How To Price A Destination Wedding

How to Price a Destination Wedding
As A Traveling Makeup Artist (Or Hairstylist)!

Becoming a destination hair and makeup artist has been one of the most exciting parts of my freelance journey. I have felt incredibly lucky to be part of my clients’ weddings abroad while experiencing a new country and culture. I have now done multiple weddings in Italy, Greece, Mexico and the US including Wyoming, California, Colorado, Tennessee and New York.

Pricing a destination wedding has been a learning experience that once intimidated me. However, since I now have done a good amount of destination weddings and events, I feel comfortable pricing them out.

Lodging and Airfare

It is standard for the client to pay for your lodging and airfare. I typically like to book my own airfare as I’m particular about my flights. At the time of booking, I do some research on flights and include the estimated amount in my proposal. I sometimes upgrade my flight to business class but I don’t expect my clients to pay for business, just an economy or economy plus seat. In regards to lodging, it is ideal for the client to either provide a room at their resort or hotel starting the night before I begin working until the morning after the last event. I always like to arrive a full day in advance just in case there are any unexpected delays. I don’t travel at night in cities I’m not familiar with as a safety precaution so I always prefer to be on the move during the day. On a personal note, I usually extend my trip a few days before and after so that I can tour and experience the city I’m in. Brides and wedding planners can usually provide a list of nearby lodging they recommend for guests and vendors if you are not staying at the same resort. A great tip is to have the Bride and/or wedding planner send you the wedding page with all the details related to the wedding and location.

Meals and Transportation

It is customary to include a stipend for meals and transportation based on a real figure for that particular location. I usually ask the bride or wedding planner if it’s best to rent a car or take car service, and I research rates and include these in my proposal. Some resorts and locations are much more expensive than others so it is important to do your research. On one of my destination weddings, we stayed inside a private resort that included all meals and transportation paid for by the bride on the days we worked. This is the ideal scenario and you can require it.

Extra Expenses

All expenses for your trip are tax deductible since it’s a work related trip, but if you are eating at fancy restaurants, taking tours and other personal expenses, you can expect to cover these on your own. In addition, if you are traveling for a longer period of time to vacation, you can expect to cover these expenses on your own.

Pricing Your Actual Services

For destination weddings, you can expect to be providing more services and longer hours so the Bride feels like she’s getting her money’s worth by paying for your trip. This might include staying on site for touch ups, providing a second or third look, and providing services for the bridal party. With this in mind, it’s best to provide a daily rate up front that includes all the services above. You do not want to nickel and dime a bride for extras on a destination wedding. Be sure to include these into a daily rate that is beyond your usual charges. One of my destination weddings had me doing touch ups till very late at night. However I had worked out a generous daily rate and felt compensated enough for the work I did. 

Negotiating Your Rates 

Although destination weddings are incredibly exciting, they take a lot of time and energy…from booking flights to researching details and packing your kit. Make sure you really want to do the wedding and work with the wedding planner and/or bride! Otherwise, you will not enjoy the experience because of the amount of work. Traveling with your kit is stressful since you want to make sure you have everything you need, especially in remote and unfamiliar areas where you cannot quickly shop for replacements if something gets lost. With this in mind, a bride may want to negotiate your rates or get a service for free or discounted (like the rehearsal dinner hair and makeup). Again, if you really want the opportunity, be open to negotiation and know that the entire trip is a tax deduction and a step towards more destination work opportunities. 

Let me know your thoughts and share your experience with destination weddings! 

Xo,
Ana B.

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