I Can’t Afford to Pay for All My Bridesmaids’ Hair & Makeup. How Do I Ensure They Look Their Best?

I would talk to each girl, individually may be best, and find out what she is planning to do regarding hair and makeup. Some of them may go to a salon for their hair but opt to do their own makeup, and some may assume a makeup artist is being hired for everyone to use.

Once you know everyone’s situation figure out how much hair and makeup will cost per person and if it’s too much for each bridesmaid, or maybe just for a few of them, see if you can subsidize some of the costs.  If you can’t, shop around for the best deal.  Maybe there’s a beauty school in the area with some talented students or an assistant to your salon can send you at a fraction of the stylist’s fee.  Or even a groupon deal you can take advantage of.

Another option that I did for a friend’s wedding was to go to the local department store with a few other bridesmaids the morning of the wedding.  We each had scheduled an 11am appointment at our favorite makeup counter and for the cost of one lipstick, which we bought to use for the wedding, got our makeup done for free.  I honestly don’t remember what we did for the hair. I think for my wedding we hired a makeup salesgirl from the local Macy’s to come to the ceremony location and do each girl’s makeup for about $65 each.  For hair, a friend found a local salon that gave the girls a break because there were 8 of them coming in for blowouts at 9am on a Sunday.

Keep your bridesmaids’ budgets in mind -- they’re spending a lot of money on your wedding -- so don’t force them to lay out hundreds more for hair and makeup.  It’s worth it to start researching budget-friendly options months, and not days, before the wedding.

What Should I Expect at My Wedding Hair and Makeup Trial?

At each trial you are testing out your wedding-day hairstyle and makeup colors and application. It’s important to bring photos of what you like, and you can bring photos of what you don’t, to show the hairstylist and makeup artist what you want, or what you don’t.

For your hairstyle trial it’s important to bring any hair accessories you are planning on wearing -- tiara, headband, hairpins. You can also bring your veil to see how that will look. But make sure to have it pressed after the trial so it’s not wrinkled for the wedding. You may also want to wear a top that has a similar neckline to your wedding dress’ so you can see what the style will look like in a bodice of the same cut.

Once the style is finished and you like it -- you should feel comfortable to make comments/adjustments that are both positive and negative -- and make sure to take several photos. For your hair, you need pictures from multiple angles -- front, both sides and above. For makeup you only need a front shot but you want to write down every color used and where -- foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, liners, lipstick, mascara -- so on your wedding day you and the makeup artist remember what you liked.

Do I Have to Pay for My Bridesmaids’ Hair & Makeup?

You don’t have to pay for their hair and makeup to be professionally done but you can’t demand that they pay for a stylist either. Remember that everyone’s financial situation is different and one or more of your bridesmaids may not be able to afford a stylist after co-hosting your bridal shower, bachelorette party, paying for a bridesmaid dress and matching shoes and gifts for you and your groom.

If one of your bridesmaids tells you she can’t afford to have her hair and makeup professionally done you can offer to gift it to her as her thank-you gift, or just as a friend, but don’t fire her or treat her badly.

Some brides want their bridesmaids to have a special hair or makeup look and if you feel this is very important than you may have to cover the expense of it.

If this is something that you’re thinking about start pricing salons and stylists in your area to ensure that you get a great deal whether you’re paying or your bridesmaids are.

A Thought on Wedding-Day Hair

No bride wants to look back at her wedding photos years after the wedding and think that her wedding looks dated.  As in, that wedding is so 1985.

You want your wedding to be timeless, classic and you also want to look like you.

When picking your wedding-day hairstyle it's important to choose a style that looks natural on you.  A style that won't make people take a second glance to confirm that it's you.

I always wear my hair down or pulled back in a half-ponytail, so when I got married I chose to have a cleaner version of a half-pony.  My hairstylist got me a fall (fake hair, sort of like a half wig) so my hair looked thicker and he pulled the front of my hair away from my face.  Looking back I like the style, I just think I should have worn something sparkly after I took my veil off because it was a little plain.

Anyway, the point is that I didn't wear some over-the-top up-do that didn't look like me at all.

And the same thing goes for makeup.  It's okay to go a little more sparkly or dramatic on your wedding day but it's not Halloween so don't go overboard.  You want your groom to recognize you too.

Hair & Makeup Trials

It's very important to have a hair and makeup trial in the weeks before your wedding even if you're planning on doing your own hair and makeup.  The morning of your wedding is not the time to experiment.

At your trial remember to bring a digital camera, not just your camera phone, and make sure you take pictures of yourself from the front, both sides and for your hair, from behind.  This way you can see what you'll look like from all angles.

Your makeup artists should take notes, writing down exactly what colors she is using on you so on the day of your wedding she is not trying to remember which shade of pink blush she wanted to use.

You can ask for a copy of the notes to have for your own records and if you want to purchase any of the products, such a the lipstick or liner, make sure you have the brand and color name correct.