Originally Posted by
Katiethatdiva /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So a friend I went to school with announced she is engaged on FB. Her and I still keep in touch quite a few times a year. I wanted to let her know that I am open to do her and/or her bridal party's makeup and her and I could get together to test it out!
My questions are, what is a normal price for someone starting to charge to do just a bride, just a bridal party and a bridal party and the bride? I'm sure this would take all day so her and I will have to talk about it but let's say its her and 4 other people? Also I don't charge her obviously for the first trial run to see if she likes the makeup and we enjoy the time ad all right? Maybe assuming she will tip me?
Any ideas on colors or looks to be going for? Thanks for your time!
You shouldn't charge. You don't have the right. That's something you have to earn, and you can get there, but you're not there right now.
You've never done a wedding before, so you don't even know if you
can do a wedding. The normal asking price for that would be zero. Offer a trial. I'm not going to make assumptions about what you're capable of. You could be very skilled and immensely creative and do very tight work. If the trial works out, offer to do her and her bridesmaids in exchange for photos to add to your portfolio. If it works out well, you now have some experience under your belt. Do its with a few more brides.
You said "all day" - when you're doing makeup for a wedding or a similar event,
you. do. not. have. all. day. There's a lot going on. People have a lot to do on a tight schedule. You need to be able to do excellent work as fast as humanly possible. For a bride and a handful or bridesmaids, you really should have two hours MAXIMUM in most circumstances, and you need to coordinate your time with the hair stylist so you're both working together.
Ordinarily, a makeup artist WOULD charge for a trial (I charge anywhere between $25 and $50 for trial runs, depending on what it's for, as a non refundable deposit that the client can then deduct off of the total for the event)
If you don't know about colors or looks for brides, that's something you REALLY need to research on your own and develop your own grasp of. Brides can and will change their minds at the drop of a hat, and may have a very vividly specific look in mind that they expect you to create or duplicate. You won't have time to go online and ask around. You have to have a strong grasp of that going in.
I see a lot of money talk in this ["How much should I charge?" "Maybe she'll tip me"] and that's raising a red flag for me. It seems like you're more concerned with being opportunistic and getting her money than you are concerned about offering what you have to make her wedding day great. If you're only trying to get money out of her, that's twisted. A wedding is a big deal and to be hired for a wedding is something that should make you feel special.