Why does wedding makeup cost so much?

[ms]

This is an investment…and investment in YOU.

Bahahaha. This article was posted by my friend's younger sister that is trying to break into the film industry as a camera assistant. As far as I know, their dad is paying for this sister's place in the city.

http://deevabeauty.blogspot.ca/2014/03/why-does-bridal-makeup-costs-so-much.html?m=1

[MsSindy]

Bahahaha is right.  And it is a terrible example of marketing - bashing others (i.e. cheap make-up artists) is never a good marketing tactic, it just makes you sound petty.

[WhatIsFrugalAfterAll]

That is a pretty bad webpage.

Think the wife spent $150 or $200.. was 2 women for about 3 hours (did all the bridal women), who also had to travel about 30 minutes. Seemed a reasonable price. I don't bill under $100 an hour, can I fault people for billing $30-$40 an hour to do a fairly complex service?

[mm1970]

ha ha!  Since I had a crappy cheap photog, I figured I could do my own makeup.

[Gen Y Finance Journey]

I did my own makeup and hair for my wedding. Lots of people commented about how good it looked (not knowing I did it myself). Total cost was maybe $10-20 for the supplies I didn't already own.

[greenmimama]

The wording in that page is terrible! I could barely read it, she sounds like she didn't have an education.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I have the impression that pretty much anything "wedding" will be marked up, but it's the sort of thing that ought to be put to the test.

If I had time on my hands, I'd try booking a ballroom for a "wedding reception" versus a "business reception" or "retirement party", and see what kind of price differential I could come up with.

[YoungInvestor]

I have the impression that pretty much anything "wedding" will be marked up, but it's the sort of thing that ought to be put to the test.

If I had time on my hands, I'd try booking a ballroom for a "wedding reception" versus a "business reception" or "retirement party", and see what kind of price differential I could come up with.

I have heard that it is significantly more expensive at some venues from colleagues who had booked the same location for different events before their wedding.

[midweststache]

It is “Can I afford NOT to have my makeup professionally done?”

Yes. Yes you can. You do it EVERY OTHER DAY.

When I've been in weddings where this is a "thing" the bridal party does, I explicitly ask the make up artist to use 1/2-1/3 of the makeup they normally use. The first time I had this done and just went with what everyone else was doing, I looked like a damn geisha girl (thick foundation, super thick eyeliner, the lady wanted me to wear fake eyelashes for Chrissakes...) Thanks, but no thanks.

Even with the SIGNIFICANT reduction in make up I look nice and not terribly different from the other bridesmaids (perhaps better, since the thick make up the other women have is usually sliding off by the end of an warm summer evening of dancing and alcohol).

[mamagoose]

I had my wedding makeup professionally applied at the same salon that did my hair. They used the airbrush stuff and it came out looking like I was going on TV - great in pictures. I think it was $125-$150 for the hair and makeup together.

Looking back, I should have just paid for the hair (I can't curl worth a damn and it's tiring to try to reach the back of your own head), and watched YouTube videos on how to apply my own makeup.

[forummm]

Why does wedding makeup cost so much?

Because a bunch of suckers will pay that much.

[neophyte]

If doing your own wedding makeup is good enough for the Duchess of Cambridge, it's good enough for me.

[Jouer]

Why do professional marketing and web design companies cost so much?
The question isn't "can I afford professional marketing and web design for my make-up web site."
It is "can I afford NOT to hire professional marketing and web design for my make-up web site?"

Would you trust a non-professional to develop marketing collateral and design your web site?
Non-professionals will use poor grammar and incorrect marketing strategies on their web sites.
Would Beyoncé write her own marketing collateral and design her own web site? 

[FatCat]

Why do professional marketing and web design companies cost so much?
The question isn't "can I afford professional marketing and web design for my make-up web site."
It is "can I afford NOT to hire professional marketing and web design for my make-up web site?"

Would you trust a non-professional to develop marketing collateral and design your web site?
Non-professionals will use poor grammar and incorrect marketing strategies on their web sites.
Would Beyoncé write her own marketing collateral and design her own web site?

THIS!

The irony is epic.

[Hunny156]

I have the impression that pretty much anything "wedding" will be marked up, but it's the sort of thing that ought to be put to the test.

If I had time on my hands, I'd try booking a ballroom for a "wedding reception" versus a "business reception" or "retirement party", and see what kind of price differential I could come up with.

There was a book I used when I got married called Bridal Bargains, that cut though most of the crap that the bridal industry does.  I specifically recall a chapter devoted to calling restaurants or reception halls and asking for pricing on a family gathering.  One restaurant owner was incensed when the bride and groom arrived in their attire.

I also distinctly recall the manager at Chateaubriand on Long Island starting his spiel by explaining that the tone of the reception would frame the impression and expectations for our marriage in the eyes of our loved ones.  The rooms and decor were nice, but the location was behind a busy strip mall!  What kind of impression would that give?  LOL!
I have heard that it is significantly more expensive at some venues from colleagues who had booked the same location for different events before their wedding.

[SailAway]

My mom is a makup artist and for all my brother and sister's friends' weddings she has done the bride's and bridesmaids' makeup for them as a wedding present. It makes for a very long day for her, but I think it's very sweet and practical.

DH and I eloped to Jamaica. I did my own hair and makeup. All it took was a little practice beforehand, at least for the hair. Makeup was super simple.

[Jenni]

A lot of the cost has to be because you can only do one bridal party probably each Saturday so it's an opportunity cost thing.

[LeRainDrop]

This article was posted by my friend's younger sister that is trying to break into the film industry as a camera assistant. As far as I know, their dad is paying for this sister's place in the city.

What a poorly written article!  Greenmimama's, Jouer's, and FatCat's comments are spot on.  Even substantively, I'm confused.  OP says the above, yet the article includes the following: "I personally lost my husband of 29 years unexpectedly which left me devastated and depressed, BUT two weeks after his passing I crawled out of bed, picked myself up, and put my ‘happy face’ on and showed up for my bride and her party."  So, this beauty writer has got to be at least 50 years old, but her dad is still paying her living expenses so that she can try to break into an industry???

[ms]

The sister posted to FB recommending the article. She is not the author.

[dragoncar]

I have the impression that pretty much anything "wedding" will be marked up, but it's the sort of thing that ought to be put to the test.

If I had time on my hands, I'd try booking a ballroom for a "wedding reception" versus a "business reception" or "retirement party", and see what kind of price differential I could come up with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ff13zZ0h0k

[I'm a red panda]

It is “Can I afford NOT to have my makeup professionally done?”

Yes. Yes you can. You do it EVERY OTHER DAY.

Well, no. Not everyone does.
People don't take pictures of me every other day, so my lack of make up really doesn't matter.  I also don't wear an incredibly formal gown every other day, so I don't need to look made up.

I never wear makeup for regular wear.  My make up collection consists of cheap mascara, black eyeliner with glitter in it, bright blue eye shadow, bright pink blush, and corvette red lipstick for ice skating competitions.  I'd look like a freak if I wore that at my wedding.

So I had my make up professionally done for my wedding (and my hair, since my normal hair style is a pony tail- I don't even own a blow dryer).  She did a great job and it didn't cost that much.  It would have cost more to have to buy all the stuff I needed, not to mention to learn to apply it so I didn't look like a clown, since clown/performance make up is the only way I've ever worn it.  I don't know how to do normal make up.  It seems like a lot of work to look like you didn't do any work at all.


For my sister's wedding I had my make up done and I think they made me look too pale, so the photos bother me. But for my wedding, it was definitely worth it. I look WAY better in photos than if I had not worn make up at all.  (For other picture taking occasions I put on the mascara, but nothing else. Normal days are make up free)

[midweststache]

It is “Can I afford NOT to have my makeup professionally done?”

Yes. Yes you can. You do it EVERY OTHER DAY.

Well, no. Not everyone does.
People don't take pictures of me every other day, so my lack of make up really doesn't matter.  I also don't wear an incredibly formal gown every other day, so I don't need to look made up.

I never wear makeup for regular wear.  My make up collection consists of cheap mascara, black eyeliner with glitter in it, bright blue eye shadow, bright pink blush, and corvette red lipstick for ice skating competitions.  I'd look like a freak if I wore that at my wedding.

So I had my make up professionally done for my wedding (and my hair, since my normal hair style is a pony tail- I don't even own a blow dryer).  She did a great job and it didn't cost that much.  It would have cost more to have to buy all the stuff I needed, not to mention to learn to apply it so I didn't look like a clown, since clown/performance make up is the only way I've ever worn it.  I don't know how to do normal make up.  It seems like a lot of work to look like you didn't do any work at all.

For my sister's wedding I had my make up done and I think they made me look too pale, so the photos bother me. But for my wedding, it was definitely worth it. I look WAY better in photos than if I had not worn make up at all.  (For other picture taking occasions I put on the mascara, but nothing else. Normal days are make up free)

Fair enough. I was more responding the notion of "affording" not having it done on your wedding day, but you make a good point re: photos.

I guess I'm just skeptical of wedding makeup as part of the WIC. I was married this past weekend, and used the basic makeup I wear everyday (BB cream, mascara, a little nude eyeshadow) and felt lovely. But you're right; this is not everyone's experience.

[I'm a red panda]

I was married this past weekend

Congratulations!

(Back to the idea of wedding makeup: all the money that was spent frivolously at my wedding, though not by me, the make up was really the least of it. There are TONS of things I would cut before I cut that.)

[maco]

Because it's a luxury, not a necessity?

I didn't wear makeup at my wedding. I put my hair in sponge rollers the night before. That was it.