Having maids pay for make up?

This is an excellent question and I will just wait for an answer with you lol

If you can't afford it, then give them the option of doing their own. If I was in someone's wedding and they said that I had to pay for my hair and/or makeup or not be in the wedding, I would choose the latter. If it was an option, I would choose to pay for it on my own.

I think this is a "know your crowd" kind of thing. I want all my girls to get the pro hair and makeup like I'm doing. But the reality is that I'm not sure I'll be able to afford to pay for those services for all three of them. I'm also not sure they can afford to pay for those services themselves.

I need to talk to each of them privately about their budget, and if they think they can save up (between now and the wedding) to pay for at least one of those services. I think a great compromise would be for me to pay for one service, and they pay for the other. But I'm not going to insist that they get either if they just can't afford it. It's not who I am. I'd rather scrimp and save and do what I can to pay for their services myself, rather than stress them out over how they are going to cover it.

Talk to your girls, and see what you all think is reasonable. I don't think what you're asking is unreasonable at all.

75% of my BM don’t wear make up day to day. Myself included we don’t know the first thing about make up. I just want everyone to look their best so I can look back on photos for the rest of my life thinking how perfect everything was and how good everyone looked. Is that so wrong? Lol

I am giving my bridesmaids an option to use the hair and makeup artist that will be doing me. I am not paying for them, but I am not making them use her. I feel as if you are going to require them to get it done professionally the bride should put forward the cost. If you are giving them the option to do it themselves or use whoever you hired, they should be fine paying since they get to choose themselves!

View Quoted Comment Thank you! I don’t feel it is unreasonable either. I have no problem paying for one of their services. I also don’t think it’s unreasonable for them to put $70-$100 aside for make up for a wedding that’s more than a year away. I am the one spending thousands of dollars on this wedding. I’ll pay for them if I have to but again... I don’t think I’m being unfair.

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My bridesmaids look their best naturally, makeup is just a bonus. I'm not sure there's any polite way to tell your closest friends "I don't like the way you look, you have to pay $75 for makeup or you can't be in my wedding."

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No, you're not being unfair. Just be sure to talk to them about this now, so they know what your expectations are, and they have plenty of time to set aside the money for it. I think it's more about communication--if they know what to expect, nobody will be upset.

There’s a time and a place to look like like a plain Jane and there’s a time and a place to look your best (like my wedding lol). People look great in tee shirt and shorts too but no one is wearing that to a wedding.

Personally I think if you require them to have their hair and makeup professionally done that your should be paying for it, but I think offering to cover one of the two services is a good compromise if you need to do that. Like PP said, this is kind of a know your crowd thing. Have you talked to your bridesmaids about hair and makeup at all, or what their budget looks like?

The last wedding I was in the bride paid for all of us to get our hair done, and we could do our makeup on our own or use her MUA (at our cost). I offered all my girls hair and makeup services if they'd like them, and let them know the costs. None of it is required but my girls know their budget and their hair/makeup skills so some are taking advantage of it and some aren't. Either way is fine with me.

I'm not sure that's the answer you were hoping for.

I actually don't think it's bad at all. Make sure to talk to your ladies each step of the way so everyone knows what's expected.

I gave mine the option for hair and/or makeup. I will be getting my hair and makeup done and the HMU artist will be in our bridal suite. So I told my BM’s if they wanted either service they could use her. All of mine have chosen to take advantage of getting both services at their own expense.

I'm covering the cost for my mom and fmil and bridesmaids to get their hair and make-up done.

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I disagree with this statement and the sentiment behind it. To say someone looks like a "plain Jane" simply because they do not wear makeup is too much. I know plenty of women who don't wear makeup and never look like a "plain Jane." It is not their thing. You chose your bridesmaids because of their close relationship to you and not because of how they will look in your wedding (hopefully). Accept them how they want to present themselves. You can offer the services if they want, or pay for if if you insist. While a $100+ may not seem a lot for you, it could be a lot for them especially depending on everything else they had to pay for your wedding. Back when I was fresh out of college and a bridesmaid for the first time, I could barely even afford the dress much less getting professional makeup done. But the general rule is that if you insist then you must pay.

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Of course you are spending money on your own wedding. That's exactly how it should be. But however much you choose to spend has nothing to do with how much your nearest and dearest SHOULD also be paying.

"...so I can look back on photos for the rest of my life thinking how perfect everything was..."

I'm sorry, but I feel like you are focusing too much on the wrong things. How much makeup your loved ones are or are not wearing should have no bearing in how you feel about your wedding. Focus as much time and attention and money as you like on your own appearance. And let your bridal party be themselves in nice dresses.

If you want them to pay for it themselves, you can't insist that they have it done professionally. If you want to insist that they have it done professionally, you have to pay for it.

Personally I don't really think it matters if they have their makeup professionally done or not. I did my own makeup for my wedding and got tons of compliments! I also really don't like other people touching my face so I would actually be pretty unhappy if I was a bridesmaid and the bride was forcing me to have professional makeup, even if she was paying for it. I'd really just tell them that the service is available if they want it... that way they can pay for it if they want, or just choose not to have it done.

View Quoted Comment If you're looking back on photos later in life and remembering that your wedding day was perfect because your bridesmaids had professional makeup done, I feel like your view of a perfect wedding is very flawed!

I look at our wedding photos and think how perfect everything was because I married the love of my life, had a beautiful ceremony and an amazingly fun reception surrounded by our family and friends! I did my own makeup for myself, and my mom only wore lipstick and a tad of eyeliner. I really don't see how people wearing professional makeup or not affects the "perfection" of your day, and if that is really your mindset I think you need to work on changing that!

My bridesmaids will pay for their own dress, makeup, and hair. I've always paid for that stuff when I was in a wedding

If it’s a requirement, then the cost is on you. If it’s optional, your maids pay for it.

I uphold the idea if you're requiring someone to change their looks you need to pay for it.

Also if they don't wear make up everyday and you're telling them they not only need to pay to change their face but are too plain it seems really rude!
I don't wear make up everyday and if my friend said I had to pay for a professional for her wedding I'd probably not be a bridesmaid.