This Makeup Artist Didn't Realize They Were Doing A Bride's Makeup For Her Wedding Day — Now, They Want To Know If They're In The Wrong For Trying To Charge More Once They Found Out
It's no secret that these days — in the cursed year of 2022 — having a wedding ain't cheap.
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In fact, the average cost of a US wedding is expected to rise from $24,000 to $27,000, according to Shane McMurray, founder of The Wedding Report.
And, more often than not, a big chunk of that money goes toward the bride looking their best on the big day. You've got the dress, the shoes, the hair, and (lest we forget) the makeup, which is actually what we'll be discussing today.
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This edition of wedding drama comes from Reddit user and alleged makeup artist u/Affectionate_Lie0 (or OP, for original poster). They recently posted in the Am I The Asshole* subreddit asking if they were in the wrong for charging a bride more than what the two of them originally agreed upon to do her makeup on her wedding day.
*In case you didn't know, r/AmItheAsshole is a place where people can ask the internet if they're the ones acting like an A-hole in certain situations.
Here's the full story, according to the OP:
"I've been a makeup artist for the past nine years. I charge $500 for bridal makeup and around $250 for bridesmaids etc., but for regular party makeup, I charge around $150. So, a few weeks ago, a lady had booked me for a party makeup look...She booked at 10 a.m. I went there thinking I'd do regular party makeup. I had agreed on $150 with her."
At this point, OP was completely unaware that they'd be doing makeup for a wedding, and didn't find out until they were actually on the job. "As I was there, some people came over. I assumed relatives. At some point it slips from a woman about the wedding, and I realized the woman I was doing makeup for was the bride. I was doing bridal makeup, but charging for simple party makeup."
"I was completely pissed about how she lied about the occasion, but I kept doing my job. After we were finished, she gave me $150 and I notified her that we were actually $350 short. She asked what I meant by that, and I said that I did a bridal makeup. 'You're the bride. That's what I charge for brides.' She said we had agreed on simple party makeup, and that I was basically ripping her off because I worked the same amount of time and used the same products that I'd use in a bridal makeup, so the title of the event shouldn't matter."
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"I told her she doesn't get to dictate how I form my prices. She then refused to pay me at all, called me a scammer, and told me to get out. Before I left, her mom threw $200 in my face and told me to 'get lost.'"
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OHHH BOY. Talk about a heated situation.
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After the whole ordeal was over, OP told their friends about the situation, and they actually agreed with the bride. "I was telling my friends what happened, and they all sided with the bride and said that unless I used more expensive products and did extra labor, then I'm not justified in charging her more, and since she requested party makeup, I should've just charged her that."
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For a little more context: When reading through the thread, I saw this comment/update OP *allegedly* made in response to some of the commenters, which read, "I use the same products most of the time both in bridal and party makeup. The only difference is the setting sprays I use, and after I found out she was a bride, I used a higher quality setting spray and mixed it with some fixing spray to make the result better."
So, although they ~technically~ upgraded the service, the only true difference between the party makeup look and wedding makeup look was the setting spray.
Lots of people came to the bride's defense in the comments. Some pointed out that it didn't sound like the bride asked for intricate makeup, and that OP didn't even do a test run prior to the event (which is often considered standard for bridal looks, and justifies charging more).
"She did not ask for bridal treatment and didn't do a makeup test run. You used the same products you would use on simple party makeup, and attempted to upcharge her $350 for what exactly? Just because she's the bride and you want to squeeze more money out of her?"
"The whole point of a bridal option is to include everything that goes with it. The artist I picked did a trial, plus airbrush foundation, and custom false lashes. Bridesmaids paid less because they didn't get the lashes (unless they added it for extra) or the trial. So charging her for a service she didn't get is ridiculous."
Others REALLY took issue with the fact that OP tried to charge the bride so much more when they upgraded the setting spray, and literally nothing else.
"OP stated the only difference in the makeup was setting spray. Unless that spray was made by the gods themselves, it is not worth the $350 upcharge. Setting spray should be part of regular party makeup anyway."
"If you are charging four times the amount for the same makeup just because it's a wedding, it makes it seem like you are taking advantage of the wedding industry. A higher-end setting spray doesn't justify an extra $350 for the same work."
And finally, one person even called out the wedding industry as a whole for being so expensive, and actually praised the bride for trying to work around it and save some $$$.
"The bridal industry is a scam. I used to work at a banquet facility, and wedding receptions cost triple what any other reception does. Same food, same everything, but once you slap a 'bridal' label on it, the price goes up simply because they know people are already prepared to shell out big bucks for their wedding.
This woman was smart. She knows brides get price gouged like crazy and she found a workaround. Sorry OP, but there's no setting spray you could use that would justify a $350 markup. You're just mad she didn't fall for your inflated pricing."
