If You Think It’s Expensive Hiring A Professional Bridal Stylist, Wait Till You Hire An Amateur!
5th August 2018
#boho bride#bridal#bridal hair#bridal make up#bride on a budget#engagement#glam bride#wedding planning
When planning for your wedding every bride wants to save as much money as possible, It’s so expensive to get married, even on a budget!...
As a bride, you need to be super savvy to save as much money as possible in the run up to your big day.... You will undoubtedly try and save money in any area you can. There is one area, however, that you really don’t want to skimp on the cost... Your bridal styling, which will quite possibly the most important hair and make up of your life and I’m going to tell you why...
You dream of the most perfect wedding day, wearing your beautiful (and probably very expensive) wedding dress, getting married at the perfect venue and hopefully, after your wedding receiving the most beautiful photographs to treasure forever! Photographs that will have captured all those special moments for you to lovingly look back on! BUT Imagine If you are not happy with your styling on the day?! You will not only be left disappointed on your wedding day, you will reflect on your bridal hair and make up and look at the pictures thinking you weren’t actually happy with the way you looked then or now! This will possibly taint your pictures forever. You might read this and think I am 'laying it on thick' and I guess I could agree with you there, but I only speak the truth. I have had many SOS call from brides being let down last minute by their bridal make up and hair artists and I have also had some very destressed phone calls from upset brides after terrible trials.
IF YOU PICK THE WRONG MAKE UP AND HAIR ARTIST THE WEDDING PHOTOS COULD BE RUINED FOREVER!
I know what you are thinking......that’s a bit dramatic?!! BUT If you are prepared to run the risk after reading this blog then you are a braver woman than me! I have been to many weddings where I have provided only one service, either make up OR hair and I’ve left in horror because the other artist has made an absolute hash of either the hair or make up. No bride deserves anything less than perfect for their big day and that's the bottom line. I ’d also just like to point out at this stage too there is only so much your photographer can edit.
Don’t believe me? Ask your photographer, your hair and make up being expertly done is essential if you want the BEST WEDDING PHOTOS.
LETS NOT BEAT AROUND THE BUSH.... HOW YOU FEEL ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK IS THE ONE THING AS A BRIDE YOU CARE ABOUT MOST, SECOND TO MARRYING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE!
Just like you want a dress that fits you perfectly, you want hair and make up that makes you look and feel like a million dollars! I am going to be totally honest with you.... You aren’t going to get celebrity styling on a budget and that is the harsh truth! Buy budget and you are likely to get make up that won’t last, that will be poorly done... Just think badly blended make up, foundation colour matching that will more than likely leave a lot to be desired... and don’t even get me started on what can go wrong with hair.....
SO HOW DO THE PROFESSIONALS WORK OUT OUR BRIDAL HAIR AND MAKE UP PRICING AND WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR?!
I personally have been doing make up and hair for 15 years, this experience, of course, is reflected in my prices. It is also worth me mentioning in case you haven’t realised, at the studio our services are premium and for what we offer you, we are actually priced very competitively within the industry. We have seen artists that aren’t as experienced or established as we are priced a lot higher! Equally though there is no denying that there is obviously a possibility you will find someone cheaper who is still good, but it is more difficult for sure.
We have become experts in bridal hair and make up styling. You are paying me and my staff for our expertise, knowledge and experience. It’s really quite simple. I pass all my experience and knowledge on to my assistants and lead artists. They all recieve regular training and are constantly under review, making sure they adhere to very high standards.
YOU MAY NOT ACTUALLY REALISE YOU ARE PAYING FOR MORE THAN JUST MAKE UP...
Firstly, we value our time. The time we spend with you in the studio, on the phone or via email. This time has of course been factored into our bridal service costs. Then there are the products we use, most of which are premium, this all needs to be factored into our costs too. Finally, the ability to manage your expectations. This, believe it or not, is one thing that is almost more important than being the best make up artist. Without this skill things just won't run smoothly! The relationship between the artist and the client would just break down... I truly understand what you need on your wedding day, how to manage your expectations and how to adapt to the different emotions you experience, not only on the run-up to your wedding but also on your big day. Every bride is different and as a professional, you need to be totally adaptable to meet the needs of each bridal client. I am sad to say these are not skills every hair or make up artist possess because this often comes only after years upon years in the industry or in some cases its something some artists will never understand. The focus of course first and foremost should be on the styling, but it is very important not to forget the people behind the face!
SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH MAKE UP OR HAIR ARTIST TO BOOK FOR YOUR BIG DAY?
Now this one is pretty simple... do the maths, but let’s not get this confused, this doesn’t mean look for the cheapest service going! Never shop around for anything based on price. Work out what you need and work back from there!... Anything wedding should be about product vs cost. It’s no use buying cheap and then it not being what you want... You have to look at the value for money aspect rather than the saving. That's my biggest piece of advice!
FIRSTLY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THE BEST WAY OF FINDING YOUR BRIDAL ARTIST....
Finding someone you trust to give you an honest and genuine recommendation is much better than reading on an artist’s website what they have to say about themselves, it will undoubtedly be biased and it can in some cases be misleading. So, do you know anyone that looked amazing on their big day? Who did they use? Get stalking their recommendations and have a snoop at their websites and social media accounts!
SECONDLY, REAL TESTIMONIALS AND REVIEWS ARE ESSENTIAL!
Facebook is a great place to find these. We have about 150 reviews on our Facebook, all 5 Star! These reviews give our clients a clear indication of what kind of service we offer! As mentioned previously, get stalking! Follow your prospective bridal artist on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, whatever social media platforms they use. Check out their website to get a feel for the type of service they offer. As an artist, social media, in particular, is a great way of showcasing your work. We constantly update our Instagram and Facebook with our bridal work, tagging out brides as we go!
THE TRUTH ABOUT BUYING CHEAP #REALTALK
If you buy cheap, you are more than likely going to buy twice. Think about it... you book a cheap trial to SAVE MONEY... you have your trial and it’s a complete flop, now you need to book trial number 2 with another artist. MORE MONEY! You have completely defeated the point of trying to save money in the first place.... no?!
QUESTIONS NOT TO ASK YOU HAIR AND MAKE UP STYLIST...
Q- I have a large bridal party wanting both make up and hair can you do a discount?
For me the simple answer is no. You can’t expect your bridal hair and make up artist to take on more work, in some cases bring along addition help and to spend more time working for less money. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work this way. Ok, so I appreciate this may sound a little harsh, of course, you can ask the question, but me personally I value my time and skill so I won’t be offering a discount like that.
Q- Why are you so expensive?
I say not to ask this question because it is so subjective and all relative to budget. This question can come across rude, it could insinuate you think the artist is overpriced. You could simply ask ‘can you explain to me how you work out your pricing?’... my advice is to just find a cheaper artist if you are unhappy with the prices, there is no need to let someone know they are 'expensive'... I don't go into Tesco and tell them they are not as cheap as Aldi, I just shop at Aldi.
To finish this blog I did think I could tell you some horror stories, but I won’t! Just do your homework, get recommendations, trust the experts and finally get realistic with your budget.
If you do need any help or advice then although we offer a premium service, we do give that away for free!...
We are always here to help you, whether you are going to book with us or not! We are very passionate about our bridal work and helping brides at a time that is very special time to them. It is more than just a job to us, we are here to take care of you, make you feel good and look gorgeous! I hope you found my straight- talking useful and not too scary. You should now have a clear idea of what to expect from your bridal stylist and why we set our prices the way we do.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
Suezanna xoxo