A bridesmaid’s journey is fraught with hurdles and expectations. As a bridesmaid, you have to constantly balance between the bride’s vision and your own limitations. There are a lot of decisions to be made as a bridesmaid. Where will you get your dress altered? What type of shoe should you buy? Who should you flirt with at the wedding? And lastly: should you take the bride up on her offer of a professional makeup artist? There are ups and downs to getting your makeup done professionally for the big day. Let’s take a look at them.
Does a Professional Makeup Artist Fit in Your Budget?
Money: the root of all evil or happiness? Whether you have some to spare or not might weigh into your decision on this one. It’s true that you should probably stick to what everyone else is doing, but if all the other bridesmaids are willing to spend a lot, does that mean you should? If the bride has left this decision up to you, you’ll want to take your wallet into consideration. How much do you anticipate spending on this wedding? Did the dress cost you a pretty penny? Is it possible you could do it yourself or have someone else do it for free? If so, you may want to think about how good “free” can feel when all is said and done.
Consider Time Management on the Wedding Day
When you’re in a wedding, time management is crucial. There are often events leading up to the wedding day, and that doesn’t take into account the traveling you might need to get to everything. You have to think about your energy levels and what kind of time you’re able to give to the wedding. Getting your makeup done professionally will probably take a big chunk of time on the actual day. Usually, there’s an early call time the bridal party has to adhere to for everyone to get their hair and makeup done, which you may be able to avoid if you do it yourself.
Just Because it’s Professional Doesn’t Mean You’ll Like the Result
Consider this: you might end up taking the time and spending the money to get your makeup done professionally—and then hate the end result. It might be better to do your own makeup if you want more control. Just be honest with yourself!
Are you the kind of person that doesn’t like a lot of makeup? It might be hard to get the balance right. A lot of times, a makeup artist is thinking full glam. You may have to negotiate and clearly explain what you want, and run the chance that it still may not be what you were looking for. Keep in mind that the bride gets a trial run on her makeup—but bridesmaids do not. Take this into consideration when thinking about professional vs DIY.
Be Honest About Your Own Makeup Skills
The best time to hire a professional is when you have no idea what you’re doing. It’s one thing to DIY, but it’s another to DIY and mess it up, especially on the wedding day. (Not everyone is a YouTube makeup guru!) A professional may be able to give you that look you always try to give yourself, but simply can’t. Give yourself a break and be honest if you probably can’t do this yourself.
Consider What the Bride Would Be Happy With
While you’re definitely considering yourself and all the money and time it takes to have your makeup done professionally, what about the bride? Chances are she’s the kind who appreciates the assurance of a professional’s work. It’s calming for a bride to know that her bridesmaids will be taken care of and the job will look professional. You may want to go ahead and book that makeup appointment just to help out the bride with her peace of mind.
Take Advantage of the Indulgence and Relaxation
When you get a service done versus DIYing it, there’s just an inherent peace about it. DIY is great when you have the time and patience, but why shouldn’t you get the star treatment alongside your friend on such a special day in her life? You want to wake up, put on your bridesmaid robe and sip a mimosa while someone paints your face. You’ve worked hard (and partied hard) for this wedding and you deserve to be treated!
When you’re standing up there in front of all the wedding guests, are you going to be happy you spent the money on a professional, or are you going to be fuming that the process took too long? Are you thinking, “I should have just done this myself!” Or will you be blissfully enjoying the ceremony with a DIY face? It’s hard to know and it all depends on your personal circumstances. Figure out where you land on the spectrum of money and skill and make your best decision based on what you read above. Happy makeup-ing!
The post Should You DIY Bridesmaid Makeup or Hire a Pro? appeared first on Weddingbee.
