How to get bridal makeup bookings through wedding planners and venues
Planners and venues meet brides long before you do. How bridal makeup artists can earn steady referrals from them, without being pushy.
Wedding planners and venues talk to brides months before the bride starts looking for a makeup artist. When she asks "who do you recommend?", the name they give often gets booked.
You want to be that name. Here is how to earn it, step by step.
Key points
Planners and venues meet brides months before you do, so their recommendation often decides the booking.
Be easy to recommend: a clear website, fast replies, insurance and punctual work.
Start with vendors from weddings you have already done, then approach venues with a short email and three photos.
Send referrals back and stay in touch every season.
Who refers makeup artists
Couples hire around 13 vendors for a wedding, according to The Knot, and about three in ten hire a wedding planner (29% in its 2022 study). Each of those vendors is a possible referral source.
The strongest sources are usually planners and venue coordinators. Photographers and bridal shops come next. Other artists can be a great source too, when they are already booked on a date.
1. Be easy to recommend
Before you reach out to anyone, make sure a referral would make them look good.
Your website and Instagram are clear and up to date.
You reply fast and professionally.
You are on time, every time.
You have insurance and can share a certificate if a venue asks.
A planner's reputation is on the line when they send you a client. They need to trust you will not let them down.
2. Start with weddings you have already done
The easiest relationships start from shared work.
After each wedding:
Send the planner and photographer a short thank-you.
Share your best behind-the-scenes photos with them for their own use.
Tag and credit them when you post.
Leave them a review on Google or The Knot if they did a great job.
3. Reach out to venues, the right way
For venues you would love to work at:
Visit or call and ask how they handle vendor recommendations.
Send a short email with three photos of your work at similar venues and your starting prices.
Ask if they have a preferred vendor list, and what it takes to join.
Offer to do makeup for a styled shoot or an open house at the venue.
Keep it short. Coordinators are busy.
4. Send referrals back
Referral relationships work both ways. When a bride asks you for a photographer, planner or hairstylist, recommend people you trust and tell them you did.
People remember who sends them work.
5. Stay in touch
Tag and share after every wedding.
Send a friendly check-in each season.
Send a small thank-you at the end of the year to vendors who referred you.
Should you pay referral fees?
Some vendors pay each other referral fees. Others never do. If you choose to, be open about it, keep it simple, and check whether your local rules or the venue's policies say anything about it. Many strong relationships run on simply sending work back.
Quick answers
How do I get on a venue's preferred vendor list?
Ask the venue coordinator directly. Some lists are by invitation after you have worked there, some have an application, and some charge a fee. Doing a great job at their venue is the best first step.
Should I network at bridal shows?
They can help you meet vendors and couples in one day. Go with a clear goal, like meeting five planners, and follow up within a week.
What if a planner keeps recommending another artist?
That is fine. Keep doing great work at shared weddings and stay friendly. When that artist is booked, you want to be the next name they think of.
Sources
Read next: How to turn bridal makeup inquiries into bookings, or start with the full guide on how to get more bridal makeup clients.
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