Wedding hair and makeup contract template

Sample text of the wedding hair & makeup services agreement in VowSign, written for hair and makeup artists, with its optional lines shown. In the form, optional lines appear in your contract only when you fill them in or switch them on. Read every clause below. When you are ready, fill it in and send it to your client for e-signature.

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6 clauses in this agreement

Event and services
Fees, deposit, and payment
Wedding-day requirements
Timing and delays
Cancellation, rescheduling, and replacement
Liability and general terms

Skip to the full contract text

What a bridal hair and makeup contract should cover

This agreement has six clauses. Here is what each one covers, so you know what you are sending before you fill it in.

Event and services. The date, the location, the time the bride must be ready, and who gets which service: the bride, attendants, mothers, and children with their ages. It also records the makeup style (traditional or airbrush, lashes), the trial, and any booked touch-up hours. The services and prices themselves go on your price list, which the contract calls Exhibit A.
Fees, deposit, and payment. The total, a nonrefundable retainer that holds the date once the signed agreement and retainer both arrive, the balance due date, accepted payment methods (with an optional card fee), and whether a card is kept on file. The retainer is credited to the total. Gratuity is not included and is at the client’s discretion. Add-on fees each have their own field in the form, and only the ones you fill in appear in the contract: travel, an assistant for larger parties, an early start, a second location, an overnight stay, and a blow-dry on arrival. Parking, valet, and hotel costs are at the client’s expense.
Wedding-day requirements. The space the client provides, how clean and dry hair should be on arrival (this line applies to hair, so makeup-only artists should know it is there), what the party wears, and written disclosure of allergies and skin conditions.
Timing and delays. What happens if the party is late or not ready, an optional idle-time fee if you are left waiting, an optional hourly rate for staying late, and a line saying you are not responsible for how long a look lasts through weather, heat, or other conditions outside your control.
Cancellation, rescheduling, and replacement. Written notice, the cancellation cutoff and the amount owed, when a retainer may transfer to a new date, the deadline for changing the headcount, what happens if you cannot perform because of illness or emergency, and what happens if a disaster, severe weather, government action, epidemic, or venue closure makes the event impossible.
Liability and general terms. A liability cap at the amount the client paid, to the extent the law allows, a line on photographing and posting your work for promotion (in VowSign you choose between keeping the client anonymous and posting only with the client’s written permission), the entire-agreement clause, and governing state law.

Situations this contract is written for

Situation	What the contract says
The party is late or not ready	Clause 4. If the party is more than the number of minutes you set late, or is not ready, services may be shortened or dropped, and the client still owes for everything booked. If you set an idle-time fee, waiting past the idle limit triggers it.
People are added or dropped	Clause 2 charges extra people and services at your rates on the day. Clause 5 requires changes to be made in writing by a date you set, and reductions after that date are still charged.
Allergy or skin reaction	Clause 3 requires the client to disclose allergies, sensitivities, and skin conditions in writing before the trial or the wedding, and lets you decline or adapt a service for safety or hygiene. Clause 6 says the client is responsible for claims arising from the client’s failure to disclose.
Early start, long drive, second location	Clause 2 lists the ones you charge, each with its own field: travel (flat or per mile beyond a distance you set), early start before a time you set, relocation, and overnight stay. Parking, valet, and hotel costs are the client’s expense.
The space is not ready for you	Clause 3 asks the client for a clean, private, well-lit space with mirrors, a chair, and power outlets. It sets no separate remedy for a poor space. If you set an idle-time fee, the one in clause 4 may be the closest fit.
The client cancels or reschedules	Clause 5. The retainer is nonrefundable. If the client cancels more than the number of days you set before the wedding, nothing further is owed; closer in, a percentage or the full total is owed. A reschedule made more than the number of days you set before the wedding, to an available date within the number of months you set, may transfer the retainer. Otherwise it is treated as a cancellation.
You cannot make it because of illness or emergency	Clause 5. You promptly send a comparable artist. If none is available, you refund all payments, including the retainer and travel. This is the only case where the contract promises a refund of the retainer. It is a real commitment, so decide whether you want that promise before you send the contract.
A disaster, severe weather, or venue closure	Clause 5. If a disaster, severe weather, government action, epidemic, or venue closure makes the event impossible, the parties work in good faith to reschedule or credit payments. The contract does not say more than that.

What the template leaves to you

Trial terms beyond the fee. Clause 1 records whether the trial is hair, makeup, or both, plus the date, place, and fee. There is no separate cancellation or no-show rule for the trial. If you want one, write it into your price list (Exhibit A), which the contract incorporates by reference, and have an attorney in your state confirm it works the way you intend.
Every number. On this page the retainer, the days, the percentages, and each fee are blanks. In the VowSign form, some values come pre-filled and you can change them (for example a 50% retainer, 30 days and 100% for cancellation, 15 minutes for lateness). The liability cap is the one fixed figure: the amount the client paid, to the extent the law allows.
Photo permission. In the VowSign form you answer “May you photograph and post the work?” with “Yes, the client stays anonymous” or “Not without their OK”. The first puts in clause 6 that your work may be posted for promotion and the client’s identity is kept confidential. The second says posting needs the client’s written permission. The contract text below shows the first version.
Your state’s rules. Contract law and fee rules differ by state. See the note at the bottom of the page.

How to fill it in

Exhibit A. Date your price list and list each person, each service, and each price separately, as clause 1 asks.
Ready-by time. Work backward from the ceremony, and remember the template schedules the bride’s first appointment first unless you agree otherwise.
Retainer and the date-holding window. The date is not held until both the signed agreement and the retainer arrive within the number of days of issue that you enter. How a nonrefundable retainer is treated differs by state; our non-refundable retainer guide covers how courts and statutes in New York, California, and Texas approach it.
Cancellation and reschedule days. This template has one cancellation step: before a cutoff nothing further is owed, after it a percentage or the full total. Reschedules have their own day count. Set the two so they do not contradict each other. For comparison, Cancellation clauses benchmarked shows multi-step ladders from photography studios, including one in the UK.
Card on file. It is a switch in the form, off by default. Clause 2 states whether a card is kept on file, and when it is on, clause 5 lets you charge a cancellation fee to it.

Questions

Does this hair and makeup contract template cover a trial?

In the form you choose “A trial is booked”, pick hair, makeup, or both, and enter the date, place, and fee; clause 1 then records them. With the trial off, the contract says no trial is included. Putting the trial and its fee on the signed agreement records it as a booked, priced service. The template has no cancellation rule specific to trials, so add one to your price list if you want it.

Is a bridal makeup contract different from a hair and makeup contract?

This one template covers hair, makeup, or both. Clause 1 refers to hair and/or makeup services and has a line for makeup style. If you only do makeup, list only your makeup services on Exhibit A. The hair-readiness line in clause 3 applies to hair services only, so makeup-only artists should know it is there.

What happens if the bride’s party is late?

Clause 4 lets you shorten or drop services if the party is more than the number of minutes you set late, or is not ready, and adds an idle-time fee if you set one. The table above has the detail.

What if the artist is sick on the wedding day?

Clause 5 covers illness or emergency: you promptly send a comparable artist, and if none is available you refund all payments. See the last two rows of the table. Decide whether you want that promise before you send.

Can clients sign it online?

In VowSign, yes. You fill in the blanks as a short form, your client signs from a link on any device, and both sides receive the signed PDF.

Last reviewed: November 3, 2026.

The contract text

Wedding Hair & Makeup Services Agreement

Effective date:

Artist/Company: , of , email/phone ("Artist")

Clients: and , email/phone (together, "Client")

1. Event and services

Wedding date: . Location where services will take place: , at . Bride to be ready by: . Artist will provide the hair and/or makeup services listed on Exhibit A / Price list dated , incorporated here, for these people: Bride ; attendants/mothers/others (ages of children listed). Each service, person, and price is listed separately. Makeup includes: (e.g., traditional or airbrush, lashes). Trial: ☐ hair ☐ makeup on at , fee $. Touch-up hours (if booked): hours at $ per hour.

A schedule of services and start times will be provided by Artist. The full party's services typically take about hours; the bride's first appointment is scheduled first unless agreed otherwise.

2. Fees, deposit, and payment

Total for services, trial, travel, and fees: $. A nonrefundable retainer of $ and this signed Agreement are both required to hold the date; the date is not held until both are received within days of issue. The retainer is credited to the total. The balance is due by (typically days before the wedding). Payments may be made by (credit cards subject to a % fee). Card on file for fees under this Agreement: ☐ yes ☐ no. Gratuity is not included and is at Client's discretion. Additional services or people not listed here are charged at Artist's rates on the day of service.

Fees that may apply: travel $ (or $ per mile round trip beyond miles); parking/valet and hotel costs at Client's expense; assistant fee for parties over people: $; early start before AM: $; relocation to a second location: $; overnight stay: $; blow-dry needed on arrival: $.

3. Wedding-day requirements

Client will provide a clean, private, well-lit space with mirror(s), a chair, and power outlets near the working area. Artist's first client must be present and ready minutes before the scheduled start. Hair must be clean and dry, with little or no product, unless a blow-dry service is booked. Party members are asked to wear button-down or loose-fitting tops. Client will disclose all allergies, sensitivities, and skin conditions in writing before the trial or the wedding. Artist may decline or adapt a service for safety or hygiene reasons and may use only professional, sanitized products and tools.

4. Timing and delays

If the party is late by more than minutes or not ready, services may be shortened or dropped, and Client remains responsible for all booked services. If Artist waits or is idle for more than minutes, an idle-time fee of $ per minutes applies. Stay-late/touch-up time beyond the ready-by time is $ per hour. Artist is not responsible for how long a look lasts through weather, heat, or other conditions outside Artist's control.

5. Cancellation, rescheduling, and replacement

Client may cancel only by written notice. The retainer is nonrefundable. If Client cancels more than days before the wedding, no further amount is owed. If Client cancels days or fewer before, % of the total (or the full total) is owed and may be charged to the card on file. A reschedule more than days before the wedding, to an available date within months, may transfer the retainer; otherwise it is treated as a cancellation. Changes to the number of people or services must be made in writing by ; reductions after that date are still charged. If Artist cannot perform because of illness or emergency, Artist will promptly send a comparable artist; if none is available, Artist will refund all payments, including retainer and travel. If disaster, severe weather, government action, epidemic, or venue closure makes the event impossible, the parties will work in good faith to reschedule or credit payments.

6. Liability and general terms

To the extent allowed by law, Artist's total liability is limited to the amount Client paid, and neither party is liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. Client is responsible for Client's guests and for claims arising from Client's breach or failure to disclose allergies or sensitivities. Artist may photograph and post work for promotion; Client's identity will be kept confidential. This Agreement and Exhibit A are the entire agreement; changes require a signed writing. If a provision is unenforceable, the rest continues. The law of the State of governs. The parties will first try good-faith discussion before formal proceedings.

Client 1

Date

Client 2

Date

Artist/Company

Date

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This template is general information, not legal advice. Contract law and fee rules differ by state; have a licensed attorney in your state review any contract before you use it with clients.