Why Does Bridal Beauty Cost So Much?

---

Stephanie on her wedding day c/o Smallwood Photography

One common concern I hear from brides is the cost of wedding-related services. By the time brides reach out to me for beauty services, they are often exhausted from making countless decisions and frustrated by the mounting expenses.

Understanding Bridal Beauty Costs

I completely empathize with you. Your engagement is a joyous occasion and you want to celebrate it with an unforgettable wedding. However, as planning progresses, costs can become overwhelming. The dream wedding you envision may seem out of reach, leading to frustration and stress. When you consult a beauty professional, you're often seeking straightforward pricing without any extra details. I understand, but as your bridal beauty expert, I must emphasize that these details significantly influence the cost.

Specialized Skillset

As a beauty professional specializing in weddings, I possess a unique skillset that distinguishes me from a typical salon stylist. My business is built on transparent communication, providing an exceptional client experience, and structuring a process that benefits both the bride and myself. This comprehensive approach adds value, which is reflected in the overall cost.

Not only that, but experienced bridal hair and makeup artists know exactly how to create makeup looks and hairstyles that will stand up to the following:

• Photography in various lighting

• Tears

• Hugging and kissing

• Smiling

• Sweating

• Heat & Humidity

• A 12 hour + day

That type of experience requires training and lots and lots of practice. You want to be able to comfortably go to your sendoff looking just as amazing as when you walked down the aisle, right? That's what a bridal makeup artist and hairstylist can do for you!

Heather on her wedding day c/o L&K Photography

Cost of Doing Business

Comparing Service Scenarios

Consider two scenarios to illustrate this point:

Scenario 1: A bride is getting married in three months and has four bridesmaids who want their hair and makeup done. She finds an artist on Facebook with client-taken photos of varying quality, no personal photos, and minimal online presence. The artist provides a phone number but takes days to respond. When they finally reply, they offer a price based solely on the bride's initial information.

Scenario 2: The same bride finds another artist with a well-designed website, professional photos, contact information, and social media accounts. This artist's website includes client reviews and accolades. They respond promptly via email and schedule a consultation call. During the call, the artist asks detailed questions about the wedding and the bride's personal style. They provide a preliminary plan and explain the pricing in depth. Although more expensive than the first artist, this artist offers valuable insights and renews the bride's excitement for the planning process.

The Total Package

While there is nothing inherently wrong with the first artist, the second artist's approach demonstrates a specialized skillset. They prioritize the client experience, maintaining a professional presence online, providing thorough consultations, and using high-quality, curated products. This comprehensive service justifies the higher cost.

A Pro Wedding Makeup Artist is Just That, a Pro!

Some artists are hobby artists working a 9-5 during the week and then working weddings on the weekends. Some artists have been able to create the type of demand where doing bridal hair and makeup full time is their only job. Whether maintaining an additional job or not, they're still running a business and the professionalism that you encounter is factored into the price. The booking process and client communication are huge parts of the overall experience and whether you know this or not, factor into the overall price of wedding makeup. Having a reliable system to safely and comfortably book you online is a huge artist yearly expense. Ease of reviewing and signing contracts and paying deposits are all part of the client experience and factor into the price of bridal makeup and hair.

Artists Travel to You

Wedding hair and makeup artists bring an entire salon with them in order to service your wedding. Chairs, tables, lighting, tripod (sometimes specialized camera equipment) are all tools of the trade that can greatly enhance their work, but also your experience. Wouldn't you like to get your makeup done in good lighting so they can accurately match your foundation or do you want to leave that up to chance from the venue? I have seen some really dark venues in my time and good lighting is essential!

Speaking of travel, sometimes travel in the local metro area is considered complementary (it is for me), but the price/service must be profitable enough to cover costs to the venue.

Bridal Hair & Makeup Artists Are the Ultimate Hype Squad

Think about this, the glam squad are the first vendors you'll encounter on wedding day and really help set the tone for how the day will go. I am firmly convinced that stylists and artists worth their rate have an innate ability to read the room and can figure out what is needed without being told. Need to collect yourself and not talk for a minute? The makeup artist knows and gives you some time to collect your thoughts and maybe a hug. Need to eat but haven't? The hairstylist asks if you've eaten and offers to get you something to nibble on at just the right time. That is a skill people and that type of intuition doesn't just happen. Well, maybe it does, but how do you even put a price on someone who has literally seen wedding after wedding and picked up the ability to not only do their job, but read emotions like a fortune teller?

That exact scenario happened to me recently. I could tell that my bride wasn't feeling very well (couldn't tell if she was getting sick or just had allergies) and was also feeling overwhelmed by the emotions of the day. I was able to figure all this out in a few moments and gave her a hug, asked her if she wanted to lay down and we could make some adjustments to the schedule so she had some time to rest and collect herself before doing her hair and makeup. What do you know, that did the trick. Look at what this bride had to say:

Contrarily, makeup artists and hairstylists know when quiet IS NOT the answer and they need to hype you up after a quick tearful moment surrounding something sad or difficult. This is your wedding day and you deserve the happy and sad tears, but you also deserve to be high energy and excited to walk right into forever with your person.

Choosing the Right Experience

When searching for a bridal hair and makeup artist, consider the type of experience you desire. Reflect on your preferred method of doing business and the services that will make your wedding planning smoother and more enjoyable.

In Summary

• Bridal stylists work not just in a salon, but travel on site to your location

• Offer ease of booking, provide lots of information up front without requiring payment, have lots of social proof surrounding their business and overall job performance

• Create an experience of calm and comfort on wedding day

• Have the expertise and know how to navigate tough and often stressful scenarios that crop up on wedding morning

• Are professional in communication with you through various ways of communicating (email, phone, text)

• Have transparent contract and pricing at the time of commitment

• Are masters of their craft and will deliver the results you desire

Need a Bridal hair and makeup artist for your Texas wedding? Let's get in touch!

Follow me on Instagram @dianamariemakeupartistry