Normal for hair salon to charge makeup artist to use the space?

A chair fee is pretty standard thing for hair and makeup artists. I'm surprised your makeup artist has never been charged before. Was it mentioned in your contract with the salon?

Can you have your make up done somewhere else? Is your home nearby? If you’re doing the salon a favor by going to them does that mean they would’ve come to your house or venue for free? I would never pay $250 just to use a chair.

Id make the salon come to your venue then. This is ridiculous. I can understand why there is a charge - but it should have been stated upfront and agreed upon by both parties.

View Quoted Comment I don’t think we have enough time to shuffle people from the hair salon to another location for makeup and to try to coordinate that (my house is 20 min away, venue is 40). Original plan was for us to go to the salon (which unexpectedly shut down last month and didn’t tell me), I got ahold of the hair stylist and she felt bad because the salon took all contacts and she didn’t have access to the online calendar so she offered to travel to the venue for free because her new salon is much smaller. At my trial a couple weeks ago she asked if we could come to the salon because she has another wedding that afternoon and a gala that evening to do hair for. I said that was no problem, she has an empty chair beside her and said the makeup artist could do it right there. No mention of any fees.

I know extortion isn’t the right word lol but this is why the wedding industry has a bad name. Let’s add on a $250 fee at crunch time when they have no option but to pay it.

View Quoted Comment They won’t come to the venue now, they’re too booked up for the travel time.

I think it makes sense to give up a chair spot or space, that they could be using to benefit themselves. But I think it should have been mentioned to you before.

View Quoted Comment That sucks! Did you tell them no fees were discussed and that you’re not okay with paying $250 when they never mentioned the fee when you had your trial? I would NOT be happy and I would explore every other option with your make up artists before even thinking about paying $250, that’s ridiculous.

I don’t know where you live but if it’s warm that day I would literally set up a station outside the salon somewhere with a couple chairs and a table for makeup lol.

I absolutely would not pay it if it wasn’t discussed. Any of my vendors that I can, I have point blank asked them in writing what the final cost will be and saved their answer. That is so sneaky and slimy.

If you signed a contract and that fee is no where on there, dont pay it.

View Quoted Comment I like how you think lol sadly it’s going to be unusually cold this Saturday. My hair lady has yet to call me. I reached out to the salon owner, since it’s her fee, she was extremely rude, talked over me, and said they don’t even allow outside makeup artists in her salon and I should be grateful. Now I’m usually a very calm person, but I immediately started calling other salons, found one that called me back after hours and said she’s 99% sure it will work so as soon as I can confirm this morning when they open I’m cancelling with my current place (I didn’t have to pay any kind of deposit and there’s no contract). I feel horrible doing that to my hair lady but I don’t even want to go to that salon anymore after how the owner treated me.

View Quoted Comment The nerve of that owner! I was actually going to suggest that you cancel and find someone else ASAP but figured you must’ve paid a deposit! I would’ve done the same thing! When you cancel I would literally just tell the truth and say how rude the owner was when you talked to her!

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This is exactly what I would have done, good for you! I hope everything works out for you! How awful of them to cause you this stress just days before the wedding. It would be far different if they had discussed it with you prior to booking, but dropping it on you like this is totally unacceptable.

I agree! While I understand the taking up of space in the salon and the need for them to charge something, it should have been disclosed to you a long time ago. Not to make excuses, but it sounds like your hairstylist just changed to this new salon? Maybe she didn't know that was a policy. But I can see how 4 days before the wedding would feel like extortion! I would leave a bad review for the salon and owner based on your interaction. I hope the new place works out!

I'd be surprised if a salon didn't charge rent for a non-employee to do business using their space.

This is a good lesson to other brides to always get a contract for EVERYTHING. Protect yourself.
Glad it worked out OP