Do Bridesmaids Pay For Hair and Makeup?

One of the perks of being a bridesmaid is getting dressed up and looking glamorous with the bride during her special day. The morning before her romantic celebration is the perfect time to have an unforgettable bonding experience with crying happy tears and memorable storytelling. 

If you’ve never been invited to be part of a bridal party by your friends and family members, you might be wondering about who covers the extra expense of wedding hair and makeup when the special day finally arrives. 

So, who pays for bridesmaid hair and makeup costs? Just know that you’re not alone with these questions and you can find all of the answers here at YeahWeddings! 

While many marriage traditions have remained the same over the years, whoever remunerates for bridal party hair and makeup varies from wedding to wedding. The budget of a romantic celebration is often the determining factor if the bride or bridesmaids picks up the tab. 

There is no set rule about who pays for bridemaids’ hair and makeup costs. Not all bridal parties even get professional beauty services for the wedding day. If you’re not sure whether you’ll have a professional help you with your hair and makeup, or who pays for the cost, it’s best to simply ask the bride.

Here are a few potential scenarios for how bridal party hair and makeup may be paid for:

Bride Pays For Both Makeup and Hairstyles For Bridal Party

For brides who are less worried about exceeding a budget, covering the professional hair and makeup costs tends to be the most popular option. 

Some brides are flexible about the look of the bridal party hair and makeup on their special day. For those who specifically want a professional appearance or particular style, the bride should pick up the tab since the price is based on her expectations. 

Covering bridesmaid hair and makeup costs takes a huge weight off the shoulders of the bridal party who may be feeling stressed about their various responsibilities. This gesture is often thought of as a gift to the bridesmaids and a way to show thanks for committing time and effort into making sure the romantic celebration goes as planned. 

Brides make this choice to be respectful of the budgets of their maid of honor and bridesmaids, especially if they’ve already purchased their own attire and travel expenses.

Financing the price of professional hair and makeup costs is often done by brides who wish to ease the financial burden off their bridesmaids who may have been invited to other people’s ceremonies in the upcoming future. 

Bride Pays For Either Makeup or Hairstyles For Bridal Party

After looking at the prices for wedding hair and makeup, some brides consider remunerating for one service while asking their brides to pick up the bill for the other one. 

Couples who are planning a destination wedding sometimes choose this option since they already have a larger budget in mind when planning their romantic celebration. A bride usually allows her bridal party to pick which one of these services are going to be endowed by her wedding budget. 

Paying for bridesmaid hair and makeup costs allows the bride to maintain a sense of creative control towards how she specifically wants her bridal party to look on her special day. For the service that the bridesmaids will be paying out of pocket, they can consider a bride’s opinion but have every right to reject her suggestions altogether. 

If the bride chooses this option, she should reach out to hairdresser and makeup artists to get an estimate of professional hair and makeup costs. She should let her bridesmaids know ahead of time so they can save up enough money and not be upset with the extra expense on her wedding day.

Bride Pays For Gratuity Only

Some bridesmaids may be insistent on funding the professional hair and makeup costs themselves to relieve the bride of unnecessary financial burdens on her special day.

If you and the rest of the bridesmaids have come to this agreement, let the bride know and she’ll most likely offer to cover the gratitude part of the bridal party hair and makeup bill. She’ll be showing her appreciation to you and the hairdresser or makeup artist at the same time. 

Bride Lets Everybody DIY

If you’re already aware that the bride is working with a tighter budget when planning her romantic celebration, expect to finance the bridesmaid hair and makeup costs on your own. 

This situation is a good choice for brides who want their bridal party to have more of a natural look instead of all out glam. Other brides know their maid of honor and bridesmaids are already skilled with styling their own wedding hair and makeup so there’s no need to seek professional help. 

Brides should let their bridesmaids know ahead of time so they can perfect their beauty skills or find talented friends with the expertise of creating bridal party hair and makeup. She should also provide hair curlers, flat irons, and other tools for any bridesmaids who lack them. 

A bride needs to be certain about whether or not she will be funding the professional hair and makeup costs for her maid of honor and bridesmaids. Being upfront and honest ensures that her special day goes as smoothly as possible. 

Nothing dampens the mood of a bridal party faster than originally being told that their wedding hair and makeup will be endowed by the bride, only becoming an extra expense to be paid out of their pocket at the last minute.

If the bride has not communicated with you and the other bridesmaids about her plan for financing for the beauty services on her special day, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask that question! She might have already decided her plan about paying for bridal party hair and makeup but forgot to inform you while deciding other details in the wedding planning process. 

Regardless of who’s paying, find makeup ideas for the bride and for her bridesmaids here on Yeah Weddings!

For bridesmaids who already held their own wedding ceremonies, let us know in the comments if you covered the bridesmaids hair and makeup costs or allowed your bridal party to DIY!