Why do bridal hair and makeup services cost what they do?
Jess at Secret Barn. Photo Credit Jacques Lloyd
There’s no denying that using professional services for your wedding can add up. Understanding what goes into this from my end will help you budget for the total costs of your celebrations, but also give you a sense of the amount of work that goes into the day. In my latest post, I give you a behind-the-scenes look into the process and prep of a luxury bridal hair and makeup artist and why I charge accordingly.
Why are bridal services different and why can they vary from business to business?
There is so much more that goes into bridal hair and makeup than meets the eye especially when offering a luxury service. It’s important to remember the charge doesn’t just cover the actual wedding day, but also the days (and nights!) of planning and work during the run-up to your celebrations.
Prices for wedding hair and makeup can vary from person to person, business to business. It’s important to know the level of service you will be receiving for the cost. It’s like deciding on dinner plans: you can choose to eat in or go out to a restaurant. Depending on where you choose, you’ll experience different levels of service/experience, quality of ingredients, meal satisfaction, skill and demand for booking.
Factors worked into my charges:
EXCLUSIVITY
When booking my hair and makeup services, a bride receives my exclusive time, meaning my diary is blocked out completely months in advance. This means I turn away other work requests, and lose out on that additional income.
ADMIN
Unfortunately, it’s not all about exciting creations, I have to factor in admin time as well. This includes booking in various dates for trials, initial chats with brides, building wedding morning schedules and planning and organising my travel. Alongside this, I’m also preparing mood boards, booking and organising additional artists and ensuring consistent communication with clients, answering questions and giving advice. All these little admin tasks quickly add up, because your day needs to run as smoothly as you deserve, but also means I give you my undivided attention, turning away other business opportunities as a result.
PREPARATION
It isn’t as simple as turning up on your wedding day and making magic happen. I take time and effort to prepare for each client's special day. This means I can provide the best service possible, typically in prep for any wedding day I have to:
Pack and organise my kit the day before
Brief potential additional artists
Travel time to and from the wedding location
Re-organise and clean my kit after the wedding.
TRIALS
These are important and allow us to spend time before the wedding day to experiment to help you feel comfortable and confident that the morning itself will run smoothly! They take time not only to complete but also prep for. In addition to the physical time spent at the trial, I also have to:
Plan the look we want to achieve
Set up for the trial
Make notes afterwards of the looks we created and products used
Re organise, pack down and clean my kit and studio
Building and sending personal recommendations
THE DAY
Once all the organising and planning has been taken care of, of course there’s the time I spend with you and your bridal party. From setting up and carrying out the hair & makeup services, to last-minute checks, putting on your veil, holding your flowers-I’m on standby right until you walk down the aisle.
PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS
I need to factor in the cost spent purchasing the materials and products that bring your look to life. For example, consumables like eco-friendly mascara wands, tissues and wet wipes etc. I also use high-quality, luxury and cruelty-free products throughout my work which costs more. I need to have a wide range of tones and colours of makeup products to suit all of my brides.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
I charge a rate that reflects both my skills and level of knowledge built up over years of experience working in the film, tv and theatre industries, as well as having the pleasure to work with many happy brides! My time is not only dedicated to creating hair and makeup looks, but also to being a supportive member of your bridal party. It’s part of my job to help to relieve some of your stress and act as a calming presence. I like to be on hand to help and go above and beyond to ensure all of my brides have the most special wedding morning possible and feel like a leading lady about to walk the red carpet.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS EXPENSES
Worked into my costs are some of the more boring stuff like insurance, advertising, marketing and car upkeep. I also have to factor in the costs to run my studio, training and keeping up to date with the latest products and trends. Being self-employed I also have to think about sick pay, pensions and holiday.
Hopefully, this post has been helpful to understand why my services cost what they do. If you would like to find out more about my prices for makeup and hair services for your wedding click here!
Written by Alice Hartwell for Naomi Spurr Studio