Tiara Mehndi

I know that many people feel that henna artists just add bridal to their service and use that as an excuse to charge extra. So, I thought I would write a blog to help de-bunk this myth. The easiest way to explain the difference is by using a shopping example. Party henna is like buying a dress from the high street, whilst bridal henna is like buying a couture dress. Both are dresses that will have the same function, however there is a much higher level of detail and customisation that goes into the couture gown. The high street dress is a standard dress that is decent and pretty but is quite basic and many people will have the same dress or something similar. The couture gown will be tailored to you, one of a kind and you can have input over the design. All these factors impact on the price with the couture dress being more expensive because of the additional work required. There is also the matter of quality over quantity as you would need to sell 100 high street dresses to make the same as selling 1 couture dress. However, you wouldn’t be able to make 100 couture dresses in the time you could 100 high street dresses. Which dress you buy depends on your current need as sometimes you need something basic and sometimes you need something with a bit more pizazz!

If you’re bored of reading about dresses, below are some actual henna related reasons!

Aim

The overall aim of party henna is to give all the guests a bit of henna to show they’ve been to a wedding. As there are lots of people that need henna it is important to be efficient with the types of designs that are being applied, and although designs are basic they should be neat and aesthetically pleasing. For bridal henna it is a show piece and an integral part of a bride’s attire. So, the aim is to create a beautiful and neat one of a kind designs customised to the bride’s taste. The overall focus is more on quality than quantity. Whilst party henna is more quantity focused. Though like the high street, the basic option is still nice and it requires a lot of skill to apply neat henna in such a fast-paced environment.

Design Choice

For party henna design choice is limited to rather basic elements. This is because complex design elements take much longer to do and, in a party setting you need to keep the line moving to get everyone done. For me personally clients can pick a layout and I will free-style the design for them. Whereas with bridal henna it is completely up to the bride what to include in her design. No elements are off-limits, and we can even include custom elements within the design.

Design Intricacy

Whilst I offer heavy, medium and light designs for bridal and party clients. The standard for the bridal intricacy is completely different to the standard for party henna intricacy. For example, a bridal heavy design and a party heavy design will both cover the full hand. However, the bridal design will have a more complex layout with a variety of elements and motifs. Whilst the party henna full hand will have a simplistic layout with only 2 or 3 different elements. Again, time is a big factor in this as simple element are quicker and help keep the line moving, but guests are usually quite restless when getting their henna done and want to get back to the party or eat.

Design Planning

For bridal henna I will consult with the bride and draw out some different options for her to chose from. Once a choice is made there may also be some amendments that I will have to update the final design with. This is a very time-consuming process and is factored into the price of bridal henna. For party henna there is no planning prior to the day, any design requests are made on the day and I will accommodate if feasible.

Design Practise

For bridal henna there may be new or custom elements that the bride has requested, which I will have to learn how to do. Some elements can take a while to learn and additional practise will be required. For party henna whilst I do need to practise to help with speed and neatness, it is more general and falls into my normal henna practise.

Application Time

Bridal henna must be neat and, in most cases include complex elements and be symmetrical. To achieve this a lot more time is required to apply the design. Whereas party henna mainly just needs be neat and pretty. A light party design could take 5 minutes whereas a bridal light design could take 40 minutes.

Whilst party and bridal henna are both applied by me using the same henna, the level of service required for bridal henna is far more significant than party henna. I personally put full effort into bridal and party henna, however both types of henna need different skills and have are different focuses. Bridal henna is much more demanding in every aspect and it is priced accordingly.

Hopefully this has helped you to see the difference between bridal and party henna and why there is such a big difference in the pricing!