Who pays for hair and makeup?

If it is not required they can pay. Every time I got hair and make up done the bride never paid. Since you are making it optional then they could do their own yes? Although some HMUA's only come out to you for a minimum so be prepared for that. I would get the individual cost of the hair and make up and ask the bridal party would any of them be interested. If so, they can pay her.

If you are not requiring them to have their hair/makeup done, the bridesmaids pay for the service themselves if they choose to do it. If it is in your budget to pay for theirs, it is a nice gesture, but certainly not required!

View Quoted Comment

They can definitely do their own! I have one that I know would actually prefer to do her own. The others would like to have both hair and makeup done, but me paying for both for everyone just isn't in my budget unfortunately. I was thinking that paying for hair could be a nice gift to them. There's a 4 person minimum (including myself) for hair, and a 3 person minimum for makeup (so myself, MOB, and MOG)

View Quoted Comment

Hmmm well maybe you can pay for make up and not hair or whichever is cheaper? You have other ways to give them a gift. I would get the individual price of services and then ask if any of them would pay that.

If it’s optional, then they can pay themselves if they choose to get it. I have covered my own hair and makeup as a BM, and it wasn’t a big deal. I told my bridal party that I was planning to go to this particular place, how much it is IF they choose, and to just let me know so I could book for enough people. All of my girls opted for it.

Unless you requiring a certain look or that they the service done rather than diy, they pay for their own.


Thumbtack.com has hair/makeup artists listed and many of them appear to give group discounts but price depends on your location.

Since you aren't requiring it then I would just let them know you've been in touch with a hair and makeup artist and if they want either service it will be X amount. Then leave it up to them.

For mine I didn’t require/ask my maids to wear their hair or do their makeup a certain way so I left it up to them. If they did want it done I asked them to pay for it, but since it was optional everyone was fine with that. For us it was 65-75 for hair depending what you got a 75 for makeup. 85 for bride hair and makeup (each). I think for me, my mom and my future MIL and 7 bridesmaids (one doing only hair one doing only makeup) it was around $****

My Bridesmaids Have The Option For Hair & Makeup But If Thats What They Choose They Know Theyll Have To Pay For It.

From what I've seen, if you require it, you should pay, but if it's their choice they pay. I asked my bridesmaids if they wanted to get it done from my girl or if they want to do it themselves and they said they'd do it themselves. I am not requiring a certain look from them just as long as it doesn't look exactly like mine (which it won't since they have dark brown and black hair while mine is light brown.)

If you are requiring them to have hair and make up done, you need to pay for it. If it is just an option for them, then they pay.

Just for me (hair and makeup and trial), one bridesmaid (hair and makeup) and one bridesmaid for only hair it was $860. I know it's high but it's one of the biggest days of my life and I'll never get my hair or makeup professionally done again. So I decided to splurge on it a little bit and I just loved the work they did. It was worth it to me. It all depends on where you live really.

Sounds reasonable to me