Gather 'round ladies (figuratively for effect). It has been a long journey planning your wedding and I know you are exhausted. It is finally time to finalize your makeup artist and so much of your budget has been poured into the caterers, the flowers, the gown, and those cute little napkin holders. While all these things are absolutely crucial to make your day perfect, your makeup is equally as important. Not only is the bride the main attraction at any wedding but the photos will last forever. In an effort to save money I have seen too many brides cut corners on their makeup and I cannot understand the reason behind not investing in this important aspect of your day. There is no doubt that all eyes will be on you- what you are wearing, your hair, and your makeup.
So the question is, how do you get the look you want for the price you are expecting?
A piece of advice is to contact the makeup artist you have in mind as early as possible in your planning process and have them work with you while you are building your budget. Absolutely do not call them after you have destroyed your entire budget on that Vera Wang wedding gown and those Christian Louboutin pumps expecting them to cut their rates to the cheapest amount possible.
Be realistic on prices. The upfront quote you get from an artist might seem like a lot at first; however, there is much more that goes into your wedding day makeup than you think. On average I spend a total of seven to ten hours with a bride. We have multiple phone and email conversations, we prep for the wedding day, we prepare the look together, we make sure she is happy with the way she will look three to five weeks in advance of the event. In the end you are paying for much more than the makeup application. You are paying the time involved in creating your perfect wedding day look, in packing a kit customized for you (colors, brushes, disposables, powders, liners, etc.), traveling to your venue/returning, setting up a mini studio just for you in your bridal suite, repacking, cleaning and sterilizing all the products used for the next client.
Some people have a hard time seeing the art in makeup artistry and would prefer to save on the cost of their wedding makeup. On the other hand, if you are someone that has a vision for how you want to look on your big day in front of your guests, and in your pictures then investing in this essential component of your wedding day is a must. Not all wedding makeup is equal and an expensive artist isn't always the best one. Doing your research is an important part of the process. Usually, the more experience a makeup artist has, the bigger the price tag for services. Newer artist tend to be cheaper but then you might be sacrificing maturity in the business, the skill set you are looking for, and the experience that can only be built over time. I suggest getting more than one trial from different artists at all different experience levels. This will allow you to have the chance to see different artistic perspectives, gather ideas, and find the best possible artist for you on one of the most important days of your life.