As a soon-to-be bride, I'm very aware of the fact that getting married involves a hell of a lot of planning [1] for the day to go off without a hitch. But you know who else has a lot on their plate when the wedding rolls around? The bridesmaids [2]. They are already expected to attend the engagement dinner, my bridal shower [3], hen party, ceremony, and reception — so the very least I could do is let them decide whether or not they want to get their makeup done that day [4].
While I'm the first to admit that I'm pretty low-maintenance as far as bridal expectations go, I think it's completely normal to let grown-ass women choose whether or not they want to wear makeup — to a wedding or anywhere else. Here's why.
Some people just don't wear that much makeup — and that's OK.
While every bride has a very specific vision about how they want their wedding to look, there are some things that simply aren't worth "requiring" — and having your bridesmaids get their makeup done should be one of them. This especially goes for the people who can walk past a Boots without blinking an eye.
At the end of the day, some women — including my wonderful soon-to-be sister-in-law — just don't give that much of a sh*t when there's a sale on Fenty Stunna Lip Paint — and that's OK. So why torture her by forcing her to spend the day in lip liner and eye shadow when it's not something she'd normally spring for anyway?
Shouldn't people look like themselves in your wedding photos?
Honestly, there's nothing worse than getting a bunch of professional photos back from a wedding or fancy event and not recognising yourself. Of course, most makeup artists will do their best to make sure you look as natural as possible, but that doesn't always happen — especially if it's the first time they've ever worked on you and don't know your preferences.
I can't justify asking them to pay another penny for my wedding day.
Being someone's bridesmaid — or God forbid, the maid of honour — is a hell of a lot of work, and even more money. They sometimes have to cover the cost of a plane ticket, chip in on the bridal shower, and splurge on a dress [5], jewellery, and shoes of your choosing. So while you might have a firm opinion on whether or not they wear their hair down or all wear flower crowns for consistency's sake, the least we can do as brides is let them decide whether or not they want to put on eyeliner — particularly if you were planning on having them foot the bill.