Why are bridal hair and makeup services so expensive?
Let's dive into why weddings cost more than other events
Take it from a bridal artist..
(Laguna Beach artist Brie Leach weighs in on the subject)
"First, let's dispel the rumor that beauty industry professionals see dollar signs when the word "wedding" is spoken. There are legitimate reasons us artists have to charge more for a wedding than other types of events. And it all starts in the planning process.
Brides begin planning their weddings sometimes upwards of a year in advance. They like to secure their vendors early and get their favorites locked in. That means us artists must hold a date in our books longer than any other plan we've ever made. As life happens, a lot can come up in that amount of time, and keeping a promise that far in advance is asking a lot. The artist's vacations, family time, personal health issues, or other obligations can no longer take priority over the commitments made. We are expected to show up ill or hurt, since no one can fill in for us, we can't just call in sick like most people can.
Also due to the long-game nature of the planning process, a lot can happen on the bride's end as well. Ideas change, headcounts change, even the wedding date can change. With large parties, several artists are hired and it must be sorted out amongst us all with every change of detail. This creates a mountain of back-and-forth correspondence and painstaking attention to organization that an artist is not compensated for until the wedding day. There's more..
...The BrideZilla Tax
Totally kidding. But it's no stretch that weddings are indeed a highly emotionally charged event, and there's no way to prevent those emotions from spilling over into business dealings with vendors. We get it all the time, and we understand, most of us are married and have been through it ourselves. So not only are you paying for the delicacy of our business negotiations, the day-of is where us artists really have to shine.
How a bride looks on the most planned and important day of her life is often the top priority and therefore the utmost pressure is put on the artist to perform. The day-of is usually a chaotic, highly time-sensitive, champagne-soaked and overstimulating work environment to boot.
Let me be clear, these are not complaints. Most of the weddings we've done, the emotional tone is so wonderful and infectious that it brings us pure joy. And we dearly love our clients. Often times we end up becoming close to our brides, their families and the camaraderie of planing and executing such a big event makes for lasting friendships. But still. It's taxing - mentally and physically. Even when things go perfectly. Therefore we say this with love to all who are reading this, bridal vendors would not do weddings if we were paid the same as other events."