The short answer
A wedding hair and makeup contract should list each service and its price per person, any minimum number of services, the trial terms, the start time and schedule for the party, travel, on-site and early-morning fees, whether touch-ups are covered, how allergies are handled, and what happens if your headcount changes or you cancel. Build the schedule before you sign so the fees match your real day.
Do wedding hair and makeup trials cost money?
Check whether the trial is included in the package or priced separately, how long it lasts, and whether it covers hair, makeup or both. Note whether the trial fee is credited toward the wedding-day total and whether a second trial costs extra. If the trial happens before you sign, ask whether booking depends on it or whether the date is held only once the retainer is paid.
Bring what you can to the trial: photos of looks you like, your neckline or a photo of the dress, and any accessories. Ask the artist to write down the products and steps they used, so the wedding-day look can be repeated even if a different artist from the team does it.
- Trial included or priced separately
- Hair, makeup or both
- Trial fee credited to the final total
- Price of a second trial
- Written notes on products and steps
How much does wedding hair and makeup cost per person?
There is no single per-person price to rely on, because each contract prices its own list of services, artists and fees. Look for a price for each service, such as bridal hair, bridal makeup, attendant hair, attendant makeup, lashes, or a parent's makeup, and for a minimum. A minimum may be written as a number of services, such as "minimum of six services", or as a dollar amount. If you book fewer, the contract may charge the difference.
For example, in a hypothetical contract with a minimum of eight services, you book bridal hair and makeup (two services) and hair for four attendants (four services). That is six services, two short of the minimum. If the contract bills a shortfall at $90 a service, the charge is 2 x $90 = $180. You could pay it, or add two services you actually want.
How long does wedding hair and makeup take, and when to start?
Work backward from the first time someone must be ready, such as first-look photos. Ask the artist how long each service takes and how many artists are coming. For example, in a hypothetical schedule, one hair stylist spends 45 minutes on each of five attendants and 75 minutes on the bride: 5 x 45 + 75 = 300 minutes, or five hours. To finish by 12:30 p.m., hair starts at 7:30 a.m.
Add a buffer and check that time against any early-morning clause. If the contract adds a fee for start times before 8:00 a.m., the schedule above triggers it. With a second stylist taking three attendants, the first does the bride and two attendants: 75 + 2 x 45 = 165 minutes, so hair could start at 9:45 a.m. Compare the price of another artist with the early fee. Put the agreed schedule in writing, with names and times.
- Time the first person must be ready
- Minutes per service and number of artists
- Start time with a buffer
- Early-morning fee threshold
- Order of the chair, with names
What travel, on-site and touch-up fees should I look for?
Travel may be a flat fee per artist, a mileage charge beyond a set distance, or parking and tolls at cost. An on-site fee may be charged for coming to you rather than working at a studio. Check whether each fee is per artist or per booking, because adding a second artist can double it.
Touch-up coverage is a separate term. The contract may say the artists leave once the last service is done, or it may offer an artist who stays through the ceremony or photos for an hourly rate. If you want a touch-up after the ceremony, ask what it costs, until what time, and whether that artist needs a meal.
How should allergies and skin sensitivities be handled?
Tell the artist about any allergy or sensitivity before the trial, for yourself and each person in the chair, and ask them to note it in writing. Ask what products they plan to use and whether they can bring alternatives. If someone prefers to use their own foundation or lashes, ask whether the price changes.
Check whether the contract says anything about reactions or ask the client to disclose sensitivities in advance. Copy that wording, and keep the list of sensitivities with the day-of schedule so a substitute artist sees it too. For any medical question about a product, ask the person's own health professional rather than relying on the artist or this guide.
What happens if our headcount changes or we cancel?
Find the deadline for the final list of services and what happens after it. A contract may let you add services until a certain date, subject to availability, and may still charge for services removed after that date. Note whether removing a person drops you below the minimum, which would bring back the shortfall charge.
Then record the retainer, when the balance is due and how it is paid, and the cancellation terms by date. For example, a hypothetical $1,450 booking with a $450 retainer leaves $1,000 due on the wedding morning. Whether any money is returned after a cancellation depends on the contract and the law where you are, which varies by state; ask the artist to state the terms in writing.
- Final service list deadline
- Charges for services removed late
- Effect of changes on the minimum
- Retainer and balance due date
- Cancellation terms by date
Hair and makeup booking sheet
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Person | Services booked | Price | Chair start time | Notes and allergies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bride or partner | — | — | — | — |
| Attendant 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Attendant 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Attendant 3 | — | — | — | — |
| Attendant 4 | — | — | — | — |
| Parent or family member | — | — | — | — |
| Travel and on-site fees | — | — | — | — |
| Early-morning fee | — | — | — | — |
| Touch-up coverage | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Add your document reference and the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Thank you for the proposal. Before we sign, could you confirm a few details in writing? Is the trial included, and is its fee credited toward the wedding day? Is there a minimum number of services, and how is a shortfall charged? Based on our list of people and a ready time of 12:30 p.m., what start time and how many artists do you recommend, and would that start time bring an early-morning fee? Are travel fees charged per artist? Finally, until what date can we add or remove services without a charge?
Common questions
Is a wedding hair and makeup trial necessary?
A wedding hair and makeup trial is not required, and whether it is worth it depends on how sure you are of the look and the artist. A trial lets you test the look, the timing and the products before the day. Check whether its fee is credited toward the wedding-day total, which changes its real cost.
How many hair and makeup artists do I need for a wedding?
The number of hair and makeup artists a wedding needs comes from the minutes each service takes, the number of people and the time the first person must be ready. For example, with a hypothetical 360 minutes of services and 3 hours available, 360 / 180 = 2 artists. Ask the artist to confirm the count and the schedule in writing.
Is hair or makeup done first for a wedding?
The order of hair and makeup for a wedding is something to agree with your artists, since it can depend on the look, the products and how many artists are working at once. Ask them to propose an order for each person and check it against your photo timeline, with a buffer before the first photos.
Who pays for bridesmaids' hair and makeup?
Who pays for bridesmaids' hair and makeup is a decision for you and your attendants, and the contract should show who is billed. Ask the artist whether attendants can pay for their own services separately, and whether the minimum still falls on you if someone drops out. Tell each attendant the price in writing before the final service list is due.
What if an attendant wants to do their own makeup?
An attendant doing their own makeup is fine as long as you check the service minimum in the contract. Removing a service can put you below the contracted minimum and bring a shortfall charge. Tell the artist before the final service list deadline and confirm the revised total in writing.
Should you tip wedding hair and makeup artists?
Tipping wedding hair and makeup artists is your decision, and the contract is the place to check first. See whether it already includes a gratuity or service charge. If it does not, decide whether to tip and how much, put any cash in labeled envelopes, and name the person who will hand them over.