Makeup Artist Unexpectedly Charges A Client More Because She's A Bride

Kasia Mikolajczak
woman's face with makeup being applied on
Unsplash | Chalo Garcia

As an upcoming bride-to-be, I certainly know that anything wedding-related can quickly add up. When you mention the word "wedding," huge bells usually go off, and prices seem to skyrocket.

But I was surprised to learn of this one bride who got quite a shock on her big day when she booked her makeup services. Find out exactly what happened below. I think you might be surprised, too.

A makeup artist recently posted on Reddit.

Reddit logo on a phone
Unsplash | Brett Jordan

She shared her story in the AITA (Am I the Asshole?) community, where people usually ask others to let them know if they were in the wrong. And so it goes like this:

A woman booked makeup services for a party.

woman getting makeup done
Unsplash | Jamie Coupaud

So the makeup artist gave her the usual price of $150 per person. But when the artist got to the party, something seemed off. One of the guests let it slip that this was actually a wedding.

That's when the makeup artist realized she was doing bridal makeup instead.

bride with her bridesmaids in matching robes
Unsplash | Chris Ainsworth

So she continued, as usual, providing the bride-to-be with the makeup application. The bride and her bridesmaids made no special requests at all. But when it came to paying for the service, the bride only handed the artist the previously agreed upon $150.

That didn't sit well with the artist.

woman looking surprised
Giphy | Billboard Music Awards

And she told the bride that she was owed another $350 because that's what she charges for bridal makeup. The bride got very upset and refused to pay anything at all. However, in the end, her mother threw the makeup artist $200 and told her to get out.

Now, the makeup artist wants to know if she was the bad guy here.

Reddit post about bridal makeup
reddit | Reddit | u/Affectionate_Lie0

Or was it the bride who failed to disclose that the makeup was for her wedding day? Well, people on Reddit seem to be on the fence. Some of them were outraged about the price change.

Here's more explanation from the makeup artist.

Jennifer Aniston looking perplexed with the words "Hmm interesting..." written
Giphy

She claims that she used a special setting spray that was more costly once she learned that this makeup was for a wedding. Other than that, she didn't use any special makeup. So was she right to charge her client more at the last minute?

A lot of people sided with the bride.

Reddit comment about being gauged for bridal makeup
reddit | Reddit | u/Affectionate_Lie0

Perhaps she didn't have $500 in her budget to have a so-called bridal makeup done. So she didn't tell the artist that that's what it was for. If she didn't get a makeup trial that usually comes with the hefty price or any other special treatment, why should she pay more?

Hmm!

Reddit comment about bridal makeup
reddit | Reddit | u/Affectionate_Lie0

There were some people who thought the bride should have disclosed it was a wedding. But they still thought she got treated unfairly. The artist should have stopped what she was doing and discussed the issue with the client before continuing. I admit this is a tricky situation, and I could understand both sides of this story.

What's your take on it?

woman saying "so, it's a tricky situation."
Giphy | The Bachelor

Do you side with the bride or the makeup artist? Honestly, I have inquired about some wedding-related costs but didn't exactly say it was for a wedding. I was curious what the price would be without using the word "wedding." That way, I could see whether I would be gouged or not.

However, the makeup artist should have spoken out instead of just hitting the bride with the price change on the spot.