A viral TikTok is putting the wedding industry on blast after one bride-to-be shared a jaw-dropping quote from a celebrity makeup artist. The total? A staggering $125,000 for wedding-day glam and travel fees—and that’s just the base rate, before any add-ons. The video, from May 1, 2025, racked up over 1.7 million views, with viewers expressing outrage and skepticism. While some defended the pricing as standard for A-list clientele, others said the inflated rates reflect a broader problem: wedding vendors charging luxury prices for basic services.
This makeup artist’s fee is over 100 grand—and that’s just the base rate.
@emilyfromkansassss explained that her friend reached out to a well-known makeup artist for the quote she shared in her post. She said she felt sorry for 2025 and 2026 brides because, along with their partners and families, brides-to-be face outrageous prices at every point in the wedding process.
The quote included $75,000 for three days of travel and $50,000 for the wedding day. According to @emilyfromkansassss’s calculations, that’s a $125,000 price tag before additional line items like pre-approved hotels and business class flights.
“These makeup artists and other vendors and venues are charging people literally what you could put—it’s not even a down payment for a house—you could buy the whole fucking house.”
@emilyfromkansassss This is crazy #2025bride #2026bride #weddings #weddingmakeup #weddingvenue #weddingcosts #weddingplanning #fyp #makeupartists ♬ original sound – emily from kansas
TikTok’s sticker shock
Plenty of people on the thread reacted in shock. “MAKEUP???! Like the one you wash off at the end of the day????” commented @_shesablessing.
“No, I’m sorry that makeup artist is SCAMMING,” said @loummartines. @lilraeh pointed out, “They’re charging more than surgeons.”
Some people dismissed the entire wedding industry as ‘a scam’
“Wedding industry is a SCAM. We legit need a new law for that,” commented @vivaaj.
“That’s not even the amount of money that I would pay for a whole wedding,” shared @useruo78tu54vv, “Weddings are a scam anyway.”
People tried to explain why the quote is so high
“Is this rage bait,” commented @drpremtripathi.
The exorbitant quote—and TBH the TikTok video about it—could be stoking rage bait, but other commenters, including beauty professionals had a different perspective.
“Do you get it though?” explained @derosebeauty, “Because like you said that’s a well known celebrity makeup artist. They are probably millionaires doing makeup on other millionaires and billionaires. It’s expensive for us, yes, but not for her target clientele.”
Or to put it plainly— “It’s like you’re basically trying to get Lewis Hamilton to be your limo driver,” commented @beavnie, “what did y’all expect?”
How much are people actually paying to have makeup done for weddings?
According to a 2024 article about hair and makeup costs from wedding industry experts Zola, bridal hair and make-up costs typically range between $150—$600. This number is obviously nowhere near what was quoted by the celebrity makeup artist referenced in @emilyfromkansassss’s viral TikTok.
A 2025 study from The Knot found that, of the nearly 17,000 couples surveyed, 73 percent said they hired a beauty professional for their wedding day. That means around 25% of couples might save money by doing their own makeup.
In her video, the creator shared another strategy for saving money:
“I will not be getting married.”
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