How to Write a Beautiful Thank-You Note to Your Wedding Makeup Artist

Amidst the whirlwind of day-of preparations, few vendors play as pivotal a role in your glow up as your glam squad does. Their meticulous work pulls together your entire nuptials ensemble, so—of course—thanking your wedding makeup artist once the day has come to a close is paramount.

Beyond the sheer aesthetics they bring to your day, your makeup artist works magic (in a modern "wedding fairy godparent" way) that goes well beyond appearances. Their artistry doesn't just complement your natural beauty; it also brings out your inner confidence and poise with every delicate brush of color and careful stroke of mascara. And it's this transformative touch that truly sets them apart as you're starting to thank all your wedding vendors. Of course, glowing reviews on our vendor pages, Google Reviews, Facebook, Instagram and Yelp are, beyond a shadow (eyeshadow, really) of a doubt, super impactful when you can hype up your makeup artist for their talents and expertise. But there's nothing like a handwritten thank-you card to truly show your gratitude for hooking you up with a beat that held on through hours of revelry. If you don't know where to start, we've got some tips on what to write in your thank-you note to your wedding makeup artist below.

In this article:

• Makeup Artist Thank-You Note Etiquette
• Makeup Artist Thank-You Note Prompts
• Sample Makeup Artist Thank-You Notes

Makeup Artist Thank-You Note Etiquette

By the time your big day arrives, your MUA may already be well aware of how much you appreciate them (read: the numerous texts filled with exclamation points, lipstick and kissy-face emojis following your makeup trial), but you should still prepare a more formal thank-you note for your wedding makeup artist once the wedding is over. After all, feeling like your most stunning self on the day you get married is the dream, but getting to obsess over your look when your professional photos come in offers a totally new level of afterglow.

As for when you should send your MUA a from-the-heart thank-you missive? Typically, wedding thank-you note etiquette says three months post-wedding is an appropriate time frame to send out your correspondence of gratitude. But, in this case, we recommend getting it done no more than two or three weeks after your wedding date when the details of your expertly contoured cheekbones and perfectly polished pout are still fresh in your (and their) mind. (Though, a kind thank-you letter is never truly overdue.)

You're more than welcome to write it and sign it from you and you alone (unless they did both your and your spouse's looks for the big day), but we'd be willing to bet that any makeup artist who received a thank-you note from a client muse and the special someone who marveled at them all day long would be utterly flattered, so the choice is yours.

Makeup Artist Thank-You Note Prompts

Now that you know some essential thank-you note tips, it's time to put pen to paper to compose your thank-you message for your wedding makeup artist. Like the natural yet luminous faces you saved on Instagram or the glazed-pink-lip looks you pinned on Pinterest, here, too, are a few prompts for inspo on what to say:

• If you usually don't trust anyone to "make you up," but you felt instantly relaxed and comfortable in their chair, give them the true story of how quickly they won you over.
• Fill them in on what you did after your makeup trial, especially if you made of-the-moment plans to go out—when pajamas and takeout just weren't an option.
• Talk about your celebrity crush or greatest inspiration and segue into how their artistry truly made you feel like an A-lister.
• Call back to what you thought you wanted for your wedding day look and then mention how that either changed completely or was completely validated (and locked in) after they finished your trial.
• Speak to their trendsetter status just a bit, noting how once you started following them on Instagram or got a full scan of their beauty arsenal/fave products at your trial, you were hopelessly #influenced.
• If you were so smitten that you booked your wedding makeup artist for multiple pre-wedding events (your engagement photo session, your bridal shower, your bachelorette, your rehearsal dinner, etc.), tell them how honored you were to make them an official member of your prep squad.
• Get candid about your vendor priorities, noting how they topped your list of VIPs.
• Thank them for providing a handy "how to come makeup-ready" list/best practices for your bridal party ahead of your wedding weekend.
• Give them major props for meeting your bridal party members where they were on your wedding morning—and by that, we mean thank them for letting your bridesmaids Venmo even when you haunted them (in the most appropriate way) to bring cash at every turn.
• Find three words to describe how you felt when you looked in the mirror the first time.
• Share a few memories from/things that were said at all of your first looks (with the bridesmaids, with your parents, with your soon-to-be spouse) when everyone was in awe of your beauty.
• Sing their praises for being on-site/just a text away when your "I do"s were done and you needed a touch-up ahead of your reception or after-party.
• Confess that you went to sleep on your wedding night with a full face of makeup on (false lashes and all) because it brought you that much joy and you just couldn't wash it away.
• Give them a heads up that you've bragged about them to your just-engaged friends and they should expect at least a few calls for makeup magic in the coming months.
• Include your favorite wedding picture inside your card and caption it: "Look what you made me do…officially in my sending-fan-mail era."

Sample Makeup Artist Thank-You Notes

Your wedding makeup artist helped you get ready and put your best face forward for one of the most important events of your life. So, now that the day is in your rearview mirror, the time has come to say "thank you." If you love makeup and go MAX with looks for all the big things, then go all out in the wording for your wedding makeup artist thank-you card. If minimalism (in an "appreciation for tinted moisturizer with a dollop of color on the lips" kind of way) is more your love language, then feel free to streamline the sentimentality with just a few impactful tidbits or two. If you're not sure exactly how to thank your wedding makeup artist, check out these three examples below.

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Example 1

Dear [makeup artist's name],

I've been using that waterproof mascara you used on me for weeks now because I just fall apart any time I remember our wedding is over. Luckily, there's a quote I've been clinging to—and it's been helping, thank goodness: "Don't be sad that it's over, smile because it happened." I feel this so intensely and I truly can't stop smiling whenever I think about what you did for my wedding glow game.

Some people need the best photographer on their wedding day, some want flowers that look like they lept out of the pages of Vogue or were plucked straight from the hallowed halls of the Met Gala. But a makeup artist who made me feel like the most stunning version of myself to say "I do"? That was everything to me.

Thank you for affirming what I knew a whole year [or however long you've been in contact with your makeup artist] ago: You're a legend.

Love you!

[Your name]

Example 2

Dear [makeup artist's name],

You know, I've only ever gotten my makeup done for my cousin's wedding and prom—full transparency, my "final looks" never did live up to their hype. But you completely turned things around for me when I showed up at my trial with limited inspo (and that's an understatement) and a very jaded attitude.

Instead of going with a basic look you've perfected countless times over, you took the time to go through my feed, see who I followed, ask about my celebrity heroes and get a true gauge of my aesthetic. You curated the precise kind of makeup that would balance out my complexion and look great on camera, but, more importantly, you made me feel confident. I felt the same exact way on my wedding day and I know when my partner saw me for the first time, they sensed it too. That's monumental.

You shine at what you do and I'm forever grateful. I can name three people who already want you signed for their big days…My mom's been dropping your name to all of her friends. Hah.

Thank you, [makeup artist's name]. You were never my vendor, you were a friend from day one.

Never lose your superpowers!

[Your name]

Example 3

Dear [makeup artist's name],

Confident. Glamourous. Elegant. This is how I felt when I looked in the mirror and saw the exquisite makeup you created—like the most stunning, elevated version of myself.

I could go on and on about your incredible talent (and I'll be leaving a lengthy review, don't you worry!), but I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You executed my vision to a T, turning me into my very own Pinterest inspo! I also have to mention how you worked seamlessly alongside [hairstylist's name] and stayed through both the ceremony and reception for touch-ups—honestly, some of the wedding photos have come in, and there's not a single lipstick smudge or raccoon eye to be found (and we both know there were plenty of tears!).

It was hard for me to cut into our wedding cake because it was so beautiful, but it was literally impossible for me to wash away all your gorgeous work! I'll admit, I went to bed that night in a full face of makeup and wore it to breakfast the next morning. It was just too stunning to let go, and the fact that it did last all day and night speaks to your exceptional skill and talent.

You truly made me look and feel more beautiful than I ever have in my life and on my most important day ever. I can't thank you enough!

Xoxo,

[Your name]

Additional reporting by Shyla Watson