Why are hair and makeup services so costly? Here are 9 reasons why hair and makeup artists can justify their fees.

Why are hair and makeup services so costly? Here are 9 reasons why hair and makeup artists can justify their fees.

Just add the word "Wedding " in front of it, and the price goes up. I hear this time and time again. Of course, if you are having quotes for a wedding, it's going to cost more. It's not your average day job; it is the most important day of someone's life. The workload is increased, and the pressure heightened to create a couple's dream wedding day.

I'm forever hearing about how expensive hair and makeup artists are, and "Why is hair and makeup so expensive?" and then I see cheaper services being offered, so brides end up comparing us. We shouldn't be compared to others and made to feel guilty because our experience and services cost more. I have been asked to lower prices or cut a deal, but I stand on what I believe is a skill that I have perfected over the years, and I know that I am worth every penny that I charge.  We all run our businesses differently, and we charge various rates. We all have different experiences, we are at certain levels of training, and we all have our own styles and techniques. It's hard to constantly be compared to £25 makeup applications, when my makeup application would cost more than that. We shouldn't have to justify ourselves and those brides whose vision we align with, who will happily pay for what we offer. I'm sure it's not just hair and makeup artists who find this in the wedding industry, but I'm sure cake makers, florists, photographers, and many other professions have observed this judgment.

I feel it is time to explain exactly why Hair and makeup  IS "expensive" and what I, as a professional hair and makeup artist, with over 20 years behind the chair, will do to get you ready for your Big Day, to make your Bridal hair and makeup perfect for your wedding party.

Quoting & Emails

I will be responding to your enquiry email from whichever direction you have been directed towards me. Instagram, Facebook, text, you will be coming in from any direction and monitoring them all is a job in itself. I will need you to answer a few questions, and sometimes I will direct you to my website to a form to fill out. Each quote is different, unique and caters to different bridal party's, size, services and budgets. Locations of getting married are different, wedding dates are different, party size, travelling locations and services can all vary. All my questions will need answering before I can give you a full quote, so that there are no added surprises down the line. Without these answers, I will not know if I have enough time to complete your party alone, or if we may need more stylists to complete your booking, if the venue will let us in early enough, or if we need to find another place to get ready and look at our options. There is so much that goes into a quote other than figures. I spend time adjusting the quotes to fit your party, as I know it's not easy getting all of the bridesmaids to agree, so sometimes multiple quotes can be written. I spend on average two hours corresponding with a bride or bridesmaid before meeting them. I know how stressful wedding planning can be, I do understand that you will message at all hours, on a Sunday, a bank holiday and even at 2.30 am in the morning, when you are lying awake and just want another thing ticked off your list. Yes, this really does happen to all professionals who work in the wedding industry. I have learnt to turn my notifications off and support this boundary.

As well as discussing quotes and bridal parties, and organising trial dates, we also discuss hairstyles, makeup looks and accessories, veils, skincare, and all questions you have about your hair and makeup. I try to give you my honest opinion and direct you to products that I think will help your needs.

At the Trial

I will spend up to 3 1/2- 4 hours working on a hair and makeup trial. I only book one hair and makeup style per trial; different looks will need different actions to prepare, so you can't really go from one style to another easily. I would suggest booking another hair trial if you wanted to try out a second look. Together, we will take a look at your inspiration pictures and see what will and will not work, what you like and what you dislike about certain styles. I will look at your hair texture and see what styles will work best with your vision. We will discuss your day, what colour your jewellery will be, bridesmaid dresses and what flowers you have chosen, to make sure that your makeup colours all tie in together to blend nicely in your photographs. We will have a little discussion about timings for the day, so I can get a rough idea before working on your schedule, ready for more admin time.

Insurance.

I have insurance to cover me to work in your home, your hotel, or your venue, so that covers me for your trial and your Wedding Day. I have car insurance to cover me for travel to and from your venue for the trial and your wedding day. It also covers injury or accidental damage to you and protects me should we ever need it.

Time

Packing and unpacking my kit can take up to an hour. When I pack, I cross-reference your makeup application sheet to make sure that I have all the products that I used in your trial. I also compare my kit to bridesmaid images and hairstyles to make sure that I have everything that is needed to fulfil your bridal party ideas and inspirations. I can't just pack everything because I'll be bringing a whole room with me! But this does take time as I have to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

Then there is the time spent travelling to and from your venue and trial. Some venues can be over an hour drive from me, so that can be a 2-hour drive back in the middle of Saturday afternoon traffic. Setting up and packing up when you have left. For some really big parties, it can take your whole service for me to pack up, and I end up leaving as everyone is cheering for when the groom kisses the bride.

Admin

My admin consists of quotes, emails, invoices, receipts, prep guidelines, and application lists.

After your hair and Makeup trial, I write a whole A4 page on your makeup application and placement. What I used, what I liked, what we may change, and what I think could work better. This will take quite a bit of time as I consult the pictures  I took at your trial and the products I used. All of this is noted so that when it comes to your wedding morning. I have a list of everything needed to recreate your style. This guide helps to keep the morning running smoothly and stick to our timings.

I plan a morning itinerary for every wedding party, and every wedding morning is different. Each booking will have a different start time, leaving time, travelling time and a different time that the party will need to be ready. This has to be accounted for in the itinerary, to ensure that your bridal party is ready in a calm, relaxed atmosphere to set the tone for your wedding day.

Early starts & Day rates

Often, what may seem like an early start for you, as sometimes I can arrive at 6 am, I have already had an hour drive, showered and made myself presentable for your wedding day. I may just make it into the wedding album after all. So your early 6 am start is realistically the middle of the night for me, or a 4 am rise.  I can be working anywhere from 4-8 hours with a bridal party, just getting my head down working on one head after the other, so that leaves me unable to work after a wedding booking, especially with such an early wake-up call. The rest of my day would be blocked out as I have already done a day's work by late afternoon. Sometimes wedding bookings can start later in the morning and end later into the afternoon, if we are working on a twilight wedding.

Training.

This is all I have ever done since I left school. So I have been training and practising my craft consistently since then. That means I have over 20 years of experience in my field., and 14 qualifications spanning the beauty industry. My training doesn't stop there; I continue with online training regularly, and have been a part of the Kristina Gaspera's Academy since joining a few training days in 2019. My training is constantly evolving to keep me up to date with the trends and new styles that are in season.

Sometimes I like to do a little research if I am a little unsure of a new hairstyle that has been sent to me for inspiration. I will do a few run-throughs and practice the style before your trial date.

Our kit

Our hair and makeup kits are something that we build up over time. We are constantly updating it with new products that have been recommended or that we would like to try. These kits can cost thousands, especially if you are a hair and makeup artist. Hairstylists are constantly replacing products, pins, ties and tools, just as much as make-up artists need to reorder foundations and products. I mean, one foundation alone costs me £47. My most used is Armani luminous silk, and it isn't the cheapest on the market. Even a single lipstick can cost up to £26 or more, and I have to have multiple in my kit, just to give you an idea of how much makeup costs in 2026. I also use disposables to keep our kit sanitary and hygiene makeup sprays, these don't cost the earth and are easy to buy, but they do get used for every application, so I do a bulk buy in litre bottles to keep my kit clean and hygienic. We spend time cleaning and sterilising everything we use after each client, each brush and every palette used is to be cleaned after use.

As well as being expensive, our kit can be heavy, and quite often small boutique hotels don't have lifts, so we will have to carry our kit up and down stairs. We stand for hours on end, so it is a job that is just as physical as it is creative.

Your day

I try to make your morning as calm and relaxed as I can. I like to set that tone for the day ahead. It's such a special day, and you should be enjoying every minute of it. I have my schedule and my application list, so after all the hellos and excitement, I get down to work. I leave you to chat and laugh away with your party while I get my head down and focus on doing my job to the best of my ability.

There is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes as a professional hair and makeup artist. These are the things that I include in the build-up to your big day to help the morning run as smoothly and as perfectly as you deserve.

This job may look glamorous but its definitely hard working with unsociable hours. I always say it is the most sociable, unsociable job, but its worth it to see every bridal party looking so beautiful and happy on their wedding day.