Makeup Artist
LisaJohnson
Posts: 10525
Nashville, Tennessee, US
I have two different portfolios and websites for each - commercial and bridal. I don't want them intertwined. Rita Sanders wrote:
I most definitely do bridal hair & make-up on the side, it pays you more than the fashion world (when just starting out) will pay you on any given day. Brides can become your bread & butter during wedding season. Think about it, aren't alot of high fashion designers developing bridal lines? Clothing Designers definitely see it as a 'big ticket item'. No one looks down on Vera Wang's Brides (she's cornered the fashion bridal market).
But what I do think can be cheesy is having bridal photos in your port. I'm sure artist agencies won't look on that too fondly as they are not in the bridal business. You would have to be very careful and selective when having bridal pictures in your port if the bride isn't a model wearing a couture gown with great lighting, don't submit it! You don't want to come off as an amateur, it would be similiar to a model submitting her high school prom pictures (just don't do it!).
All The Best,
Rita
Makeup Artist
TheMakeupMan
Posts: 3799
Los Angeles, California, US
I think its great money for people into it , wasnt slamming anyone who does it or likes its , and I hope I didnt come off that way , Its just a personal thing , I have a few friends that make a ton of money on bridal and they looooove it
Makeup Artist
Al Chapoy
Posts: 234
Phoenix, Arizona, US
I do  I have yet to have a horrible bride story.. even the bridezillas seem to chill after they sit down and i get them to talk and relax and just enjoy the ride plus it's easy money
Makeup Artist
LisaJohnson
Posts: 10525
Nashville, Tennessee, US
I wanted to bump this again. I changed my bridal rates to reflect an hourly charge now instead of a flat rate or package. Acutally, my rates now reflect my 1/2 day and day rate - and not only have I gotten better brides...I've GOT my rates now right where they a) do not undercut my or anyone else; b) attract a more expensive clientele who appreciate good work. SO, long story short... good brides will pay for your day rate if need be.
Makeup Artist
ZenaDamali
Posts: 325
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Has anyone worked in partnership with someone who owns a business that serves the Bridal/wedding industry?
A close friend of mine just opened a Bridal boutique and offered to recommend me for makeup/hair services to all of her clients exclusively. I've never done this before, so I was wondering if there is a certain method to making this be profitable for both of us? Should I give her a cut of my earnings in exchange for sending me business?
Makeup Artist
Angela Horvath
Posts: 391
Burbank, California, US
ZenaDamali wrote:
Has anyone worked in partnership with someone who owns a business that serves the Bridal/wedding industry?
A close friend of mine just opened a Bridal boutique and offered to recommend me for makeup/hair services to all of her clients exclusively. I've never done this before, so I was wondering if there is a certain method to making this be profitable for both of us? Should I give her a cut of my earnings in exchange for sending me business? I know this is an old thread but...
Great question!! curious if anyone has an answer!!
Makeup Artist
Keke Vasquez
Posts: 456
San Francisco, California, US
I avoid weddings like the plague. I know there's a lot of money in it if there's the proper marketing strategies, etc, but I've had my share of bridezillas (my first two weddings out of my five years doing hair and makeup). I've had three weddings so far and won't budge on my wedding prices cause it's all airbrush (foundation, liner, blush, etc except the lipstick and mascara of course)... but if you're a nice client/friend or a buddy MUA that needs me to do a wedding, I will...
Makeup Artist
TheMakeupMan
Posts: 3799
Los Angeles, California, US
makeupladydiva wrote:
just wondering
do any of the makeup artists here do bridal on the side as a regular?
i know someone who thinks it's tacky and unprofessional for a fashion mua to do weddings
yet i have a friend that does fashion and is deep into the bridal biz also (they regularly do bridal mags and society brides)
what's your opinion? NEVER!!!! AS IF!!!!
But I have no judgement on people who do , I know alot of MUA's that thats all they do ........I just personally dont
Makeup Artist
AdrienneDoesItAll
Posts: 91
Pompano Beach, Florida, US
David Klasfeld wrote:
So that said, it takes a very special, very talented and patient person to be a bridal makeup artist and they deserve a lot of, lot of respect, and every penny they charge. It's a shame the perception is so opposite in this industry, with most bridal (and other personal service) artists being viewed as "less than". If you have the personality and the time to do it, you'd be crazy not to. I agree with David. If you've got the patience and personality, let some of that billion dollar industry fatten up your wallet!
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