Bride, on the day, by region
Indicative ranges, not survey data. How we built them is explained below the table.
| Region | What public sources say | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| London | Bark average £450 incl. trial [S3] | £300-£600+ |
| South East (outside London) | No regional figure found | £250-£450 |
| South West | Bark average £300 incl. trial [S3] | £220-£400 |
| Region | What public sources say | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Midlands | Bark average £220 incl. trial [S3] | £180-£350 |
| North West | Bark average £250 incl. trial [S3] | £180-£350 |
| North East & Yorkshire | Bark North East average £200 incl. trial [S3]; one Newcastle price list £150 on the day [S7] | £150-£300 |
| Scotland | Edinburgh bridal makeup £150-£400 [S6] | £150-£400 |
| Wales | No regional figure found | £150-£350 (use the UK range) |
| Northern Ireland | No regional figure found | £150-£350 (use the UK range) |
Bark's regional figures include a trial; most artists quote the trial separately, so compare like with like.
Bridesmaids, trials, travel and early starts
| Item | What public sources say | Indicative guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Bridesmaids / party (each) | £75-£175 [S4]; published lists £55 [S7] and £85 [S6] | £55-£150 per person, higher in London |
| Bridal trial | £80-£200 (hair or makeup) [S4]; experienced artists £90-£150 [S1] | £60-£150, often credited if she books |
| Travel | HMRC approved rate 45p a mile [S8] | Free radius of 10-20 miles, then 45p a mile for the round trip; parking, tolls, ULEZ/congestion at cost |
| Early start | No public figure found | Our suggestion: £25-£50 for each hour (or part) you start before 7am. Check what local artists charge. |
| Touch-ups / stay-on | No consistent public figure found | Quote per hour of your time, not per face |
Method. How we put this together: we have not run our own survey, and none of these figures are survey results from us. Where a public source gives a figure we quote it and name it (S1-S8, listed at the end). The 'indicative range' column is our own rounded guidance, built by taking the quoted figures for that region, the UK-wide ranges in S1, S3 and S4, and two published artist price lists (S6, S7) as spot checks. Where we found no regional figure (South East outside London, Wales, Northern Ireland, early-start fees) we say so and give a wider band. Sources were read in October 2026 and mostly describe 2025-26 prices, so treat 2027 as 'these, plus whatever your costs have gone up by'. Your own prices should come from your costs, your diary and your local market, not from a table.
Are you undercharging?
Tick each one that's true for you.
- You can't say, to the pound, what one wedding morning costs you in kit, travel, parking and hours (including the trial and the admin).
- Your bride price hasn't moved since 2025, but your product and fuel costs have.
- You travel more than 20 miles without charging for it, or you charge one-way miles.
- You start before 7am and the client pays the same as a 9am start.
- Your trial is free and not credited against anything, and half your trials don't book.
- You take a deposit smaller than the work you'd lose if she cancelled 6 weeks out.
- Bridesmaids are priced so low that a party of 6 earns less per hour than the bride alone.
- You've never turned down a date because of price, and you're fully booked every Saturday in peak season.
- You discount when someone says 'it's a bit over budget' without taking anything out of the package.
- Your price isn't written down anywhere, so it changes depending on how the enquiry 'feels'.
Your score: 0 of 10. 0-2 ticks: you're probably priced about right. 3-5: you're likely leaving money on the table on most weddings. 6 or more: it's worth sitting down with a calculator before you take another 2027 booking.
Sources
- S1 Bridebook, UK Wedding Report 2026 / 'Wedding beauty: hair, make-up & costs' (average couple spend on makeup £394 in 2026, £363 in 2025; bridal makeup 'from around £150 to £400'; experienced artist trials £90-£150). https://bridebook.com/uk/article/wedding-prices-beauty
- S2 Bridebook, 'Average wedding cost UK' (2025 report, ~7,000 couples: makeup £363). https://bridebook.com/uk/article/how-much-does-a-wedding-cost-the-uk-average
- S3 Bark, '2025 cost of wedding makeup, UK prices' (average £280, range £200-£450 incl. trial; regional averages: London £450, South West £300, North West £250, Midlands £220, North East £200). https://www.bark.com/en/gb/wedding-makeup/wedding-makeup-cost/
- S4 Hair and Makeup for Weddings, 'How much does wedding hair and makeup cost?' (bridal makeup £150-£400; bridesmaid makeup £75-£175; trials £80-£200). https://www.hairandmakeupforweddings.co.uk/how-much-does-wedding-hair-and-makeup-cost/
- S5 Hitched, regional supplier pages (wedding hair and makeup 'in the region of £100 and £450'). https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-beauty-hair-make-up/bracknell/
- S6 The Bride Side, Edinburgh (published price list: bride + 3 makeup £585 incl. trial, extra party member £85; Edinburgh bridal makeup £150-£400). https://thebrideside.co.uk/blog/how-much-does-bridal-hair-and-makeup-cost-in-edinburgh-your-essential-guide/
- S7 Shelley Scott Makeup, Newcastle (published price list: bridal makeup on the day £150, bridal party £55 per person). https://www.shelleyscottmakeup.com/bridal
- S8 HM Revenue & Customs, approved mileage rates (45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles by car). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-travel-mileage-and-fuel-allowances/travel-mileage-and-fuel-rates-and-allowances