Paying for bridesmaids hair and/or makeup?

If you are requiring your bridal party to have professional hair and makeup then you have to pay for it. Then they have the option to do it themselves or choose to pay for it themselves professionally.

If you are requiring them to get hair and makeup done as well as having a specific look, then you need to be paying for it. Otherwise, it’s optional.


An unpopular opinion is that everyone has an ingrained talent for doing their own hair and/or makeup by default of being female, or the idea that everyone is allowed to learn how to wear makeup at 13 so they are pros by 21. Or the currently ever popular idea via social media that a person can watch a YouTube tutorial 1 or 5 times and be an expert on it with buying expensive products they will never use again in an attempt to misguidedly save money that ends up being much more expensive in the end. The time, labor, and sanity are factored at minimum wage per hour in addition to cost of supplies and that makes DIY more expensive in more situations than not. The same goes for hair. Not everyone is able to do their own and have it look good, even with a thousand tutorials. That is not representative of reality.
Many beauty vendors require a specific number of services if they are coming to your location and that the money for the services comes directly from the customer who signed the contract. The other option is to meet at a local salon.

I agree with the previous comments, it's the couple's responsibility to pay if they're requiring the wedding party to get hair and makeup professionally done. If professional hair and makeup is optional for wedding party, then it's a kind gesture for the couple to cover the cost, but not required (and the wedding party can cover their own costs if they choose to get their hair and makeup done).

Covering hair and makeup cost is generous but optional. However, it is NOT proper to “require” these be professionally done or done at all for that matter if for example a friend doesn’t normally wear makeup or is allergic.


You have some say over the dress but personal grooming choices including hair and makeup style have never been up to the bride. You may see articles written by those with ties to the wedding industrial complex, ie with a vested interest, saying otherwise but they have nothing to do with etiquette. The bridal party can opt to DIY their hair and makeup, pay professionals, or go without makeup.

I paid for mine but I didn't require them to do it. A couple of them did their own makeup but used the professional hair stylist, and a couple got makeup done not hair styling at all because they have short hair. People here are saying that if you require it, you have to pay for it. (I'm not sure how you could "require" it though, it's not like you can tie a bridesmaid down and force makeup on her.) If it's in your budget, I would definitely pay for it for them. You can tell the vendor how many people you need done and what time you'd like to start, so they may send more stylists to make it go faster. But if it's out of your budget, you can let your bridal party do it themselves or they can choose a place nearby to get it done.

Agreeing with everyone else. If you’re requiring professional hair & makeup or dictating a style that would require it, then it’s your responsibility to pay for it. Otherwise, it’s a nice gesture but not required. Personally, I paid for everyone’s hair and we all did our own makeup.

Yep, agree with all of the above. If you're requiring professional hair and makeup, it's your responsibility to pay for it.

View Quoted Comment I didn’t say I’m requiring it. I’m just curious what other brides have done for hair and makeup and how they’ve handled that with the bridal party in general.