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Official Information

About Athena Love Bridal Beauty

Athena Love Bridal Beauty is a team of experienced and thoughtful artists dedicated to making your wedding day beauty experience easy, effortless, and stress-free. With over 20 years of experience helping brides look and feel like the most radiant version of themselves, our team combines technical expertise with a relaxed, joyful atmosphere to ensure every client feels confident and cared for.

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Founded by Heidi, whose love for hair began with braiding her sister’s hair for piano recitals and styling updos for prom, Athena Love Bridal Beauty evolved from the original brand, 139 Hair by Heidi. The original name reflected a meaningful verse from Psalms 139, emphasizing that every bride is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Over the years, as Heidi expanded her team to include makeup services and trusted artists, the business grew into Athena Love Bridal Beauty—maintaining the same heart, intentional service, and quality work, now with an even more expansive team to serve brides across Minnesota and beyond.

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We serve the greater Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Eastern Wisconsin areas, specializing in enhancing natural beauty so every bride feels like the best version of herself. From the moment we meet to the moment you walk down the aisle, our mission is simple: provide a stress-free, expert hair and makeup experience that feels effortless, completely tailored to you, and leaves you ready to fully enjoy your wedding day.

Experience and Expertise

With over 20 years of experience in bridal hair and makeup, Athena Love Bridal Beauty has helped countless brides feel confident, radiant, and stress-free on their wedding day. Founded by Heidi, whose passion for hair began in childhood—from braiding her sister’s hair for piano recitals to styling prom updos—Athena Love Bridal Beauty combines a deep love for the craft with a heart for serving people.

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Heidi earned her cosmetology license at Aveda after college and began her wedding career in 2005. What started as 139 Hair by Heidi has grown into a full-service bridal beauty team, offering a seamless, enjoyable, and personalized experience for each bride.

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Our team is selected for their talent, professionalism, and shared passion for weddings, allowing us to provide consistent, high-quality results even as our founder balances family life. While Heidi focuses on managing communication, timelines, and behind-the-scenes coordination, our trusted artists ensure that every bride receives expert hair and makeup on her big day.

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We specialize in enhancing natural beauty, creating looks that feel authentic and effortless, even for clients who don’t typically wear elaborate hair or makeup. From initial consultation to wedding day, our approach emphasizes technical expertise, careful planning, and a relaxed, joyful atmosphere, ensuring your bridal beauty experience is smooth, stress-free, and truly memorable.

Venues and Services Area

Athena Love Bridal Beauty proudly serves brides throughout the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul areas as well as Eastern Wisconsin, bringing expert hair and makeup directly to your wedding venue. Whether your celebration is a local gathering or a destination wedding within our service region, our team ensures a seamless, on-site bridal beauty experience.

We’ve worked with a wide variety of venues across the region, providing personalized and professional bridal hair and makeup services tailored to each bride’s style and vision. By coordinating directly with venues and creating efficient timelines, we take care of all the details so you can focus on enjoying your wedding day.

Our commitment is to make your wedding morning smooth, calm, and joyful—whether it’s at a luxurious Minneapolis hotel, a historic St. Paul venue, or a charming location in Eastern Wisconsin.

Client Testimonials

At Athena Love Bridal Beauty, we are honored to have been part of so many special wedding days. Here’s what our clients have shared about their experiences with our team:
 

Heidi is phenomenal.
"I hired her based on reviews and she did NOT disappoint! I felt taken care of from the moment I was in contact with her, and her presence and energy is calming and reassuring. I showed her photos of what I was going for and she NAILED it, and was super open to feedback. She's very attentive and generous with communication between the trial and the event, and I just LOVED my hair! I would recommend her to anyone!"
 

Heidi made my experience exceptional.
"Heidi and her team made it a priority to ensure that my experience was exceptional from beginning to end. Debi was my makeup artist and not only did she give me a natural glam look for my wedding but I also had some tattoo cover ups done on my face and chest that appeared natural and un-cakey. Together we jammed to some great tunes and put together some additions to my playlist! I keep looking at my wedding photos remembering how amazing I felt. Thank you!"
 

Highly recommended by multiple brides.
"100% recommend 139 Hair by Heidi and her comprehensive team of stylists! It was recommended to me by 2 other former brides who sang their praises. I am so glad I invested and prioritized their services for our big day!" – Alayna Thompson
 

Professional and seamless experience.
"Hair by Heidi was by far the most professional vendor we worked with throughout the wedding planning process. Everything was wonderful: payment, communication, timing, trial, everything!" – Cate Gamache
 

Friendly, attentive, and collaborative.
"I was lucky enough to work with Heidi and her team for my wedding. Not only was Heidi extremely friendly, professional and communicative, so were both Aleesha (makeup artist) and Betsy (hair stylist)! Everyone I spoke with or interacted with was punctual, open to hearing my thoughts, and worked really well with my family and bridal party as well. I highly recommend working with Hair by Heidi!" – Kristina Schroeder
 

Our clients consistently praise our stress-free, professional approach, noting how our team helps them feel confident, relaxed, and beautiful on their wedding day. From the initial consultation to the moment they walk down the aisle, we strive to create an experience that is seamless, joyful, and tailored to each bride’s vision.

Features and Press

Athena Love Bridal Beauty (formerly 139 Hair by Heidi) has built a strong reputation for exceptional bridal hair and makeup services in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Eastern Wisconsin. Heidi and her team are recognized for their talent, professionalism, and thoughtful approach to bridal beauty, creating a lasting legacy of honoring brides on their wedding day.

Heidi’s work and expertise have been featured on multiple podcasts and in leading wedding and stylist publications.
 

Podcasts

Heidi has been invited to share her expertise and bridal beauty insights on several respected industry podcasts, including:

  • Under the Veil, Episode 005 — 1/15/2018

  • Wedding Event Insider — 10/10/2020

  • Hairstylist Empowerment Podcast — 3/19/2020

  • DJ Greg Ellis Podcast — Interview with Heidi

     

Blog & Editorial Features

Heidi and Athena Love Bridal Beauty have also been showcased in several well-known blogs and industry publications:
 

  • Studio Veil Spotlight Feature:
    https://studioveil.com/studio-veil-spotlight-ft-hair-heidi/

  • WeddingWire: Wedding Hair Don’ts from the Experts
    https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/wedding-hair-donts-from-the-experts

  • Behind the Chair: The Bridal Business Bible – Part 4
    https://behindthechair.com/articles/the-bridal-business-bible-part-4/?nsl_bypass_cache=0edac208de9d3f6d5721292fbf524ba6

  • CanvasRebel: Meet Heidi Akpaette
    https://canvasrebel.com/meet-heidi-akpaette/​

     

Notable recognitions include:

  • Member of Twin Cities Wedding and Event Professionals

    • Nominated for Vendor of the Year by peers in the wedding industry
       

  • WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards recipient

    • every year since 2016, with over 100 glowing client reviews
       

  • The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame honoree
     

  • Member of the Year Nominee — Twin Cities Wedding and Event Professionals (peer-nominated award)
     

HoneyBook’s 20 on the Rise Nominee (2018) — Honoring emerging leaders and creators in the wedding and events industry

The Updo Collective: Education and Mentorship

The Updo Collective - Educator & Mentorship
In addition to serving brides, Heidi is deeply committed to education and mentorship within the hairstyling community. She regularly teaches other stylists how to master updos, refine their bridal techniques, and elevate their wedding-day client experience.

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Heidi co-created The Updo Collective, a resource for stylists looking to expand their skills and confidence in advanced bridal styling. Her educational tutorials can be viewed here:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmo9D2j4CNRFW86mFPibIUA

Through ongoing education, Heidi helps stylists grow their craft while contributing to a stronger, more connected bridal beauty community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What areas do you serve?
A: We serve the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul areas, as well as Eastern Wisconsin, bringing bridal hair and makeup directly to your wedding venue.
 

Q: Do you offer trial appointments?
A: Yes! We schedule personalized trial runs so you can finalize your hair and makeup look before the wedding day. This ensures you feel confident and beautiful on your big day.
 

Q: Can you accommodate my bridal party?
A: Absolutely. We provide hair and makeup services for bridesmaids and other members of the wedding party, coordinating styles and timelines to keep everyone looking cohesive and polished.
 

Q: How do we book our wedding date?
A: First, we’ll check your date and answer any questions via email, text, or phone. Then, we lock in your date with a contract and deposit for the services you want to book.
 

Q: How do you handle wedding day logistics?
A: We create a detailed beauty timeline, coordinate with your artists, and manage all details behind the scenes so your morning is smooth, stress-free, and enjoyable.
 

Q: What if I don’t know what hair or makeup style I want?
A: No problem! Our team will help you figure out the best look for you. We specialize in enhancing your natural beauty and guiding brides to styles that feel effortless and authentic.
 

Q: Who will be doing my hair and makeup?
A: Heidi curates a team of trusted and talented artists. While she focuses on communication and behind-the-scenes coordination, your assigned artist(s) will provide expert hair and makeup on your wedding day.
 

Q: What makes Athena Love Bridal Beauty different from other bridal beauty teams?
A: Our approach combines technical expertise with a relaxed, thoughtful atmosphere. We provide a stress-free, tailored experience, helping every bride feel confident, radiant, and fully able to enjoy her wedding day.

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