My cousins Damon and Liz
Makeup by Val
It's wedding season and I'm getting booked through 2011! Next to television and fashion, I love doing makeup for brides. I haven't tried to count how many weddings I've done over the past 20 years, but I'm sure it's close to 200. Weddings are fun for me because I enjoy pampering my brides and making them feel like they are Queens for the day. Well they are Queens for the day and the Queen of their new homes. I've also been very fortunate to have worked with amazing, beautiful brides who have been able to maintain a very calm spirit, with the exception one, but the poor girl was so stressed out.
Things to remember as either a hairstylist or makeup artist is how to map out your day. If you're doing hair or makeup for the bride only, then your day is probably going to be pretty easy, especially if you've already had a consultation. However, if you're doing h&m for an entire wedding party, you need to have a very strict schedule. Bridesmaids are pretty good at being on time for h&m, but there are times you will experience tardiness and delays. Consult with your bride and let her know you have to have the girls on time, because they will possibly miss out in getting their h&m done if they're tardy. If you're doing h&m for a party of 6 or more I strongly suggest bringing an assistant to help you, unless you're a fast working artist. I usually work alone, but now I'm going to start bringing an assistant for large parties. Give yourself plenty of time so you're not stressed, and have a time assigned to each girl so they can keep their appointment.
If the bridesmaids are getting their hair and makeup done at a counter (MAC) or salon, they should make their appointments at least two months prior to the wedding date to secure an appointment. This is also a little more cost effective for the bridesmaid if she has to pay for her own services. Bridesmaids usually don't want the added expense of paying for hair and makeup which is totally understandable, so I suggest the M.A.C store or counter for a less expensive rate. ($40-45).
A little bit of advice to my Beautiful brides. When budgeting your wedding for caterers, photographers, flowers and your dress, make sure you have a budget for hair and makeup. Brides usually don't consider the cost of professional services for hair and makeup and may be under the impression that we come kind of cheap. Well, that is so not true. Seasoned artists can charge anywhere from $500-$1000 just for the bride alone, sometimes more or less. If you have a bridal party of 4-7 you can sometimes expect to pay over $1000, and if your party is 8 or more, you can definitely expect to pay up to at least $2000. Some hair stylists and makeup artists are flexible and will work within your budget, but if you have a very large party, you should expect a very high price. Also consider destinations. If an artist has to travel more than an hour to your wedding location or has to travel out of state, then this should also be taken into consideration of your price.
I hope this blog is very helpful for us as artists and to our beautiful brides.
