How to write a bridal makeup contract in the UK (and what to include)

A bridal booking can sit in your diary for eighteen months. In that time the wedding can move, the party can grow, the bride can change her mind about a trial, and a venue can push the ready-by time an hour earlier. A clear contract is what keeps all of that friendly. Here's what a UK bridal makeup contract should cover, and the legal bits that are easy to get wrong.

Why a contract matters more for bridal work

Most beauty services are paid for on the day. Bridal is different: you're holding a date, often turning other work away for it, and taking a deposit months in advance. Without written terms, every question - "can I have my deposit back?", "can we add two bridesmaids?", "why is there a travel charge?" - becomes a negotiation at the worst possible moment. A contract answers those questions before anyone is stressed.

What to include

1. Who, what, when and where

• Your business name and contact details, and the client's full name, email and phone.
• The wedding date, the venue or getting-ready address, and the time everyone needs to be ready by.
• Exactly what's included: bridal makeup, how many bridesmaids or family members, any hair, lashes, touch-up kits or staying on for touch-ups.
• Whether a trial is included, and if not, what it costs and roughly when it should happen.

2. The price and the payment schedule

Set out the total, how much the deposit is, when the balance is due (many artists ask for it a few weeks before the wedding, or on the morning) and how you'll be paid. If you're VAT registered, say whether prices include VAT. If you're not, there's nothing to add - just keep an eye on your turnover against the VAT registration threshold, which is currently £90,000.

3. Deposits and what happens if the client cancels

This is the clause that causes the most arguments, so be specific. Say what the deposit secures (the date, and your turning other work away), and what happens to it if the client cancels at different points. A sliding scale - for example, the deposit is kept if they cancel more than three months out, with more of the balance due the closer they get to the date - is easy to understand and feels fair.

Be careful with the words "non-refundable". Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, contract terms with consumers have to be fair, and the Competition and Markets Authority's guidance is that a deposit kept on cancellation should reflect the real costs and losses you're likely to suffer, not act as a penalty. A modest deposit for holding a date is normally easy to justify. A huge one kept no matter how early the cancellation may not be.

4. The 14-day cancellation right

If the booking is made at a distance - by email, Instagram, WhatsApp or phone - or away from your business premises, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give the client 14 days to cancel and get their money back. You should tell them about that right before they book, ideally with a short cancellation form they can use. If you don't tell them, the cancellation period can be extended by up to twelve months.

There are some exceptions for leisure services provided on a specific date, but don't assume your bookings fall into one without advice. The simplest approach is to include the information and build it into your deposit timing.

5. Changes to the booking

• How many people can be added or removed, and by when.
• What happens if the date moves - do you transfer the deposit if you're free, and what if you're not?
• How the price changes if the party size or timings change.

6. Timings, travel and the morning itself

• Travel charges, mileage, parking, congestion or ULEZ charges, and early-start supplements.
• Accommodation if the venue is far away or the start is very early.
• What you need on the morning: a well-lit space near a window, a table and chair, a power socket, and everyone arriving with clean, moisturised skin.
• What happens if someone isn't ready at their slot, so one late bridesmaid doesn't push the bride's timings.

7. Allergies, skin and health

Ask clients to tell you about allergies, sensitivities and skin conditions before the trial, and say that you may adjust or decline a service if it isn't safe. If you use products that need a patch test - lash adhesive or tints, for example - say when it needs to happen.

8. If you can't make it

Clients want to know you've thought about it. Explain what happens if you're ill or there's an emergency: whether you'll find a suitably experienced replacement, and that they get a full refund of anything paid if you can't.

9. Photos and personal data

Ask permission, in writing, before you post anyone's photos on Instagram or your website, and make it easy to say no. Under UK GDPR you also need to keep client details secure, only collect what you need, and tell clients how you use their information - a short privacy notice linked from your contract is enough for most artists. It's also worth checking whether you need to pay the ICO data protection fee.

10. Liability and insurance

Say that you hold public liability insurance, and keep a copy of the certificate to hand - venues sometimes ask for it.

Getting it signed (without chasing)

A contract only helps if the client has actually agreed to it. Send it with the quote, ask for it to be accepted before you take the deposit, and keep a dated copy of what they agreed to. That way, if your terms change next year, everyone who booked earlier is still on the version they signed.

A quick checklist

1. Names, date, venue, ready-by time and exactly what's included.
2. Total price, deposit, balance due date and how to pay.
3. A fair, specific cancellation scale, with the 14-day right explained where it applies.
4. Changes to date, numbers and timings.
5. Travel, parking, early starts and accommodation.
6. Allergies, patch tests and safety.
7. What happens if you can't attend.
8. Photo permission and how you look after their data.
9. Your insurance.