Weddings are pricey affairs. Whether you choose to host a minimalistic wedding or a grand wedding celebration, you need to spend money. There are certain things, such as wedding venue, wedding photographer, wedding attire, wedding hair, makeup, etc., that you cannot ignore at all.
Your wedding is one of the special events of your life. Of course, you would want to look your best on your special day. And wedding and makeup are the most important parts of your wedding. All of these things just add to the total cost of your wedding. A wedding may cost you around $10,000 to $40,000 and more, depending on the type of wedding you’re planning.
Undoubtedly, you would want to have the best celebration ever. And when there is so much emphasis placed on having a perfect day, it can be difficult to refrain from spending money. But there are certain things you can do to save money on your wedding. You may simply cut money on your hair and cosmetics for the big day without sacrificing your look for the day.
We understand wedding hair and makeup will be the last thing that you would want to compromise on. However, you don’t have to compromise on that at all.
In this post, we’ll discuss with you some of the best tips to save money on wedding hair and makeup.
Top 15 Tips To Save Money On Wedding Hair And Makeup
1. Do It Yourself
DIY is in trend these days. More often than not, people try their hands at doing things all by themselves; hair and makeup are one of those. Girls usually find it easy to DIY their hair and makeup.
Of course, wedding hair and makeup are always different from the regular ones. However, there is not to be scared of. In fact, doing so will help you save a significant amount of money. On average, wedding hair and makeup can cost you somewhere around $300 to $600, depending on the reputation of hair and makeup artist you hire, location, and various other things.
DIY is one of the best options to save money on wedding hair and makeup, especially in the era of the internet. You have access to a plethora of tutorials on YouTube. All you have to do is to determine the kind of look you want at your wedding. Practice the same for at least three to five times before D-Day.
Practicing makeup will allow you to know how long it takes to get ready for the day. Also, it will help you understand the different techniques that you may use to enhance your look. DIY will allow you to save money that you would otherwise spend on hiring a specialist. You can use this money on something more important, maybe your honeymoon.
2. Book your artist in advance
If DIY seems like a task, then definitely you’ll need to find out another way out. The good news is – there is already a way to do so.
Book your hair and makeup artist in advance, especially if you’re hosting your wedding in the peak season. When you hire your artist long before your wedding, you save a significant amount of money. Usually, last-minute bookings cost you more. It is because the artists charge higher prices for last-minute bookings.
Having your hair and makeup artist booked in advance will help you save money. Some artists even provide you with good deals and discounts on booking in advance. This is the finest opportunity to save money and get your hair and makeup done by professionals.
3. Look for deals and discounts
Some artists offer deals and discounts to their customers. You can always look for such opportunities and book your artist during that offer. It will help you save money, which you can spend on other important things.
4. Handle touch-ups
You can choose to handle the touch-ups for photographs. You may want to have a wedding makeup artist available to you throughout the day for touch-ups. However, this will simply add to your cost.
Some makeup artists charge by the hour, which means that even a minor adjustment to your eyeliner or blush will set you back a significant amount of money. In such a situation, it’s always good to handle your touch-ups.
You can try using your own makeup. All you have to do is to give yourself a quick touch-up about once every hour instead. The best thing is that you don’t need a high-end makeup kit on hand for touch-ups. Some basic makeup items, such as eyeliner, mascara, compact powers, and blush, will do. You can ask your makeup artist if they provide you with a touch-up kit to maintain a flawless appearance throughout the procession.
If doing it all by yourself seems a task, then ask one your bridesmaid to help you with your touch-ups at the wedding. This way you can save a significant amount of money.
Some people are born with a passion for makeup and hairstyling. You never know; you may also have someone in your group deeply interested in makeup and hair styling.
If you find one, all you have to do is to ask them to handle your wedding hair and makeup. They might agree to do it for a very low charge or even for nothing at all. You can give them some gifts as a token of thanks at your wedding for helping you with your makeup.
This way, not only will you save money, but you’ll also be in the capable hands of someone you already trust. Also, don’t miss to ask the person to perform a trial for you prior to your wedding, even if you have a close relationship with them. It will help you to understand whether or not the person would be able to handle the task. Also, you can feel at ease on the big day if you’ve tried your makeup before.
6. Stock your makeup supplies in advance
If you’re planning a DIY or if your friend is doing your makeup, then it’s crucial to stock your makeup supplies. Make sure to buy your hair accessories and makeup items in advance. The prices of beauty supplies may surprise you if you don’t use cosmetics on a regular basis.
Beauty products come at a great price, especially if you buy branded and quality products. Hence, it is crucial to build your kit from the ground up specifically for your wedding. A makeup kit will easily cost you a few hundred dollars. Also, buying your makeup in advance will eliminate the chances of last-minute chaos.
You should buy your makeup supplies at least a few months leading up to the wedding. This way, you will not only save money, but you will also gain a better understanding of the different looks.
Pro Tip: Utilize your products when trying your makeup before the wedding. It will help you keep a check on any allergy (you may have), and you’ll be able to determine how you will look on the final day.
You don’t need to hire a top-notch specialist in your area. Of course, they will cost you a lot. The best is to hire their assistants. Yes, the vast majority of professional hairstylists who work out of their own studios employ at least one and sometimes several assistants.
Some assistants also offer freelancing hair and makeup services to people. Check with the assistants to see if you can book one of them to do your hair and makeup. Doing so will allow you to obtain the same degree of expertise at very little cost.
Most of the assistants working under professional artists are trained and experienced. The good news is that they don’t charge as much as their bosses do. Also, they may help you with equally qualified hair stylists in the field. Doing so will help you save a lot of money on your wedding hair and makeup.
8. Contact a beauty student
If you want to cut a significant amount of money on wedding hair and makeup, one option is to have a beauty school student do your hair and makeup on the big day. They are well-versed with different techniques used to make a person look beautiful. Moreover, they will do your hair and makeup at a very low cost.
Moreover, makeup artists in training are always looking for new opportunities to hone their skills, make some money, and compile a portfolio of their work in the field. When you approach someone for assistance with the look you want to achieve for your wedding, you are truly doing them a favour.
Most of these students are to prove themselves; all they want is work to add to their portfolio. They will charge you a lot less than professionals do.
When you arrange your appointment, you have the option of selecting a more advanced student so that you can be assisted by someone who is knowledgeable in the field. Make certain that you schedule your appointment in a timely manner so that there is no chaos at your wedding.
9. Consider your regular salon
Every person has his/her own doctor, hair stylist, and dress designer fixed in their life. You might also have a fixed hair stylist whom you go to for your regular hairdos. If you think he or she possesses immense skills, you can try their services at your wedding.
All you have to do is to talk to them and hire them for your wedding hair styling. You can ask for a discount or a deal. Some artists give preferential deals and discounts to their existing clients. You may also get some discount on the package, and you may save some money.
10. Visit your makeup artist
Instead of calling your hair and makeup artist to your location, it’s better to visit them. The expense of travel is frequently factored into the prices charged by hair stylists. Meeting them in their salon or at their home will make things simpler for them and will reduce the cost to you.
Just make sure to schedule it very well in advance so that you can take care of other wedding-related things.
11. Book the same hairstylist and makeup artist
More often than not, the one who does makeup also handles hair styling at the wedding. If you could find someone like this, then it’s the best option. They charge considerably lesser than the ones who provide separate services for these two services.
And if you don’t find such an artist, make sure to hire both in the same makeup studio. It will save you both time and money that you’ll otherwise spend on your artists’ travel.
12. Check gig work websites
There are numerous websites having freelancers providing freelance wedding hair and makeup services. Some of the top websites include Sponsored mrzstamens.com, Fiverr, fountain, Thumbtack, etc.
You can look for a wedding hair and makeup artist. There are too many out there offering gigs. The best thing is that you get to pay too less for the services compared to professional artists. Most of the artists out there are professionals and very well-qualified. Some of them have even held full-time jobs in related fields before opting to start as a freelancer.
13. Determine your appearance thoroughly in advance
It is crucial to determine your look very well in advance. Don’t make your style decision in the heat of the moment, regardless of how you picture yourself looking on your wedding day. Don’t just pick any look randomly. Doing so won’t help you much.
Of course, when you’ll walk into the salon, they will present you with myriad alternatives. You may be tempted to pick any randomly, which is not going to help you at all.
It’s always advised to first find the right artist in your locality or in the area you’re getting married. Look for their websites or business reviews online. Make sure to make a list of the top 5 in the area and choose the best one among them.
Talk to the professionals. Discuss with them what exactly you’re looking for. Communicate your vision to the person who will do your hair and makeup. You can even ask for a customized package or discount on your hair and makeup package. Also, make sure to give all the details to them so that there is no complication or miscommunication later.
14. Opt for a minimalistic look
You don’t necessarily have to follow the trend. In fact, you can have your own unique look for your wedding.
If budget is really a constraint for you, then opt for a minimal look. The minimalistic bridal look is the hottest trend today. Most brides avoid splurging money on bridal hair and makeup by opting for a minimalistic bridal look.
Professional hair styling requires lots of adornments and accessories, which again add to your cost. With a minimal look, you will not have to spend anything on adornments and accessories.
You may get good hair accessories online that you may use to complete your bridal look. In fact, it will help you save a lot of money. The best thing is that you can always get some inspiration from Pinterest and create your own board there.
There are numerous hair accessories available, such as hair pins, tiaras, U pins, clips, and so on. You can choose to keep your hair open with a beautiful hair accessory on it. And you’re done without having to spend too much on your hairstyle.
15. Prepare your budget in advance and stick to it religiously
Last but not least, prepare your wedding hair and makeup budget in advance. Take some time to think about the expense involved before you go ahead and hire professional artists. Doing so will help you save quite a bit of money. It is because you could figure out a method to get rid of or cut back on some of the expenditures.
Also, only preparing a budget is not enough. You’ll need to stick to it religiously. More often than not, brides get tempted to go for any hair accessory or any makeup a professional artist presents them with. This is not how it should be. Just stick to your chosen hairstyle and look on the final day as well. You don’t need to try different things; instead, stick to your budget and your hair, and the look that you chose in the first place.
Wrapping up…
So, these are the top 15 tips to save money on wedding hair and makeup. You can follow the tips outlined above and enjoy saving a significant amount that you can spend on something more important, such as your wedding attire or honeymoon.
It is essential to make a strategy in advance in order to determine what supplies you will require. And if you look for ways to save money anywhere you can, even on your wedding hair and makeup, just try them out. All you have to do is make sure that you get the highest quality services at a low cost.
Wedding Hair and Makeup FAQs
1. How much do wedding hair and makeup cost?
Wedding hair and makeup can vary significantly based on several factors, including the location, the reputation of the artist, the makeup products you opt for, and so on. On average, wedding hair and makeup can cost you somewhere around $300 to $600 or more. All you have to do is to be wise when you choose your makeup artist and hairstylist.
2. Is it ethical to ask for discounts from your stylist and makeup artist?
Yes, you can always ask for the best prices from your hairstylist and makeup artist. More often than not, professionals are willing to provide their customers with good deals in order to retain them for a long time. If you come across any such makeup studio, find out about their packages and deals.
BUT, don’t ever try to hire anybody or any makeup artist or hairstylist to save money. You may end up getting into real trouble on your wedding day. Hence, it is crucial to opt for trial makeup sessions before the BIG DAY.
3. Is it a good idea to hire a freelance makeup artist for my big day?
Yes, you can hire a freelance makeup artist for your big day. Just be careful when you choose one. Some of these freelance makeup artists are professionals with immense experience working in a salon.
The best is to see their portfolio before you reserve them for your final day. Also, you can ask for a trial makeup so that you can be sure of the best look on your special day.
4. Where can I find hair and makeup inspiration and ideas for my wedding?
Well, there are numerous makeup artists and hairstylists out there on YouTube. They share wonderful makeup and hair tutorials to help people like you so that you can handle your wedding makeup and hair.
