The standard New Brunswick rate card
If you're planning a wedding in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, or anywhere across New Brunswick, the bridal makeup pricing structure is broadly consistent. Established artists charge:
- $200 for the bride. Full bridal application — prep, skincare-led base, custom-blended foundation, brows, eyes, lashes if you want them, lips, and a touch-up duo.
- $150 per bridal party member. Bridesmaids, mothers, sisters, anyone else getting done.
- $50 flat travel fee inside city limits. $50 base + $0.80/km outside the city, both ways.
- $100 non-refundable booking fee. Paid online when you reserve, separate from the day-of total.
That structure mirrors the standard across most New Brunswick artists at the established-professional tier. There are artists below this band (newer, building portfolios) and above it (highly sought-after artists in peak weekends). The middle band is where most weddings land.
What the bridal rate covers
$200 for the bride buys roughly 60–75 minutes of work, on-site, with a kit that costs four-figures to build and maintain. Professional foundations alone sit between $60 and $90 per bottle, and a working artist carries dozens of shades to match any skin tone walking through the door.
It includes:
- Pre-application skincare. Cleansing, hydrating, primer matched to your finish goal (matte/satin/dewy).
- Custom-blended foundation. Two or three shades blended to your exact skin tone, undertone, and the lighting of your venue.
- Concealer, contour, blush, highlight. Built up gradually so the finish reads naturally even in close-up photography.
- Brows. Shaped and filled to match your natural hair colour.
- Full eye look. Liner, shadow, mascara. Strip lashes are included if you want them — at no extra charge.
- Lips. Lined, filled, set. The artist hands you the lipstick to take home for touch-ups.
- Touch-up kit. A small zippered pouch with the powder, lipstick, and blotting sheets you'll use through the night.
Bridal party math, worked out
Bridal party members are quoted at $150 each, flat. The price doesn't drop with volume — a party of three pays $150 each, a party of seven pays $150 each. There's no group discount, but there's also no surcharge on bigger parties.
Here are common scenarios with the math worked through:
- Bride only, in Fredericton: $200 (bride) + $50 (travel) + $100 (booking fee) = $350 total investment
- Bride + 2 party, in Fredericton: $200 + 2×$150 + $50 + $100 = $650 total
- Bride + 4 party, in Fredericton: $200 + 4×$150 + $50 + $100 = $950 total
- Bride + 6 party, in Fredericton: $200 + 6×$150 + $50 + $100 = $1,250 total
- Bride + 4 party, in St. Andrews (~120 km from Fredericton): $200 + 4×$150 + ($50 + 240×$0.80) + $100 = $1,142 total
If you're building a wedding spreadsheet, makeup typically lands at 2–4% of a $25k–$45k Atlantic Canadian wedding budget. It's one of the smaller line items and one of the most photographed.
The booking fee, explained
Almost every working bridal artist charges a booking fee. It's standard and exists for one reason: when you reserve a Saturday in August, the artist is turning away every other request for that date. The fee compensates for that lost opportunity if you later cancel.
The Amanda Phillips Makeup fee is $100, non-refundable, paid online via Stripe when you submit the booking form. Three things to understand about it:
- It does NOT apply to your day-of total. It's a separate fee. Your $725 day-of cash payment is still $725 after the booking fee is paid.
- It is non-refundable. If you cancel for any reason — even 18 months out — the $100 is not returned. This is standard across the industry.
- It locks the date. Until that fee is paid, the date is open and could be claimed by another bride that day or the next. An "I'm interested" email isn't a booking.
Booking fees across NB artists range from $75 to $150. $100 sits at the standard.
What affects bridal makeup pricing
Several factors push pricing up or down within the standard band:
Experience and reputation
An artist with 15 years of experience, an instructor-level credential (Amanda holds a Cosmetology Association of New Brunswick instructor licence), and a portfolio of 200+ weddings prices differently than a newer artist building their book. Both have a place; understand what you're buying.
Date and season
Some artists charge a small premium for peak Saturdays (August, September) or for long weekends. Many don't. Off-season weekday weddings sometimes see modest discounts.
Travel and timing
The further from the artist's base, the more travel costs add up. An early-start wedding (6am arrival for a 9am ceremony) may include a small "early start" fee at some artists; most just bake it into the standard pricing.
Add-ons
Trials are quoted separately. False-lash applications, specific contour techniques, or makeup for additional events (rehearsal dinner, day-after brunch shoot) are billed individually.
"The least useful number in wedding makeup is the cheapest one. The most useful is the number that comes with a contract, a timeline, and someone who's done this enough times that nothing surprises her."
How New Brunswick pricing compares regionally
Bridal makeup pricing across Atlantic Canada is remarkably consistent. Halifax artists sit in roughly the same band ($200–$250 for the bride, $150–$200 per party member). Charlottetown and St. John's are similar. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver run noticeably higher — bridal applications in major Canadian cities routinely hit $275–$425. Rural and small-town New Brunswick pricing tends to sit at or just below the Fredericton standard.
If you're being quoted dramatically below this range, ask about kit grade, sanitation protocols, and how many years the artist has been working full-time. There are excellent newer artists at lower price points, and there are corner-cutters. The conversation about kit and process is more reliable than the price alone.
What you're not paying for
You're not paying for hair — Amanda offers makeup only, and refers to local stylists for hair. You're not paying for any specific brand markup (the kit is curated for quality, not commission). And you're not paying for false-lash applications unless you actively want them; they're included in the bridal rate at no extra charge.
The short version
$200 bride, $150 per party member, $50 travel inside Fredericton, $100 booking fee. Most weddings end up at $850 to $1,250 all-in. The breakdown is on the booking form so you can play with party sizes and see the math live before signing anything.