On-Location Hair & Makeup Service FAQ's

Photo Courtesy of:  Snapped With Loved Photography

I have compiled a common list of FAQ's about hair and makeup services.  Please note that these are general questions related to on-location hair and makeup services.

Why does it seem like I am paying more for on-location services? 

To go on-location, a stylists/artist has to do quite a bit of preparation to go to and from location.  Time spent traveling is time that could have been spent with other clients.  In addition to the hair & makeup products, items like chairs, stools and lighting may also be needed on location.  It's not uncommon to have an "in-studio" and "on-location" rate.

Why do many stylists/artists charge a travel fee?  

Travel often requires more time than the actual time spent working on location.  Even if you are offering the stylist/artist an opportunity to work in beautiful & exotic venue, there is usually an additional expense when asking a stylist/artist to travel.  Offering to pay for accommodations for your stylist/artist, is a nice gesture, but it most likely will not reduce the actual cost of services.

Why do many hair stylists & makeup artists usually require a minimum number of people to provide on-location services? 

Many stylists work in salons & the busiest day for services is Saturday.  If you are asking the stylist to leave their place of business to work for you on the weekend, they are missing regular client appointments.  The services they could have provided in the salon may also have generated more revenue than your weekend on-location event.  

If the stylist/artist depends solely on special event hair/makeup to generate income, they need to see a certain number of clients a week/month to pay their bills.

Typically the average number of people required for on-location services is 3-6 people - depending on the stylist/artist.  There are some stylists/artists that don't require minimums, so do your homework.

What determines hair/makeup pricing?

Each area/region has an "average" price range consumers are willing to pay, but you are also paying for  the individual's experience, quality of service & professionalism.  You do "get what you pay for." Consider hair and makeup as an investment in your wedding day or special occasion experience.

Other factors that determine price are the estimated time to do the job and the cost of the supplies and products used.

Why does it appear that "wedding" hair/makeup is more expensive?  

Weddings are stressful - not just on the bride, bridal party & relatives, but for everyone who works with the wedding.

The professionals you hire to go on-location have a schedule to maintain.  If clients don't arrive on time or are constantly distracted by other events surrounding them (there is always something fun to look at a wedding) the time it takes the professional is either increased or decreased significantly.

As a consumer it may not seem "fair" or "right" to charge more for wedding services, but once you have worked with a few different weddings, you realize that weddings are the most unique of all special events.  The emotions in the bridal suite range from  to "happy & carefree"to "completely inebriated" and "sick from stress/excitement/hang over" to "tension so thick you could cut it with a knife"- and if you are in the bridal suite long enough, you might be around all of those emotions in a brief period of time.

In addition to being the hired makeup artist, there have been times when I've acted as a counselor, nurse, wardrobe advisor, alterations adjuster & baby sitter (yes, children make their way into the bridal suite too).

As a wedding professional, I believe I should be prepared for any variety of wedding day situations that occur in the bridal suite before the wedding.  Of course, it is impossible to pre-plan all of the the time/costs of such incidentals, but previous experiences are factored in when I create a wedding service proposal.

Be aware that large bridal parties or groups might also be subject to paying additional artist fees.  

Additional artist fees are usually used to retain and secure the services of an additional stylist(s)/artist(s).  Sometimes the bridal party may not be large, but the allotted time the bridal suite is available before the wedding is too short for one person to do all of the work.  In such cases, additional stylists/artists can alleviate stress and help get everyone ready on time.

Makeup by Keri Ann creates customized packages "for ALL of life's special events"in the Houston and the surrounding areas!

Please contact me to discover the "naturally beautiful" difference I offer my clients - including High School Seniors, Corporate Professionals, Women's Groups, Moms and Brides! 

For more information, please contact me at Info@MakeupbyKeriAnn.com