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Wedding Makeup: How Much $$$ Do You Charge?

post #1 of 80
10/11/06 at 12:29am
Thread Starter 
Last time I did makeup for a wedding party, I charged $40/person (5 people) for skincare, basic face, and extensive color. I kind of feel like I got ripped off because I was there for 3 hours putting up with their crap...what do you guys normal charge for brides and their parties?
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post #2 of 80
10/11/06 at 12:50am
IMHO, you charged too little...if you are providing services such as skincare, you need to take into account your expenses for the products...you also need to take into account what the average rate is in your area. In Miami, you can charge anywhere from $50 - $100 + for bridal makeup (usually, the bride gets charged more, but not always). Some MAs charge $800 plus and spend the whole day doing touch-ups.
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post #3 of 80
10/11/06 at 3:15am
she got a steal of a deal! i charge only 50/person for headshots. i'd say add another zero onto your 40 and you're good to go.
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post #4 of 80
10/11/06 at 3:52am
i've never done a wedding, but the MAs i talked to who knew me and knew what i could do told me if i ever went into wedding makeup, charge $75 per person, $200 for the bride (just because her MU is usually more detailed) and after the initial makeup, if they required me to stay for touch ups, $15/hour. there was a couple who was actually going to pay me that much but i got horribly sick right before the wedding and couldn't do it
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post #5 of 80
10/11/06 at 1:42pm
I now charge $200-250 for the bride & then between $75-100 for each bridesmaid. Before I finished school it was $100-150 for the bride & $50-75 for the bridesmaids.
Weddings are damn good business, but you need to be able to handle all the drama going along with everything.
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post #6 of 80
10/11/06 at 5:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisStarrlight View Post
I now charge $200-250 for the bride & then between $75-100 for each bridesmaid. Before I finished school it was $100-150 for the bride & $50-75 for the bridesmaids.
Weddings are damn good business, but you need to be able to handle all the drama going along with everything.
And there you have it ladies.

Now that I'm with MAC, I'm raising my prices. I got robbed the first time but then again, I didn't like what I did. But now, I have a few weddings under my belt. OH, best believe I will be charging more.
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post #7 of 80
10/11/06 at 5:37pm
AMEN!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki View Post
And there you have it ladies.

Now that I'm with MAC, I'm raising my prices. I got robbed the first time but then again, I didn't like what I did. But now, I have a few weddings under my belt. OH, best believe I will be charging more.
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post #8 of 80
10/11/06 at 8:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by devin View Post
AMEN!!


It's funny how you say you work for MAC and their eyes get big as shit and listen to everything you say.
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post #9 of 80
10/12/06 at 3:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki View Post


It's funny how you say you work for MAC and their eyes get big as shit and listen to everything you say.


Heck YEAH!!

You also have to make sure to cover all your expenses and think well ahead. If anyone wants lashes - I usually discuss that before hand but if at the last minute someone wants then - then I add that in. If someone who was not in the original estimate wants mu, then I already have a set price ie mother of the brides decides she wants the same look. Parking, other add ons, and if I'm going to leave them with any mu such as the lips - is already discussed and added in because if you don't think about those things they will come up and you end up coming out of pocket.
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post #10 of 80
10/12/06 at 5:41am
Here in the UK my charges are concidered below average (Asian wedding market that is) @ £85 for makeup and £65 for hairstyling.
I honestly don't feel its justified to charge around £250 (average for hair and makeup in asian wedding market). The problem here int he Uk is that there are alot of makeup cowboys/newbies out there who think they can do it, but seriously need to do a class because it horrible (wont name names of course). It must be an asian thing, and seeing as i'm not asian myself it sometimes baffles me how a 'newbie' charges around £200+ for their so called professional services...
I'm happy with my charges, i might put it up for next year to cover more of my time as i also do the dressing of the bride (putting sari on, setting dupatta, using glitter mehndi etc etc). I would never go higher on my rates if i feel i wouldnt pay for it myself. At the end of the day, if you want to charge $200-$300 just for the bride, on makeup alone, its your choice, but personally i'd feel ripped off.
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post #11 of 80
10/12/06 at 3:21pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, guys. I like the idea of charging a grip of money to stay all day for touch-ups.
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post #12 of 80
10/13/06 at 1:36pm
Whew.. this thread was VERY informative!!!!!
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post #13 of 80
10/13/06 at 1:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by calbear View Post
Heck YEAH!!

You also have to make sure to cover all your expenses and think well ahead. If anyone wants lashes - I usually discuss that before hand but if at the last minute someone wants then - then I add that in. If someone who was not in the original estimate wants mu, then I already have a set price ie mother of the brides decides she wants the same look. Parking, other add ons, and if I'm going to leave them with any mu such as the lips - is already discussed and added in because if you don't think about those things they will come up and you end up coming out of pocket.
I got caught up a few times with that parking issue. They cleared it up but you do have to take into consideration of that.
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post #14 of 80
10/13/06 at 1:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NikkiHorror View Post
Thanks, guys. I like the idea of charging a grip of money to stay all day for touch-ups.
I charge an extra fee to stay all day. Shoot, you can do 2 weddings in one day. Gimme the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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post #15 of 80
10/13/06 at 6:26pm
I definitely charged too little in the first wedding I did then!

But I'm beginning and I'm scared of them thinking it's too expensive, considering there's crappy makeup places where they do your bridal makeup in 20 mins and charge you 16€...
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post #16 of 80
10/14/06 at 12:53am
Thread Starter 
Pumpkin is right...it's a little intimidating when the bride just straight up asks "Okay, so how much do you charge?" Yr like "Uhh well...ummm...who is she comparing me to?" A bride once told me that a MAC makeup artist would do her makeup for $40/person and I was thinking (uh, yeah, at counter...) but what are you supposed to say? I guess when I get a few more weddings under my belt I'll start charging big dollahhhs.
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post #17 of 80
10/14/06 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NikkiHorror View Post
A bride once told me that a MAC makeup artist would do her makeup for $40/person and I was thinking (uh, yeah, at counter...) but what are you supposed to say? I guess when I get a few more weddings under my belt I'll start charging big dollahhhs.
Hehehe, tell her just that....something along the lines of "If you want to bring yourself in your wedding dress, with your hair all done, with your entire family/bridal party in tow, then be my guest, but do you really want to be worrying about traffic and other customers, blah blah blah. When you can hire a makeup artist to come to your house so you can relax and focus on the big day that is ahead of you."
That usually works, but some people are just....cheap...and those are usually the most picky ones. You don't want to do their makeup, trust me.

And you're a manager at Smashbox, right? Go ahead, crank up those prices
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post #18 of 80
10/14/06 at 11:49pm
I'd think that most brides are willing to pay a lot as they've spent so much on the day already, on their dress and what bride wants to look crappy and cheap when they're going to be looked at all day...
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post #19 of 80
10/15/06 at 11:47pm
[quote=MisStarrlight;586264]Hehehe, tell her just that....something along the lines of "If you want to bring yourself in your wedding dress, with your hair all done, with your entire family/bridal party in tow, then be my guest, but do you really want to be worrying about traffic and other customers, blah blah blah. When you can hire a makeup artist to come to your house so you can relax and focus on the big day that is ahead of you."
That usually works, but some people are just....cheap...and those are usually the most picky ones. You don't want to do their makeup, trust me.
[quote]

You said so much truth in this post right here. AMEN!!!!
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post #20 of 80
10/16/06 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki View Post
I charge an extra fee to stay all day. Shoot, you can do 2 weddings in one day. Gimme the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I realy do hope your joking there...
I might be a bit weird, but doing this job to rip people of because you are more interested in getting more money that's just wrong...
I do my job because i love it, not because of the money... Are you a makeup artist because you love it, or is the money more fascinating?
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post #21 of 80
10/16/06 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henna_Spirit View Post
I realy do hope your joking there...
I might be a bit weird, but doing this job to rip people of because you are more interested in getting more money that's just wrong...
I do my job because i love it, not because of the money... Are you a makeup artist because you love it, or is the money more fascinating?
Nope, not joking at all. I love what I do also but they are paying for my time, travel and talent. This is a business I am running.
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post #22 of 80
10/16/06 at 4:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisStarrlight View Post
Hehehe, tell her just that....something along the lines of "If you want to bring yourself in your wedding dress, with your hair all done, with your entire family/bridal party in tow, then be my guest, but do you really want to be worrying about traffic and other customers, blah blah blah. When you can hire a makeup artist to come to your house so you can relax and focus on the big day that is ahead of you."
That usually works, but some people are just....cheap...and those are usually the most picky ones. You don't want to do their makeup, trust me.

And you're a manager at Smashbox, right? Go ahead, crank up those prices
You've said it all. Like I just said, they are paying for you travel, time and talent.
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post #23 of 80
10/16/06 at 4:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisStarrlight View Post
Hehehe, tell her just that....something along the lines of "If you want to bring yourself in your wedding dress, with your hair all done, with your entire family/bridal party in tow, then be my guest, but do you really want to be worrying about traffic and other customers, blah blah blah. When you can hire a makeup artist to come to your house so you can relax and focus on the big day that is ahead of you."
That usually works, but some people are just....cheap...and those are usually the most picky ones. You don't want to do their makeup, trust me.

And you're a manager at Smashbox, right? Go ahead, crank up those prices

I had one of those wedding parties this past weekend...the bride and 3 bridesmaids came in to get their makeup done at the counter...one of the bridesmaids was the BIGGEST pain in the butt on earth..."the crease color is too orange (never mind that she picked the colors herself...she insisted)...can you line on the lower lashline, right on the hair?? Can you put a different color blush..I want to change the color on my lips." What I wanted to do is smack her... ! I was so happy when she left (and didn't buy anything...at that point I just wanted her gone).

The other bridesmaids and the bride were super nice and actually bought...it's always the difficult ones that are the cheap ones!!
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post #24 of 80
10/16/06 at 6:06pm
i charge depending on how many people it is and how far it is
50-60 per person and 150-200 for the bride

i think i charge an ok amount, ive heard of ppl charging more and less then me
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post #25 of 80
10/16/06 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SARAHluvsMAC View Post
i charge depending on how many people it is and how far it is
50-60 per person and 150-200 for the bride

i think i charge an ok amount, ive heard of ppl charging more and less then me
Where in Maryland are you located? I'm in Maryland also.
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post #26 of 80
10/18/06 at 1:40am
Silver Spring...u?
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post #27 of 80
10/20/06 at 12:58pm
Well, I'm not a makeup artist but I can give the point of view from the customer.

On my wedding day I paid €200 (app. $250/£130) for makeup. This included a previous appointment for deciding/testing the makeup (in which we also decided on the lipstick and stuff I would need for touch ups during the day, so that I could buy it and not steal from her), she went to my house, made me up (very, very pretty actually) and she also did the makeup for my sister, who was my bridesmaid.

I paid exactly the same for hair, and got the same treatment (also did my sister's hair). The make-up and hairdresser were already friends and the atmosphere was so great that the four of us became friends. I actually think they did my sister hair and makeup at no extra cost because we were getting along so well.

I don't regret at all paying that money because it saved me on stress and the job was impecable, but they are long time professionals and worked for fashion and opera already. I wouldn't expect to pay less than $200/£100 for a job that requires such dedication and attention but I would expect it to be flawless.

Good luck!
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post #28 of 80
10/20/06 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SARAHluvsMAC View Post
Silver Spring...u?
Oh wow. I'm in Germantown.
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post #29 of 80
10/20/06 at 6:07pm
Exactly Anamarta great post!

Charging cheap prices won't really help you in the long run. People do still believe that you get what you pay for. If you charge high prices for a high class professional service people won't have qualms parting with their money.

~VD
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post #30 of 80
10/28/06 at 10:58am
Im in Australia, and as a starting out makeup artist, im charging $60 a face, $40 for mother of bride, free flower girl, and extra for lashes etc. Now that i read about the hourly rate for sticking around for touchups, im definatley going to mention that also!!!! what a great idea...
And facesbyniki, i bought something off you when i was in the USA last year! i recognize your face! What a small world....
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