Wedding Beauty: Hair, Make-Up & Costs for Brides & Wedding Parties
Along with sipping champagne in a bridal boutique, sampling cake flavours and picking out far-flung honeymoon destinations, getting to grips with your wedding beauty is up there as one of the more glamorous and exciting tasks on your wedding planning checklist.
Since all eyes will be on you, you’ll want to feel confident and like the best version of yourself as your friends and family watch you say, ‘I do’. And while it will all be absolutely worth it (especially when you get your wedding photos back), achieving that perfect look can come with a price tag that you’ll need to factor into your wedding budget.
So, how much does wedding beauty cost? And what kind of pre-wedding beauty regimen should you be looking at ahead of the big day? In our guide below, we cover everything you need to know about how much wedding hair and makeup costs, and the money you might spend on beauty prep ahead of your celebrations.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always seek independent financial advice for your specific circumstances.
How Much Does Wedding Hair and Makeup Cost in the UK?
According to Bridebook, the world’s #1 wedding planning platform used by over 2.8 million couples, the average UK spend on wedding hair and makeup in 2026 is £811. The breakdown? £394 for makeup and £417 for hair.
While a huge chunk of this typically goes towards on-the-day wedding hair and makeup (often for the bride), other parts of a pre-wedding beauty regimen contribute towards this overall cost, too – such as nails, tanning and teeth whitening.
Below is a rough guide on what you might expect to pay when it comes to your wedding beauty regimen:
- Hair: Depending on the kind of hairstyle you want, costs for wedding hair on the morning of the wedding can start from £120, but highly skilled and sought-after stylists can charge as much as £300 or more.
- Makeup: Similarly, bridal makeup costs will start from around £150 but can be as much as £400 depending on the artist and the complexity of the look you want.
- Nails: You may already have your favourite nail tech on speed dial but if not, a simple manicure (and pedicure – why not?) a day or two before the wedding will help you feel more polished. Prices start from around £30 depending on if you opt for acrylics, BIAB, gel polishes or include nail art, etc.
- Pre-wedding shaves or beard trim: There’s never been a better time to treat yourself to a professional barber! Costs start from around £25.
- Spray tan: Whether you visit a salon or have a mobile spray tanner come to your house a few days before the wedding, a spray tan typically starts at around £25.
- Waxing/hair removal: The cost of this can vary wildly depending on the areas you require to be hair-free. Expect to pay anything from £7 for small areas to £70 for full body or more intimate treatments.
Of course, several factors can play a part in the overall cost of your wedding beauty, which means you may pay more or less than the average. These include:
- Expertise: Much like any other wedding supplier, hairstylists and wedding makeup artist costs will be based on their own experience. A recently qualified artist might charge as little as £50 to do your wedding makeup, while an experienced, sought-after makeup artist with an established reputation could charge upwards of £180.
- Location: You can have your wedding hair and makeup done in a salon, or you can have the stylists come to you. We’d naturally recommend the latter to save you the stress of additional travel, unless the salon is close to your home or wedding venue, but this can mean your stylist or makeup artist might add travel fees to their wedding hair and makeup prices.
- Trials: If you’re planning on having a hair and/or makeup trial beforehand (and we recommend that you do if it fits into your wedding budget), many artists and stylists will charge for these. An experienced artist could charge as much as £90-£150 for a trial. Look out for bridal beauty packages from hair and makeup artists which sometimes include trials as standard.
- Number of people: If other members of your wedding party are also having their hair and makeup done, this will impact the overall cost. Again, look for artists and stylists who incorporate services for other members of the wedding party in their bridal beauty packages to help save you money.
Should your bridesmaids pay for that? Check out what your bridesmaids should and shouldn’t pay for.
Should You Hire a Professional Makeup Artist?
Whether or not you should hire a professional makeup artist for your wedding all comes down to personal choice.
Many nearlyweds choose to do their own makeup for their wedding day but what we would say is, even those who feel confident doing their own makeup could benefit from learning some tips and tricks ahead of the big day, as well as the best products to use.
Wedding makeup is completely different to everyday makeup – not only does it need to last a solid 12 hours or more, but it needs to look good under the bright lights of the camera.
Typical makeup can sometimes cause flashback, and cameras tend to wash out dimension, which is why a wedding makeup artist will often avoid SPF and use plenty of light-diffusing products, as well as spend more time contouring and highlighting to ensure you’re ready for your close-up.
If you don’t want to pay for a professional makeup artist, visit your favourite makeup counter (our favourites include Bobbi Brown and MAC), where you’ll be able to get some free advice and stock up on the right kind of products.
How to Choose a Wedding Makeup Artist
Putting your wedding beauty in the hands of a stranger can feel quite terrifying! So feeling secure in your choice of wedding makeup artist is key. Nail your wedding morning beauty with our tips for finding the one:
Get recommendations
Word of mouth referrals – especially from friends and family who know you or who might have a similar makeup style to you – are invaluable. Ask recently married friends for their recommendations and take a look at acquaintances’ Instagram profiles to see who they picked.
Read reviews
As with all wedding suppliers, reading reviews from newlyweds is a great way to get a sense of whether or not this makeup pro is for you.
Check their pricing
Most wedding beauty pros will list their pricing and packages on their website. There’s very little point falling in love with someone’s work if they’re well out of your wedding budget.
Go in with a vision
While we always recommend going into your wedding beauty trials with an open mind, it can helpful to screenshot any bridal beauty looks that you love, that you can share with your potential makeup artist or even use to guide you into finding one.
Do you want an artist who can create a soft and natural bridal makeup look? Or would you prefer someone who has experience creating a wedding vibe that’s more dramatic?
Don’t be afraid to look elsewhere
If you have a trial with a wedding makeup artist and it doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to ask for a second – or even look elsewhere. You might come across a few different artists until you find someone who is the perfect fit.
Planning the Wedding Morning Beauty Schedule
If you’re having wedding beauty pros for your wedding hair and makeup, they’ll likely discuss timings with you ahead of the big day so you can ensure everyone is present and ready to be beautified when needed. But to give you a helping hand, here’s our sample wedding morning beauty schedule for a 1pm wedding:
7am: Shower – but don’t wash your hair!
If you want to shower when you wake, avoid exfoliating if you’ve been spray tanned a few days before – it will tamper with your tan and can make it look patchy. Avoid body oils too, for the same reason. Instead, moisturise with a light body lotion that complements your wedding fragrance.
When it comes to your hair, most hair stylists prefer you to wash your hair the day or night before – squeaky-clean hair can be softer and harder to style.
8am: Perfect your base
Sheet masks and under-eye masks can deliver instant hydrating and plumping results – particularly if you’ve been too excited or nervous to sleep the night before! Just don’t use any beauty products that you haven’t used before in case you react badly to any of the ingredients.
9am: Hair and makeup arrives
The pros will begin arriving and it’s time to get set up…
Usually nearlyweds will have their hair done before their wedding makeup – this is to prevent any hair styling products from ruining a full face of makeup. But this could change, depending on what you’re having done.
If your wedding party members are having their hair and makeup done too, they will usually go first. The bride often goes last but might need to be done beforehand if she’s having a first look shoot with her love.
Remember, always wear a robe or button-down pyjamas that can easily be removed without ruining your wedding beauty look.
Then, all that’s left to do is pop a few top-up products into your bridesmaid or maid of honour’s handbag for touch-ups throughout the day – and designate your bestie to be on lipstick watch!
Wedding Beauty for the Wedding Party
Of course, it’s completely natural to want the members of your wedding party to look and feel as confident as you on the big day, which is why many couples choose to also have professional hair and makeup for close members like the mothers of the bride and groom, bridesmaids and flowergirls.
Since the time spent on each member of the wedding party will usually be less than that of the couple, the cost won’t be as much.
Expect to pay anything from £60 for either hair or makeup – a cost which you as the couple might choose to cover yourself or ask your wedding party members to pay for if they wish to have it done.
Wedding Beauty Trials – Do You Need One?
You don’t have to have a wedding beauty trial, but they can be a great way to work out whether or not an artist or stylist is right for you – and help you decide what exactly it is you want for the big day.
Overall, they’re designed to help you feel more confident on the morning of your wedding.
Many hair stylists and makeup artists also recommend wedding beauty trials because it allows them to check that you won’t react to the products they use. If you’re worried about fitting hair and makeup trials into your budget, look at wedding beauty pros who factor them in to their packages.
Wedding Beauty FAQ
What is the average cost of wedding hair and makeup in the UK?
For 2026, the average UK spend on wedding hair and makeup is £811 (£394 for makeup and £417 for hair). However, the kinds of treatments and skincare routines that couples embark on in the lead-up to the day will impact this total.
For on-the-day wedding beauty, expect to pay from £150 for a bridal makeup artist and anything from £120 for a wedding hair stylist.
Should I hire a professional makeup artist for my wedding?
Whether or not you hire a professional makeup artist for your wedding comes down to personal choice.
A makeup pro is a must for some – especially those who aren’t as confident doing their own makeup or who just want to take the stress out of the wedding morning. Others will feel confident doing their own makeup, but we’d always recommend putting time into sourcing the right kind of products and picking up some tips from pros to ensure your makeup lasts all day.
How far in advance should I book my wedding hair and makeup?
You should aim to book your wedding hair and makeup at least six months before the wedding day but note that highly sought-after artists and stylists can get booked up to a year in advance. In short, don’t hang around! Especially if you have your sights set on someone in particular.
You’ll also need to allow time for any trials.
Do I need a wedding hair and makeup trial?
A wedding hair and makeup trial is not an essential, and of course is a way to help you save on your bridal makeup costs, but we do recommend it for a number of reasons, including to patch test products, help you decide on the look you want for your wedding day and build rapport with your beauty pro, so you feel confident on the day that you have made the best possible choice.
How many people can a wedding makeup artist do in the morning?
Typically a wedding makeup artist working on their own can get through around four to six people on the morning of a wedding and will advise on the start time ahead of the day.
For larger wedding parties, it may be that the artist needs to bring in an extra professional to lend a hand to ensure the whole morning stays relaxed and stress-free.
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Why Trust Bridebook
Bridebook is the world’s #1 wedding planning platform, used by over 2.8 million couples. Our content is informed by real data from the Bridebook UK Wedding Report, which draws on responses from thousands of couples planning their weddings each year. Where expert input is included, contributors are named and their credentials verified. We update our articles regularly to ensure prices, statistics, and advice reflect current market conditions.
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