We all know how stressful planning a wedding can be. Unpleasant circumstances occurring on the same day of the event can make things even worse. That is exactly what happened to a bride on her wedding day. Apparently, the hired makeup artist hadn’t been informed that she would be doing makeup for a bride, which upset her, and made her do something she might regret. You will see that it is hard to decide who is right; which side of the fence would you be on?
Some Context
Weddings represent a considerable expense of money. Even those who think of a simple wedding with few guests will have to do some math. There is an old tradition where the bride’s father must pay the expenses. Still, even if a shared payment is agreed upon with the groom, the highest cost is usually on the bride’s side.
To all this, we must add how desperate things can get when further costs are heaped upon the amount of money one admittedly hadn’t planned for at first. Something like this happens in the case we’re going to detail below.
Wedding Costs
The wedding price might differ based on several factors, including the country and location, the customs, and the type of celebration desired. According to Shane McMurray, founder of the famous research company “The Wedding Report,” the average cost of a wedding in the United States is between $24,000 and $27,000.
These costs include food, venue, the rental of stoneware and other utensils, music, clothing for the bride and groom, decoration, transportation, assistance from a wedding planner, and makeup. This is, in fact, the topic of discussion in this article.
How It All Started
It started when a makeup artist shared a post about what had just happened to her with a client. She posted on Reddit under the section “Am I The A**hole (AITA)” using the pseudonym Affectionate_Lie0.
Of course, the artist couldn’t imagine her post would go viral and cause such storm discussion.
I Thought Its a Regular Party Makeup
The post begins by saying: “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 booked me for a party makeup look…She booked it for 10 a.m. I went there thinking I’d do regular party makeup. I had agreed on $150 with her.”
The Accusation
The post then continues with the artist explaining to the audience that she was tricked because she was hired for her services by a client who requested makeup for a regular party. Still, when she arrived at the location and began to do her work, she realized it was actually for a wedding.
In her own words: “I was furious how she lied about the occasion, but I kept doing my job.” The post ends with the question AITA? That opens the debate for other bloggers to comment.
How She Discovered
The artist admits that at the time of being hired, she was completely unaware that her work was required for a bride and that she only became aware of this once she was in the place. She commented that while she was doing her job, some people came over, to which she did not pay much attention since she thought they were relatives.
She heard one of these people talking about the wedding at some point. That is when she finally understood that she was doing makeup for a bride, and this was not a simple party.
After She Found Out
Even though, at this point, she had already found out that the event was different from the one she expected. The professional decided to keep working on her task until it was finished. “I was completely pissed how she lied about the occasion, but I kept doing my job.” After the makeup artist was done, when the customer paid $150, she was told she was “$350 short”.
Usually, bridal makeup in the United States is between 200 and 600 USD. In this case, the makeup artist felt she was paid way below the value of the service.
The Bride’s Reaction
The makeup artist explained the client’s reaction in her post: “She refused to pay me at all, called me a scammer, and told me to get out.” Apparently, the client immediately assumed that the professional was trying to scam her, arguing that the event’s name did not really matter in this case since it was a party. It did not matter if the purpose of it was to get married.
At this point, the topic began to escalate as the views of the makeup artist, and the bride differed.
The Answer
The artist considered the bride a lier since she changed the occasion’s title, though it was a wedding. She wrote in her post that “the bride gave me only $150, and I notified her we are $350 short. she told me we agreed on simple party makeup, saying, ‘you are ripping me off.'”
The artist explained: “I told her she doesn’t get to dictate how I form my prices.” At this precise moment, the client decided not to pay the makeup artist anything for her services after vehemently voicing her contempt for the situation.
“The Title Of The Event Shouldn’t Matter”
The bride answered: “You worked the same amount of time and used the same products as you would use in bridal makeup.”
She told the artist she was a scammer and asked her to leave the room.
The Bride’s Mother Took Action
It was not until moments later that the makeup artist gathered her things and was about to leave.
Then, the bride’s mother threw $200 at her and demanded that she get away immediately. All this is reported in the artist’s post on Reddit.
Was The Price Fair?
The topic of whether the price was indicated started to surface on the forum. A poll of 15,000 couples in the United States was conducted by the wedding planning website “The Knot,” The results showed that by 2021, the average cost of makeup for weddings would be around $115.
In response to the makeup artist’s post, and considering the number mentioned above, many readers were dissatisfied with the $500 that the makeup artist was trying to charge the client. They argued that the work was done based on everyday party makeup, and there was no real reason to increase the price.
The Opinions
One of the comments with the most reactions and views was that of user Mrsorzhova728, who said: “She did not ask for bridal makeup and didn’t do a makeup test run. I could see the upcharge if you used different products or took longer. But you didn’t, and it didn’t, so yes, YTA [you’re the a**hole].”
This was an apparent response to the makeup artist’s initial question asking everyone what they thought of the situation. The support on the comment suggests that most users agree that the client’s service was inappropriate.
How the Family Reacted
As mentioned, the bride’s mother, in a possible attempt to make both parties agree and to be able to settle the matter, paid the makeup artist $200 when she was leaving. Although the payment did not reach the amount the professional claimed, it exceeded the original value of $150 they had agreed upon.
According to the makeup artist in her post, the woman yelled at her and was upset over the issue. Still, if you pay close attention, some can conclude that the woman’s decision to pay the makeup artist a little bit extra was an attempt to defuse the situation.
She Hadn’t Planned For It
Within the same post, the artist comments on some of the prices she typically charges for her work. She reports that for brides, the cost is $500, while for bridesmaids, it is only $250. She also makes it clear that for other types of clients who hire her services because they are about to attend events or simple gatherings, their fees reach $150.
The appointment occurred in June and was scheduled for 10 am. Unfortunately, the story’s protagonist could not have foreseen the effects the case would have.
Is It a Scam?
The episode undoubtedly generated a lot of debate among the magazine’s readers. Some people said they supported the bride and believed the makeup artist had certainly tried to defraud her.
As user ArchyDWolf points out, “You tell someone something is for a wedding, and they automatically increase the price just to milk you.” Most think wanting to change the price when learning it was a wedding is a clumsy tactic. Others even claim that the artist had to handle the situation as if it were a typical party makeup because there was no additional pressure during the procedure.
Comments on the Web
The internet was flooded with comments from users expressing their opinions on the subject. The great majority argued in the bride’s favor. Many of them stressed that wedding makeup typically takes one or even two tests before it is accepted, which is precisely why the price is higher.
However, in this case, since there was no makeup test, there was no justification for billing it as wedding makeup. Staying with the bride until the final seconds of the big event for touch-ups would also increase the cost, but this was not part of the agreement either.
What’s The Difference
To differentiate bridal makeup from other types of makeup, the first thing that is pointed out is the test runs. Still, in addition to that, there’s the time it takes and the quality of the products used. Being such a special occasion, the pressure is more significant; it is known that the bride will be greeting many people on that day and that she will want to look impeccable from the beginning to the end.
Bridal makeup frequently requires knowing more about the outfit and asking for other event references to ensure that everything will fit perfectly.
On the bride’s side
The Reddit forum where the makeup artist made her defense is used as a catharsis for moral disputes. Most readers answered her post using the acronym “YTA,” which means “You’re The As *** le).
She was highly judged for trying to charge the client more since she hadn’t asked for bridal makeup, and it’s not what she got, so there was no reason for her to try to increase the cost. Some mentioned that she should have stopped to play fair when she realized it was a wedding and clarified the price at that time.
What About Her friends?
One might think the makeup artist’s friends would be on her side. Still, surprisingly they were in favor of the bride. As explained, “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. Since she requested party makeup, I should’ve just charged her that.”
Obviously, being someone’s friend doesn’t mean you have to share their opinions; here is a good illustration of that.
Going Viral
AmItheA****le is a forum where individuals can ask the internet if they are the ones acting like an A****le in particular scenarios. In this case, people thought the answer was “yes.” The post was made weeks after the episode, and responses immediately began pouring in.
It reached over 5,500 comments, and the repercussion was such that the site moderators had to block the thread so that it would not continue accumulating angry comments. Come to think of it, the idea of going viral like this wasn’t this makeup artist’s dream; luckily, her true identity remains unknown.
Who’s Right?
Although the vast majority of readers supported the bride, as we have previously shown, the question of whether the bride was trying to get something in return for not telling the makeup artist that it was a wedding is equally legitimate. Few people said the bride should have made it plain that it was a wedding.
Seeing all the opinions, it is difficult not to wonder how we would feel in the shoes of the bride and the makeup artist. Which side of the fence would you be on?
The Makeup Artisit Clarifications
Among the comments on the original post is a response that would come from the makeup artist herself, clarifying the picture a bit. She said: “I use the same products in both bridal and party makeup. The only difference is the setting sprays I use. 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.”
We can all agree that adding spray on top of the makeup shouldn’t triple its price.
Stories’ Similarities
Forums like Reddit are full of these experiences between brides and makeup artists. Some are friendly and tell funny stories that happened to them on their wedding day with makeup. Others are very similar to this story, where one of the parties was dishonest with what they were looking for.
Subscribers love to be for or against and give their arguments to continue the debate. Whatever the case, it is evident that we all love these stories, which is why the public opinion forums contain a lot of material about them.
Makeup Fees
We have already seen that the average cost for wedding makeup in the United States does not exceed $200; and this makes us wonder – beyond the scandal of not knowing in advance that it was a bride, was a charge of $500 justified in another context?
User FrankelGalileo explains it better: “I’m still trying to do the mental gymnastics in my head to how OP justifies $500 for ‘bridal.’ I had my makeup done recently for my wedding. It was a standard $120 per person, and everyone, including me, had the same product and amount of time spent On them.”
How It Affects Others
Some users who read the post even claimed that this situation dramatically harms other colleagues in the same industry. It is legitimate to think about how this awful press affects a makeup artist just starting out.
The point is that it creates such discontent with the arbitrary way prices are set by some that it generates distrust. User MissAcedia commented, “I work in the spa industry, and usually I would side with the makeup artist, but in this case, absolutely not. This is exactly why people assume we are all scam artists.”
How the Industry Works
Because of how the industry works, it is clear that if you use the word “party” instead of “wedding,” you will surely pay much less for all the services you hire for the event. It is assumed that the extra cost couples decide to pay is associated with wanting only the best for that day. The additional cost of the pressure is that everything must go well since there will not be a second chance.
This fee extends even to the rest of the circle: bridesmaids, mothers, groomsmen, and the rest of the guests.
Was It a Smart Move?
Other users on the platform considered the bride’s strategy very good. Considering how the industry works today, she was able to find a way to get away with it.
User Whorlando_bloom commented, “This woman was smart. She knows brides get price overcharged 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.” Would you consider this a smart move, or were there better ways to get a discount?
Where do you stand on this?
If you’ve made it this far, it’s time to question: Which side are you on? Suppose you were a makeup artist hired for this same event. Would you ask the bride’s request for a “party” appearance, given that she was well aware that she was getting married?
Now, put yourself in the bride’s position for a moment; was the makeup artist improperly trying to charge extra for a wedding appearance when they had only improved one of the products? At this point, we only have the makeup artist’s perspective; we hope to hear more about the bride soon.