Based on my experience, I think that there are several things to take into consideration when drawing up your fee schedule for weddings and special events.
1. How long does it take you to do a makeup?
2. How much do you think your makeup talent is worth, per hour?
3. How far do you have to travel?
4. How much product will you be using?
Based on these questions, when I was trying to get my foot in the door, I charged $55 for the bride, and $35 for each bridesmaid, mother, etc. For little girls (flower girls, ring bearers, etc.), I charge $20 each. I also charged a sliding travel fee for anything that was more than 15 miles away from my house, because gas here in California isn't cheap. It was agreed upon that any parking fees, tolls, etc., were to be paid by the client. Of course, I also charge a fee for staying on for the entire event to do touchups - about half of what of what I charge per hour for makeup (so based on the scale above, $30/hour).
Nowadays, because I've got a higher demand, and other jobs that I could be doing, I charge $125 for the bride, $65 for each bridesmaid, and $30 for the little ones. I am a firm believer that you should get paid what you're worth, and as a beginner, you should charge less, as what you gain in experience is worth more than the dollars you charge.
One other thing to think about: You want to build a good reputation; if you're new at this, and your bride is expecting a seasoned professional, you're not going to get very good recommendations for overcharging and making beginner mistakes; then you're out of business before you even get a chance to get started!
It takes a while to get yourself onto a fee schedule that's
a. competitive (meaning not over or under priced),
b. keeps your rent paid, and
c. gives the bride the sense that she's not getting price-gouged.
I hope this helps!
