It is the question that arrives in the first or second message, and it is a fair one. Anyone organising a wedding has a budget to close and needs to know what to count on. Here is what makes the price of bridal makeup in Porto go up or down.
The honest answer is that it depends, and this page exists to explain on what. By the end you will know exactly what to send me to get a written figure the same day.
Why there is no price list on the site
Because two weddings on the same date can have different quotes. A bride getting ready in Porto at ten in the morning, on her own, takes part of my morning. Another getting ready an hour and a half away, at six, with her mother and three bridesmaids, takes my whole day and means turning everything else down.
If I published one number, it would be expensive for the first and cheap for the second. I would rather give the right figure once I know four things.
What goes into the quote
These are the factors that move it, in order of weight.
| Factor | Why it weighs |
|---|---|
| Number of people | Each person besides the bride adds time and brings the start time forward. Above a certain number, I bring my team. |
| Start time | A ceremony at eleven in the morning can mean starting at five. That hour is priced differently from ten. |
| Distance | Travel takes time before and after, and that time comes out of the same day. |
| Date | Saturdays from May to October are the most requested dates of the year in the north of Portugal. |
| Trial | Part of the bridal service. A full session, with the same time and the same products as the day. |
Notice what is not in the table: the brand of the products, the number of brushes, how long the smoky eye takes. Those are constant. What varies is time, and time is the one thing that does not multiply.
The biggest factor is the number of people
It changes the quote the most, and it is what most first messages leave out. A bride on her own and a bride with her mother, mother-in-law and four bridesmaids are two different jobs.
It is not just the sum of the makeups. It is the time I have to be there, the order in which people sit down, and the margin I keep at the end to touch up the bride after she is dressed. With my team of four, we can do up to 20 to 25 people in one morning.
The trial is not an extra
For bridal makeup, the bridal makeup trial is part of the service. It is booked four to eight weeks before and it is a full session: the same products, the same time, photographs at the end.
It is where the foundation shade, the intensity of the eyes, the lip colour and the skin finish are decided, and it is why nothing is improvised on the wedding day. For brides travelling in who cannot come earlier, we do it the day before or two days before.
For services other than bridal, a trial is optional and rarely needed.
What the quote should not include
Some things appear in quotes that never appear in mine.
I do not charge for product used. The foundation left in the palette is not a line on an invoice.
There is no different price by skin type or by age. The time is the same.
I do not charge for touch-ups on the day if I am there. If we agreed that I stay until the ceremony, the touch-ups are part of that.
If you are planning from abroad
Many brides write to me from outside Portugal, and the quote works the same way. Travel to wherever you get ready goes into the figure according to distance and time, whether that is a hotel in Porto or a quinta in the Douro.
Write in English if that is easier. The reply and the written quote come in English.
What to send me
With these four answers I can give you a written figure, usually the same day:
- The date. If it is not fixed yet, give the month and the day of the week.
- The place. The address of the venue, or of where you will get ready, which is often somewhere else.
- The ceremony time. I work backwards from there.
- How many people. Bride, mother, bridesmaids, guests. An approximate number is enough.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no price list on the site?
Because two weddings on the same date can have different quotes. The start time, the place, the number of people and the travel change the working time, and time is what the quote is built on.
What makes the quote go up?
Four things: starting very early, a venue far from Porto, more people to make up besides the bride, and a Saturday in high season. Each one adds time or rules out other work on the same day.
Is the trial included?
Yes. The trial is part of the bridal service and is booked four to eight weeks before. For brides travelling in, it can be the day before or two days before.
Do you charge for travel?
I travel to wherever the bride gets ready, in Portugal or abroad. Travel goes into the quote according to distance and time, because it takes time before and after the service.
How many people can I include besides the bride?
There is no fixed limit. With my team of four, we can do up to 20 to 25 people in one morning, and the number changes the start time.
How do I ask for a quote?
Send the date, the place, the ceremony time and how many people need makeup. I reply with a written figure, usually the same day and with no obligation.
One last thing
If you are comparing offers, compare what is included and not only the number at the end. An offer with the trial, travel and touch-ups agreed is not the same as one for the day's service alone, even if the figures look alike. The bride's makeup is done by me, from the trial to the moment she leaves for the ceremony.