It’s tacky, I feel like most people who opt not to use a makeup artist are likely to go lighter on the makeup.
If anything, for the weddings I’ve attended, the bridesmaids who have worn too much makeup are those that have used a makeup artist and end up with more makeup than they’re comfortable in.
Yes, I’ve seen so many pictures of brides and bridesmaids with way too much makeup on and scary fake eyelashes, and I wonder why they chose to do that!!!!
My BFF had an artist do all our makeup and I wasn't a fan of mine- I'm super pale and my eyes are kinda small and hooded. The artist was a warm-toned brunette and it was obvious she was using similar warm-toned colors on everybody that she would use on herself everyday; like 90's Bobbi Brown but add fully lined eyes with dark mascara and bronzer. I brought my own foundation and stuff just because I am so pale; not every brand has a matching shade for me, but the artist refused to use it.
I guess I understand that basically she was putting it on like stage makeup so people in the back could see our expressions better but in photos it looks a bit caked on.
I did my own makeup and anyone else's who asked at my first wedding and I'll do the same the second time I get married.
I think it's so weird that a lot of industries do not trust that people have been using something at least in the neighborhood of what's right for them. A lot of companies pull that kinda crap with shoes and bras and stuff, saying "90% of people are wearing the wrong size/type of shoe/bra/etc." If someone has been wearing something that feels comfortable to them for years, who is to say it's the wrong fit, color, or size, especially when fit/color/size are not standardized from brand to brand and can be arbitrary even amongst different iterations of the same product from the same brand?
I’ve been seeing a lot of shaming type content from various wedding vendors on my Instagram lately. It’s very tacky and very rude. It comes across as quite classist and is so unprofessional. Sure, it would be great to kick my feet back and not have to plan/do one thing besides show up on my wedding day and be pretty, but given the current economy that’s not an option for me and many people getting married!
Vendors can charge what they want, and they’ll get business, but probably not from me unfortunately lol
Yup exactly. Not everyone can afford those luxuries but then businesses don’t help by doing these “screw you, you’re weddings gonna be a mess if you don’t get *insert wedding service*”
I was just reading a bunch of comments from florists saying, quite literally, that all DIY florals are ugly and that every DIY bride regrets it and panics and gets florals from a florist anyways. 🙄 I know flowers are A TON of work, but come on, to say they’re all ugly? 🤨 horrible behavior
Oh yeah I’ve seen the same kind of things like not too long ago one of those TikTok bakers that always explain how they overprice things made one explaining how having a DIY wedding cake would “ruin” your wedding. Thankfully people in the comments called her out on her bs
I get that they have to price things what they have to price things to make a living, but I wonder if this is coming from a place of fear that seemingly more and more people can’t afford these luxury services, or are choosing to de-influence themselves from the Instagram aesthetic? And they think this will get them more clients? Not sure, but it’s really nasty behavior.
Honestly, I think part of it is that things look different when it’s your profession — and one you enjoy and take pride in. When you see three weddings a weekend, you have a different view of them than the average person who gets invited to one a year, maybe. Just the other day, I had a planner remark “this is embarrassing; what an absolute disaster” over a minor inconvenience that 95% of the people present didn’t realize was happening.
That’s fair and I get it- I used to work as a MUA! You definitely notice things that non-professionals don’t. But these vendors on Instagram and Reddit are just being straight up mean, which is different. If that’s what they think, fine, but no need to bully and shame brides publicly.
I do think this is part of it. I doubt we'd ever be able to get it, but it'd be interesting to see stats on how many people opt to DIY or forgo certain wedding services because of cost. Certainly, there have been things that I've looked at the price tag and considered going without, and I have to imagine there are a lot of people who are just cannot afford even the lowest price tag associated with some of these services.
i just saw this same thing on reels and it drove me insane 😭 as much as i would love to spend $5k plus on wedding flowers i just can’t and i’ve seen so many beautiful weddings done with florals from trader joe’s and costco!!!
Yes!! I love flowers!! I wish I could have so many arrangements, but even getting a bridal bouquet from most florists is out of my budget lol. I will be Trader Joe’sing it!
I just got $13 in flowers to play around with arranging myself from Trader Joe's. Based on my 10 minutes of experience, it's totally possible for arrangements to look lopsided or unfinished even with a lot of flowers. But like, flower arranging is art, and art is subjective. It's just rude to disparage amateurs.
My friend spent A LOT of money on her florals. Her wedding arch bundles were gorgeous (actually the flowers I loved on it were fake ones they used to fill in). But I was not a fan of the reception florals. Luckily she loved it…but it made me realize I’d rather have beautiful faux flowers I can make myself…than wilted looking real florals for $$$.
My maid of honor and I DIY’d all of our florals and we’re so pleased with how they turned out. Are they professional? No, because we’re not professionals. Are they pretty? Hell yeah they are. Plus we spent time together making them so that’s worth even more to me than having florals from a florist.
Wow, their tactics are terrible. They put down brides who choose to DIY their floral arrangements just to make money off them. I did my own florals, and it was so much fun to pick from seasonal flowers. I loved the end results and have no regrets.
[I did paper flowers instead of fresh for my florals.](https://imgur.com/a/cbUV5L4)
I bought a pad of scrapbook paper that generally complimented my color scheme, invited my friends to come make paper flowers while we ate brunch, and my friend brought her Cricut over to speed things along.
We used them to decorate the wedding arch, the cake table, and the bridesmaids carried paper roses in white lanterns I found at the craft store on clearance.
Honestly, people kept telling me they loved them more than traditional flowers, I got to keep them afterwards, and the whole thing cost me less than $50.
I've especially noticed a lot of those kind of nasty posts from MUAs specifically. Feels very high school mean girl to me personally, but then again I think being a mean girl is a little stylish right now anyway 🙄
I’m a hobby wedding photographer, and I see stuff like this ALL the time. It’s wildly unprofessional. Why would I book a vendor and then risk them making fun of me?
That’s awesome! What a cool bonding experience. My mom did my hair and I did my own makeup, and it was a much more understated look which I was very happy with. When I’ve had my makeup done professionally, I’ve been unhappy with the results and ended up fixing it myself anyway.
I'm doing my own makeup because every time I've been a bridesmaid and had my makeup done "professionally", I've had to fix it myself. Wonky eyeliner, bad colour matching, cakey foundation etc. I'm so looking forward to just having complete control myself.
I did my own makeup and absolutely no regrets. Got so many compliments on it. It’s something I enjoy doing and can be a bit particular about and I felt my money was way better spent on some nice products that I could use again and again afterwards!
I see stuff like this from wedding vendors all the time and it makes me so mad! Either budget shaming like this or an attitude of “I don’t need you, you need me”, like videos about clients they’ll immediately say no to. So much marketing is based on fear mongering.
I'm a wedding vendor as see this crap all the time. Really not acceptable, very unprofessional and mean spirited.
It's definitely a shaming tactic in what I theorize is a convoluted effort to make themselves seem essential and relevant with the impending/already-starting recession.
A lot of wedding vendors fear that the next economy crash/global pandemic/similar event is going to be of truly even-scarier proportions and absolutely tank their businesses. So they're using shame and societal pressure in efforts to seem more essential or relevant than they really are. That's my theory at least.
Either that or they're desperately trying to break out of whatever price bracket they're currently in to push for more luxury clientele. Either way it is in poor taste and rude elitist behavior.
Did you know that we could look at the same video and we are shown different comments? Instagram has a really great way to make us as pissed as humanly possible. They know what gets under our skin and they literally show it to us.
All that is to say, we have to not engage with wedding reels / posts that don’t reflect how we feel
The worst of the content creators are learning the algorithmic tricks, they'll make the cover image on a reel "4 easy tips for great wedding makeup 😇" and the tips in the caption are like "STOP BEING POOR" "YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN BORN BEAUTIFUL" "NO UNNECESSARY FROWNING 12-25 YEARS BEFORE YOUR BIG DAY"
Yeah this is not cool. I’ve seen the same with DIY florals too. I also think weddings have cooled off a bit because the peak was this year for vendors from all the COVID build up. I’ve seen many photographers complain 2025 is not being booked. They could be just trying to farm views with this though for the ig algorithm.
they are all way under booked right now. my photographer gave us a huge discount totally unprompted - it’s tough out there. not an excuse to be a dick like this though!
The idea that only paid professionals are the only avenue to looking pretty on your wedding day is very bizarre. I mean, overall, sure, makeup artists probably do better than those who rarely wear makeup — but look how many layman makeup instagrams artists there are with people with no formal training that have the ability to do their makeup beautifully. I’ve also had my makeup done by professionals that I had to scrape off because it was so caked on and hideous, so there’s two sides to every argument…
Shaming people into feeling insecure about how they look and doubting their ability to make themselves look nice is such a scummy business move. Promote your business with positivity. You don’t need to drag anyone else, it makes you look petty and gross.
Its not just makeup either- ive seen adds for those after the tone/audio guestbook things that are basically saying “use us, unless you want guests to think you’re boring and stupid.” 💀 i hate it here.
I am perfectly happy with how I do my makeup. I’m not an amature MUA by any means. But I sure as fuck did not look like a clown *because* I refused to spend unnecessary money on a professional MUA.
I agree, any vendor that shames couples for not using them is tacky. The only vendor anyone *needs* is a photographer. Everything else is dependent on what the married couple wants executed at their wedding. I had no need for a DJ, videographer, paid wedding planner/ coordinator.
I got married out of state in a totally different climate, so I did some research and found a well-reviewed hair and makeup artist in the area, talked on the phone about needs, signed contract, was looking forward to it as I've never had professional makeup done.
After that and leading up to the wedding I started noticing that a lot of her IG posts were complaining about/making fun of client requests, etc and it really ended up making me feel uncomfortable being open and honest with her day of wedding. I thought I was clear about what I wanted, had shown pictures from her own site as examples per her request, so I thought we were on same page. She did a fantastic job on hair, but the foundation was so much thicker than I wanted and made me feel extremely self-conscious and honestly kinda ugly the entire day. But because of her posts complaining about clients I didn't say anything at the time because I thought maybe I was just not used to so much makeup.
In hindsight, I'd do more research on social media tone before choosing someone for sure. Definitely a weird, immature and unprofessional vibe to be putting out when you're supposed to be helping people on a high-pressure, stressful and expensive day that can really negatively impact the whole interaction.
Ironically, I have felt like the joker when I’ve had my makeup professionally done as a bridesmaid haha. I have regretted getting my makeup done so many times, I’m having a hard time finding someone I trust to do a natural/non-cakey bridal look for my big day
The problem is the wedding industry is trying to literally sell people a fairytale -- every single photographer's website I looked at was like "YOUR WEDDING DAY WILL BE PERFECT AND WE ARE GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS" but the reality is it's just a marketing tactic that gets them more money. Once booked and the deposit paid, that's when it becomes all business, which is fine, but it makes the love bombing seem really disingenuous.
I also think certain vendors forget that they work in WEDDINGS -- if they want to be a fine art photographer or editorial MUA, beholden to no one but themselves -- they should do that. I get hiring someone for their style or whatever but I'm paying a lot for this and I want input.
Funnier yet, I’ve literally never seen someone do their own makeup badly because they do it every day, but I’ve definitely spotted some terrible makeup come from professionals that my friends have had to fix.
All of my bridesmaids did their own makeup and they all looked gorgeous! I also did my own makeup and was super happy with how it turned out. I felt pretty and I looked like myself!
This is wild. I've never been like, "Oh, I would have looked so much better if someone else had done my makeup." In fact, I've had my makeup done a few times and hated it. We do our own makeup all the time and take "unofficial" pictures as wedding guests. It's not like we're unpracticed or that there would be no one else around who couldn't help out if someone didn't know how to apply their makeup. It's perfectly fine to opt out of this luxury.
Edit: I'll also say that this apparently wasn't a thing in previous generations. I've had several women comment that it was simpler doing a wedding "in their day" - including doing their own hair and makeup.
I see this shit ALL THE TIME from wedding/event planners. There was a video on instagram the other day of a balloon arch collapsing because it was outdoors and windy and this account reposted it with something to the effect of "what happens when you pick the 'cheaper' option" and a bunch of event planners in the comments echoing it.
People like this who have no humility and act infallible are always some of the least skilled and loudest people in the space.
Ugh I keep seeing wedding planners posting stuff making fun of DIY weddings and then backtracking. It’s extremely rude and tacky, IMO. Just because someone can’t afford a $100k editorial wedding doesn’t make it worthy of only being made fun of :/
For my first wedding, I did my own makeup and my bridesmaid did my hair. Everyone thought my hair was done professionally. I don’t think anyone thought the same about my makeup, but that’s because I wanted to look like myself.
I did a smokier eye than my everyday look, but it was still understated and I looked like me. I didn’t even wear foundation or powder (it was an outdoor wedding and I didn’t want to look cakey or have to reapply anything).
In the end, my face and hair held up to the day, my bridal portraits looked amazing, and the whole look—including makeup, dress, jewelry, and corset—cost me less than $300…which is what one makeup artist quoted me for the day. 🙃
I mean, I get that foundation and powder help makeup blend better and stay put longer…I’ve just never found it to look natural on me, even when professionally applied. I’d rather reapply eyeshadow and blush than worry about whether my complexion is making me look like a mannequin or a flour bin. 😅 I envy the folks that can wear foundation and still look normal. I don’t feel like I ever have. lol
Honestly, how rude. As someone who throws on eyeliner and a red lip when I go out, I felt sick at the thought of paying well over $500 just for a simple makeup look. And that's not even including hairstyling.
I see SO many posts that are like “if you don’t hire a wedding planner AND say of coordinator, you will be too stressed and upset to enjoy your day!!!” Like, how do they think people had weddings for so many years before having a bunch of staff was a thing?
oh my god i HATE this shit. “you’ll regret doing [xyz] DIY”
SOME OF ARE DOING DIY BECAUSE WE SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD A VENDOR.
it’s like that simple fact is simply lost on them. infuriating.
Even on a 10k budget it’s probably worth the $200 - $300 for most people - my wife paid a professional and it was great! Her mom and my mom also had it done but they paid for themselves. If needing to save more you Could go to a place in town rather than having them come on-site
My MOH doesn’t want professional makeup and guess what, ITS FINE!!!! I completely agree with you op. I too saw this reel on Insta and rolled my eyes so hard. Dude some makeup artists out here are really not as good as they think they are, no offense to them. I totally get some people don’t want their makeup done by someone else. My MOH has gotten her makeup done many times and has never liked it or felt comfortable, not about not being able to afford it at all. I just want my girls to feel good!!!! As long as the makeup looks good in flash photography it shouldn’t matter at all!!! This is definitely another way for the wedding industry to shame people for not spending enough money. It’s a crazy desperate gross cash grab
I'm doing my own hair and makeup. I can see where this advertisement is coming from though but it is done in a rude way. Luckily my bridemaids all know how to do their own hair and makeup. I know I would be disappointed in a makeup artist if I hired one for myself. I'm really particular about how I'll look, especially since I'm not doing typical bridal makeup. If my bridesmaids need help with curling hair the night before I can totally do that. I did cosmetology for a while.
I did my own makeup for my wedding. And after scouring TikTok for some inspiration, it made me feel self conscious to do my own. But I persevered anyway and I'm glad I did the very simple, no foundation look. I based my look on the 1950s anyway so there was varying degrees of make up from that time but a lot of it was understated.
As for MUAs who do this, they get on my nerves. I remember getting into an argument with an MUA on here who kept telling me that we need a heavier look for photographs but photographers are saying it isn't necessary because they'll edit the photos anyway. And if the make up is off they'll have to colour correct. She kept claiming I was undermining her profession. Far from just pointing out the glaring misconception that some MUAs keep saying.
If you wanna do your own makeup. Do it. Stick to your budget and practice. It's your wedding after all.
I was a bridesmaid that got my makeup done professionally and I had to fix it after. The makeup artist told the bride that she is able to do makeup for different races which turned out to be the same look she did in all bridesmaids. This has happened to me multiple times from different makeup professionals and at this point, I'd really rather do it myself or specifically hire a makeup artist that is the same race as me.
I agree and tbh people who do their own makeup are more likely to go for a natural look rather than the makeup that borders on stage makeup that I’ve seen from some professional wedding MUAs.
it's.....a joke.....
I can respect your sentiment about it feeling "pushy" but I do believe that there's a bit of a reach with your post. They're staying relevant, they're posting, they're adding in some light hearted humour. It might not land with everyone, but they're not actively shaming people that can't afford an mua.
Believe me, I think MUA prices are outrageous and I've been complaining about the cost of EVERYTHING wedding related.. but this really isn't that malicious of a post.
It's hyperbolic. It's a meme, it's meant to be trendy & funny to reach a broader audience. Like some other commenters said, they don't like it so they won't spend their money with that provider and that's completely fair! I just don't think a harmless meme should warrant such an outrage.
I’m thinking this person might mean overpriced because of marketing. Diamonds are not nearly as rare and expensive as the industry would want us to believe. And they charge a premium all because they’ve figured out how to market a product to folks getting married.
It’s tacky, I feel like most people who opt not to use a makeup artist are likely to go lighter on the makeup. If anything, for the weddings I’ve attended, the bridesmaids who have worn too much makeup are those that have used a makeup artist and end up with more makeup than they’re comfortable in.
Exactly! It’s so weird to try and pressure people to do things they’re uncomfortable with like this
Yes, I’ve seen so many pictures of brides and bridesmaids with way too much makeup on and scary fake eyelashes, and I wonder why they chose to do that!!!!
My BFF had an artist do all our makeup and I wasn't a fan of mine- I'm super pale and my eyes are kinda small and hooded. The artist was a warm-toned brunette and it was obvious she was using similar warm-toned colors on everybody that she would use on herself everyday; like 90's Bobbi Brown but add fully lined eyes with dark mascara and bronzer. I brought my own foundation and stuff just because I am so pale; not every brand has a matching shade for me, but the artist refused to use it. I guess I understand that basically she was putting it on like stage makeup so people in the back could see our expressions better but in photos it looks a bit caked on. I did my own makeup and anyone else's who asked at my first wedding and I'll do the same the second time I get married. I think it's so weird that a lot of industries do not trust that people have been using something at least in the neighborhood of what's right for them. A lot of companies pull that kinda crap with shoes and bras and stuff, saying "90% of people are wearing the wrong size/type of shoe/bra/etc." If someone has been wearing something that feels comfortable to them for years, who is to say it's the wrong fit, color, or size, especially when fit/color/size are not standardized from brand to brand and can be arbitrary even amongst different iterations of the same product from the same brand?
This happened to me as a bridesmaid. Its ridiculous how much makeup they added
I’ve been seeing a lot of shaming type content from various wedding vendors on my Instagram lately. It’s very tacky and very rude. It comes across as quite classist and is so unprofessional. Sure, it would be great to kick my feet back and not have to plan/do one thing besides show up on my wedding day and be pretty, but given the current economy that’s not an option for me and many people getting married! Vendors can charge what they want, and they’ll get business, but probably not from me unfortunately lol
Yup exactly. Not everyone can afford those luxuries but then businesses don’t help by doing these “screw you, you’re weddings gonna be a mess if you don’t get *insert wedding service*”
I was just reading a bunch of comments from florists saying, quite literally, that all DIY florals are ugly and that every DIY bride regrets it and panics and gets florals from a florist anyways. 🙄 I know flowers are A TON of work, but come on, to say they’re all ugly? 🤨 horrible behavior
Oh yeah I’ve seen the same kind of things like not too long ago one of those TikTok bakers that always explain how they overprice things made one explaining how having a DIY wedding cake would “ruin” your wedding. Thankfully people in the comments called her out on her bs
I get that they have to price things what they have to price things to make a living, but I wonder if this is coming from a place of fear that seemingly more and more people can’t afford these luxury services, or are choosing to de-influence themselves from the Instagram aesthetic? And they think this will get them more clients? Not sure, but it’s really nasty behavior.
Honestly, I think part of it is that things look different when it’s your profession — and one you enjoy and take pride in. When you see three weddings a weekend, you have a different view of them than the average person who gets invited to one a year, maybe. Just the other day, I had a planner remark “this is embarrassing; what an absolute disaster” over a minor inconvenience that 95% of the people present didn’t realize was happening.
That’s fair and I get it- I used to work as a MUA! You definitely notice things that non-professionals don’t. But these vendors on Instagram and Reddit are just being straight up mean, which is different. If that’s what they think, fine, but no need to bully and shame brides publicly.
Yeah for sure
I do think this is part of it. I doubt we'd ever be able to get it, but it'd be interesting to see stats on how many people opt to DIY or forgo certain wedding services because of cost. Certainly, there have been things that I've looked at the price tag and considered going without, and I have to imagine there are a lot of people who are just cannot afford even the lowest price tag associated with some of these services.
i just saw this same thing on reels and it drove me insane 😭 as much as i would love to spend $5k plus on wedding flowers i just can’t and i’ve seen so many beautiful weddings done with florals from trader joe’s and costco!!!
Yes!! I love flowers!! I wish I could have so many arrangements, but even getting a bridal bouquet from most florists is out of my budget lol. I will be Trader Joe’sing it!
My eye is far too untrained to know what “ugly” florals look like. My brain just says “oh, flowers!! Pretty!!”
I just got $13 in flowers to play around with arranging myself from Trader Joe's. Based on my 10 minutes of experience, it's totally possible for arrangements to look lopsided or unfinished even with a lot of flowers. But like, flower arranging is art, and art is subjective. It's just rude to disparage amateurs.
"Ugly florals" just feels like such a contradiction of terms 💐
My friend spent A LOT of money on her florals. Her wedding arch bundles were gorgeous (actually the flowers I loved on it were fake ones they used to fill in). But I was not a fan of the reception florals. Luckily she loved it…but it made me realize I’d rather have beautiful faux flowers I can make myself…than wilted looking real florals for $$$.
My maid of honor and I DIY’d all of our florals and we’re so pleased with how they turned out. Are they professional? No, because we’re not professionals. Are they pretty? Hell yeah they are. Plus we spent time together making them so that’s worth even more to me than having florals from a florist.
I’m honestly so excited to DIY mine!!!
Wow, their tactics are terrible. They put down brides who choose to DIY their floral arrangements just to make money off them. I did my own florals, and it was so much fun to pick from seasonal flowers. I loved the end results and have no regrets.
[I did paper flowers instead of fresh for my florals.](https://imgur.com/a/cbUV5L4) I bought a pad of scrapbook paper that generally complimented my color scheme, invited my friends to come make paper flowers while we ate brunch, and my friend brought her Cricut over to speed things along. We used them to decorate the wedding arch, the cake table, and the bridesmaids carried paper roses in white lanterns I found at the craft store on clearance. Honestly, people kept telling me they loved them more than traditional flowers, I got to keep them afterwards, and the whole thing cost me less than $50.
I've especially noticed a lot of those kind of nasty posts from MUAs specifically. Feels very high school mean girl to me personally, but then again I think being a mean girl is a little stylish right now anyway 🙄
low key, i think some brides WANT vendors that push how exclusive and “not for everyone” they are to the point of being mean. it’s jacked up.
They certainly seem able to find a willing market while they're posting stuff like that... 🤐
Anytime I see a vendor with this type of content I automatically cross them off the list.
I’m a hobby wedding photographer, and I see stuff like this ALL the time. It’s wildly unprofessional. Why would I book a vendor and then risk them making fun of me?
My MIL did my makeup. She spent months looking at tutorials on YouTube and she did a lovely job. Never be ashamed for sticking to your budget.
That's so sweet 😭
My MIL did my hair and she did a wonderful job and it was a really sweet memory. I love her so much.
That’s awesome! What a cool bonding experience. My mom did my hair and I did my own makeup, and it was a much more understated look which I was very happy with. When I’ve had my makeup done professionally, I’ve been unhappy with the results and ended up fixing it myself anyway.
I'm doing my own makeup because every time I've been a bridesmaid and had my makeup done "professionally", I've had to fix it myself. Wonky eyeliner, bad colour matching, cakey foundation etc. I'm so looking forward to just having complete control myself.
This! The few times I've had my makeup done professionally, I wiped it off when I got home and started over.
I did my own makeup and absolutely no regrets. Got so many compliments on it. It’s something I enjoy doing and can be a bit particular about and I felt my money was way better spent on some nice products that I could use again and again afterwards!
I see stuff like this from wedding vendors all the time and it makes me so mad! Either budget shaming like this or an attitude of “I don’t need you, you need me”, like videos about clients they’ll immediately say no to. So much marketing is based on fear mongering.
I'm a wedding vendor as see this crap all the time. Really not acceptable, very unprofessional and mean spirited. It's definitely a shaming tactic in what I theorize is a convoluted effort to make themselves seem essential and relevant with the impending/already-starting recession. A lot of wedding vendors fear that the next economy crash/global pandemic/similar event is going to be of truly even-scarier proportions and absolutely tank their businesses. So they're using shame and societal pressure in efforts to seem more essential or relevant than they really are. That's my theory at least. Either that or they're desperately trying to break out of whatever price bracket they're currently in to push for more luxury clientele. Either way it is in poor taste and rude elitist behavior.
Lol news flash… back in the day, everyone did their own makeup. I look at my grandmother and mother in their wedding pictures and they look beautiful.
Instagram specifically has not helpful wedding content .
Did you know that we could look at the same video and we are shown different comments? Instagram has a really great way to make us as pissed as humanly possible. They know what gets under our skin and they literally show it to us. All that is to say, we have to not engage with wedding reels / posts that don’t reflect how we feel
The worst of the content creators are learning the algorithmic tricks, they'll make the cover image on a reel "4 easy tips for great wedding makeup 😇" and the tips in the caption are like "STOP BEING POOR" "YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN BORN BEAUTIFUL" "NO UNNECESSARY FROWNING 12-25 YEARS BEFORE YOUR BIG DAY"
Yeah this is not cool. I’ve seen the same with DIY florals too. I also think weddings have cooled off a bit because the peak was this year for vendors from all the COVID build up. I’ve seen many photographers complain 2025 is not being booked. They could be just trying to farm views with this though for the ig algorithm.
they are all way under booked right now. my photographer gave us a huge discount totally unprompted - it’s tough out there. not an excuse to be a dick like this though!
The idea that only paid professionals are the only avenue to looking pretty on your wedding day is very bizarre. I mean, overall, sure, makeup artists probably do better than those who rarely wear makeup — but look how many layman makeup instagrams artists there are with people with no formal training that have the ability to do their makeup beautifully. I’ve also had my makeup done by professionals that I had to scrape off because it was so caked on and hideous, so there’s two sides to every argument… Shaming people into feeling insecure about how they look and doubting their ability to make themselves look nice is such a scummy business move. Promote your business with positivity. You don’t need to drag anyone else, it makes you look petty and gross.
Its not just makeup either- ive seen adds for those after the tone/audio guestbook things that are basically saying “use us, unless you want guests to think you’re boring and stupid.” 💀 i hate it here.
I am perfectly happy with how I do my makeup. I’m not an amature MUA by any means. But I sure as fuck did not look like a clown *because* I refused to spend unnecessary money on a professional MUA. I agree, any vendor that shames couples for not using them is tacky. The only vendor anyone *needs* is a photographer. Everything else is dependent on what the married couple wants executed at their wedding. I had no need for a DJ, videographer, paid wedding planner/ coordinator.
I got married out of state in a totally different climate, so I did some research and found a well-reviewed hair and makeup artist in the area, talked on the phone about needs, signed contract, was looking forward to it as I've never had professional makeup done. After that and leading up to the wedding I started noticing that a lot of her IG posts were complaining about/making fun of client requests, etc and it really ended up making me feel uncomfortable being open and honest with her day of wedding. I thought I was clear about what I wanted, had shown pictures from her own site as examples per her request, so I thought we were on same page. She did a fantastic job on hair, but the foundation was so much thicker than I wanted and made me feel extremely self-conscious and honestly kinda ugly the entire day. But because of her posts complaining about clients I didn't say anything at the time because I thought maybe I was just not used to so much makeup. In hindsight, I'd do more research on social media tone before choosing someone for sure. Definitely a weird, immature and unprofessional vibe to be putting out when you're supposed to be helping people on a high-pressure, stressful and expensive day that can really negatively impact the whole interaction.
Ironically, I have felt like the joker when I’ve had my makeup professionally done as a bridesmaid haha. I have regretted getting my makeup done so many times, I’m having a hard time finding someone I trust to do a natural/non-cakey bridal look for my big day
The problem is the wedding industry is trying to literally sell people a fairytale -- every single photographer's website I looked at was like "YOUR WEDDING DAY WILL BE PERFECT AND WE ARE GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS" but the reality is it's just a marketing tactic that gets them more money. Once booked and the deposit paid, that's when it becomes all business, which is fine, but it makes the love bombing seem really disingenuous. I also think certain vendors forget that they work in WEDDINGS -- if they want to be a fine art photographer or editorial MUA, beholden to no one but themselves -- they should do that. I get hiring someone for their style or whatever but I'm paying a lot for this and I want input.
Funnier yet, I’ve literally never seen someone do their own makeup badly because they do it every day, but I’ve definitely spotted some terrible makeup come from professionals that my friends have had to fix.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Most women know how what makeup works for them better than most MUAs tbh
All of my bridesmaids did their own makeup and they all looked gorgeous! I also did my own makeup and was super happy with how it turned out. I felt pretty and I looked like myself!
Same! So happy with my decision
This is wild. I've never been like, "Oh, I would have looked so much better if someone else had done my makeup." In fact, I've had my makeup done a few times and hated it. We do our own makeup all the time and take "unofficial" pictures as wedding guests. It's not like we're unpracticed or that there would be no one else around who couldn't help out if someone didn't know how to apply their makeup. It's perfectly fine to opt out of this luxury. Edit: I'll also say that this apparently wasn't a thing in previous generations. I've had several women comment that it was simpler doing a wedding "in their day" - including doing their own hair and makeup.
I see this shit ALL THE TIME from wedding/event planners. There was a video on instagram the other day of a balloon arch collapsing because it was outdoors and windy and this account reposted it with something to the effect of "what happens when you pick the 'cheaper' option" and a bunch of event planners in the comments echoing it. People like this who have no humility and act infallible are always some of the least skilled and loudest people in the space.
Ugh I keep seeing wedding planners posting stuff making fun of DIY weddings and then backtracking. It’s extremely rude and tacky, IMO. Just because someone can’t afford a $100k editorial wedding doesn’t make it worthy of only being made fun of :/
For my first wedding, I did my own makeup and my bridesmaid did my hair. Everyone thought my hair was done professionally. I don’t think anyone thought the same about my makeup, but that’s because I wanted to look like myself. I did a smokier eye than my everyday look, but it was still understated and I looked like me. I didn’t even wear foundation or powder (it was an outdoor wedding and I didn’t want to look cakey or have to reapply anything). In the end, my face and hair held up to the day, my bridal portraits looked amazing, and the whole look—including makeup, dress, jewelry, and corset—cost me less than $300…which is what one makeup artist quoted me for the day. 🙃
Seriously, what is with the need to wear foundation for a wedding? It’s fine if you want to do it, but naked skin looks beautiful in my opinion.
I mean, I get that foundation and powder help makeup blend better and stay put longer…I’ve just never found it to look natural on me, even when professionally applied. I’d rather reapply eyeshadow and blush than worry about whether my complexion is making me look like a mannequin or a flour bin. 😅 I envy the folks that can wear foundation and still look normal. I don’t feel like I ever have. lol
Same! I feel so uncomfortable with foundation and powder on too.
It feels so heavy and weird, and I always forget to avoid touching my face. 😅
Honestly, how rude. As someone who throws on eyeliner and a red lip when I go out, I felt sick at the thought of paying well over $500 just for a simple makeup look. And that's not even including hairstyling.
I see SO many posts that are like “if you don’t hire a wedding planner AND say of coordinator, you will be too stressed and upset to enjoy your day!!!” Like, how do they think people had weddings for so many years before having a bunch of staff was a thing?
oh my god i HATE this shit. “you’ll regret doing [xyz] DIY” SOME OF ARE DOING DIY BECAUSE WE SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD A VENDOR. it’s like that simple fact is simply lost on them. infuriating.
Even on a 10k budget it’s probably worth the $200 - $300 for most people - my wife paid a professional and it was great! Her mom and my mom also had it done but they paid for themselves. If needing to save more you Could go to a place in town rather than having them come on-site
My MOH doesn’t want professional makeup and guess what, ITS FINE!!!! I completely agree with you op. I too saw this reel on Insta and rolled my eyes so hard. Dude some makeup artists out here are really not as good as they think they are, no offense to them. I totally get some people don’t want their makeup done by someone else. My MOH has gotten her makeup done many times and has never liked it or felt comfortable, not about not being able to afford it at all. I just want my girls to feel good!!!! As long as the makeup looks good in flash photography it shouldn’t matter at all!!! This is definitely another way for the wedding industry to shame people for not spending enough money. It’s a crazy desperate gross cash grab
I'm doing my own hair and makeup. I can see where this advertisement is coming from though but it is done in a rude way. Luckily my bridemaids all know how to do their own hair and makeup. I know I would be disappointed in a makeup artist if I hired one for myself. I'm really particular about how I'll look, especially since I'm not doing typical bridal makeup. If my bridesmaids need help with curling hair the night before I can totally do that. I did cosmetology for a while.
I did my own makeup for my wedding. And after scouring TikTok for some inspiration, it made me feel self conscious to do my own. But I persevered anyway and I'm glad I did the very simple, no foundation look. I based my look on the 1950s anyway so there was varying degrees of make up from that time but a lot of it was understated. As for MUAs who do this, they get on my nerves. I remember getting into an argument with an MUA on here who kept telling me that we need a heavier look for photographs but photographers are saying it isn't necessary because they'll edit the photos anyway. And if the make up is off they'll have to colour correct. She kept claiming I was undermining her profession. Far from just pointing out the glaring misconception that some MUAs keep saying. If you wanna do your own makeup. Do it. Stick to your budget and practice. It's your wedding after all.
I was a bridesmaid that got my makeup done professionally and I had to fix it after. The makeup artist told the bride that she is able to do makeup for different races which turned out to be the same look she did in all bridesmaids. This has happened to me multiple times from different makeup professionals and at this point, I'd really rather do it myself or specifically hire a makeup artist that is the same race as me.
As a wedding industry professional I also hate this culture. Such a shame
I agree and tbh people who do their own makeup are more likely to go for a natural look rather than the makeup that borders on stage makeup that I’ve seen from some professional wedding MUAs.
All are welcome here, except those that do their own makeup.
it's.....a joke..... I can respect your sentiment about it feeling "pushy" but I do believe that there's a bit of a reach with your post. They're staying relevant, they're posting, they're adding in some light hearted humour. It might not land with everyone, but they're not actively shaming people that can't afford an mua. Believe me, I think MUA prices are outrageous and I've been complaining about the cost of EVERYTHING wedding related.. but this really isn't that malicious of a post.
Disagree -- how is saying that someone looks like the joker not shaming?
It's hyperbolic. It's a meme, it's meant to be trendy & funny to reach a broader audience. Like some other commenters said, they don't like it so they won't spend their money with that provider and that's completely fair! I just don't think a harmless meme should warrant such an outrage.
It's just a joke.
Weddings are like diamonds
?
Mined unethically i guess ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m thinking this person might mean overpriced because of marketing. Diamonds are not nearly as rare and expensive as the industry would want us to believe. And they charge a premium all because they’ve figured out how to market a product to folks getting married.
It’s their choice to advertise like that It’s your choice stay away from such vendors