How to price bridal hair and makeup.
To price bridal hair and makeup, count the trial, the wedding-morning hours, early starts, travel, kit and product costs, and insurance, then set a price per service for each person. Charge more for the bride than for guests, add a travel fee by distance, and take a deposit that holds the date.
Updated
The booking is more than the morning.
A bridal booking includes a consultation, a trial, the wedding morning and the drive, and usually an early start that costs you the rest of that day. Count the hours before and after the appointment as well as the hours in the chair.
- Time: consult, trial, travel both ways, setup, each service, touch-ups and packing up, at the hourly income you want.
- Kit and products: foundation, skincare, lashes, hairspray and tools are used up and replaced, and sanitizing supplies are an everyday cost.
- Training, certifications, licenses and insurance, which you carry whether or not you are booked.
- Early starts and holding a Saturday: a morning that begins before dawn cannot be sold twice.
- Card and platform fees, taxes, and the slow months when bookings thin out.
Per service, per person or a bridal party package.
- Per service: separate prices for makeup, hair, both together, lashes, and a trial, so each person picks what they need.
- Bridal party package: a price for the bride plus a price per additional person, with a minimum party size for travel.
- Hourly: used for photo shoots and events where the number of people and looks varies.
- Tiered artist levels: a lead artist and an associate at different prices, if you run a team.
- Add-ons: airbrush, a second look, false lashes, a touch-up kit, and a stay-for-photos option.
Date, location and how many people.
- Start time: very early start times and last-minute changes are worth a surcharge.
- Travel: count drive time both ways, parking, and a longer day if you wait at a venue. Use distance bands.
- Party size: the more people, the more artists or time you need. Set a minimum before you travel.
- Complexity: elaborate styles, extensions, heavy hair, cultural looks that need extra time, and a second look all add hours.
- Season and day: peak wedding season and weekends hold dates you can sell once.
Hold the date and the travel.
Many artists take a non-refundable deposit at booking and the balance before the wedding morning. The trial can be paid separately on the day it happens. Put the payment schedule, the late-arrival rule and your cancellation terms in writing. The booking deposit calculator shows the split.
Raise prices for new bookings first, and keep existing brides at the price they signed. Raise prices when you are booked well in advance, or when your costs or travel have grown. Tell repeat clients before the change.
- Worked example in the calculator: enter [Hours: trial, travel, wedding morning] and [Your hourly income], add [Kit and products] and [Travel], then choose [Profit margin]. Divide the package price across the people you expect to get a price per person.
- Test the result against a bride-only booking. If a small booking falls below your minimum, set a minimum fee for travel.
Make the menu easy to read on a phone.
Brides browse on phones. Show each service and its starting price, the price for each extra person, your travel area, and the date by which you need a deposit. Say plainly whether a trial is included.
- A storefront page with your services, photos and a booking link.
- Customers request a date from your packages and pay a deposit online.
- Card payments add a service fee for the customer on top of your price.
Common questions.
How much should I charge for bridal hair and makeup?
Enough to cover trial, wedding-morning, travel and kit time, plus insurance and fees and the income you want. Use the package pricing calculator and divide by the people booked.
Should I charge per person or by the hour?
Per service and per person is easiest for a bridal party to read. Use hourly pricing only for shoots and events where the number of looks varies.
How do I price bridal hair and makeup trials?
Price the trial as its own service that covers your time and kit, and say whether it is credited toward the wedding-day booking.
Do I charge extra for travel?
Yes. Count the drive both ways and the extra day it uses, and use distance bands with a minimum party size for far venues.
Keep reading.
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