The Q: I have been in other weddings where the bride has asked her bridesmaids to get their hair done, told us the price the hairdresser is charging and it was a flat price, no one else tipped the hairdresser. But recently a bride, from a wedding I’m in this fall, told the bridesmaid that the price for our hair is $50 and that we can send a check in now and then tip the hairdresser day of. I was under the impression bridesmaids don’t tip the hairdresser, they just pay the flat fee. I thought that if a hairdresser is doing the job as a “side-job”, that is separate from their work in the salon, then they are making all the cash out right and therefore no tip needed. It’s like how you do not, customarily, tip the owner of a hair salon. What do you think?
Thanks for the advice.
The A: Well, while I see what you are saying, unfortunately, you are supposed to tip the hairdresser. First, different people do wedding hair and makeup in different ways- some are "guns for hire" for companies who only do wedding and event hair, others are on the clock at their salon, and it's not a side job at all. So, first probably not good to assume that it's like tipping the boss. It is possible that the tip was included in the first wedding that you were in and the bride covered it, or it's possible that she opted to simply not tip. It's always good practice to tip your hairdressers for a job well done, wedding or not.
