We continue our series featuring talented wedding vendors with incredible values. Created to inspire, intrigue and showcase how truly amazing New Zealand small businesses and their founders are.
Next up is Claire and Rocky - Native Plant Stylists from HapPea Events
Kia ora, we’re Claire and Rocky, founders of HapPea Events. We bring events to life with New Zealand native plants. We call it Native Plant Styling!
Our Lush Green collection is inspired by our Kiwi bush. We have tree ferns, ground ferns, nikau palms, hanging fern baskets, planted ponga pots, and a unique Living Green Wall. All plants are living and for hire. A natural and beautiful styling alternative for all the lovers out there.
Was there a moment when you realised this is what you wanted to do?
We’d been playing around with the idea of offering eco-friendly events for a couple of years before finding our niche. Rocky has always taken a kick out of transforming spaces, and we both love the events industry – and nature. It was just a matter of finding a way to combine both. Eventually Rocky took on a course in event planning and design with the Wedding Academy. And from there we started to think seriously about how we could turn our idea into a reality. We’d just returned to New Zealand after many years abroad, and felt immediately captivated by the raw beauty of our natural environment. We fell in love with the abundance of green, the ferns, the trees, the moss, the smells and sounds of nature. We had to incorporate it into our business plan. Then came the idea of styling events with native plants. Making sure all the plants we used were alive, so they could be reused over and over again. I guess that’s when we had our ‘Aha moment’, and came up with Native Plant Styling. It felt just right. We knew we had to push this concept out to the world. And that’s how HapPea Events was born!
...that’s when we had our ‘Aha moment’, and came up with Native Plant Styling.. It felt just right. We knew we had to push this concept out to the world.
Why are you passionate about what you do?
Plants are fascinating. They are a constant source of amazement and simply stunning to look at. It’s a real joy to take plants out to events and get creative with them. Being alive, they are constantly evolving, there is always something new to discover and learn. Styling weddings with native greenery is a great source of joy. We share our love of nature with our clients. Knowing that together we’re treading lightly on the planet, we connect closely together. It’s a great feeling.
We share our love of nature with our clients. Knowing that together we’re treading lightly on the planet, we connect closely together. It’s a great feeling.
Biggest eco challenges you face in your business?
Luckily by the nature of our business, our service creates little to no waste as the plants and pots are reusable. We made the conscious choice of only using planter pots which are made of recycled or natural material. Transporting the plants to and from events is what impacts the environment mostly for us. We hope business picks up and technology is up to scratch to enable us to switch to a fully electric delivery van – and a carbon neutral business. That’s definitely one of our top goals.
How can people be more mindful when choosing options?
The first step is to ask a few questions before making a decision. Where does it come from? How was it made? Can I reuse it? Can I dispose of it? Once those questions are answered, it’s a lot easier to make a conscious decision.
Any tips on having a more eco-friendly wedding?
The 5 R’s of Zero Waste is an easy principle to follow: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot. Consider recycling and composting bins, group transport, second hand items as well as hire items. Think plant hire as a styling option. I hear natives especially are very hip! Keep your food and flowers seasonal. And choose local.
We believe beautiful events and a beautiful planet should go hand in hand. Have a look on our About page to see how we’re doing our bit to keep New Zealand beautiful.
Think plant hire as a styling option. I hear natives especially are very hip! Keep your food and flowers seasonal. And choose local.
Are you taking bookings at the moment?
Yes, we are. We have created wedding packages which include the plant hire, set up and pack down – making the styling for any wedding an absolute breeze. Our most recent concept, the Full Wedding package covers all areas of a wedding space: entrance, ceremony spot, reception, table décor, bar, lounge and a photo backdrop. An absolute lush, green, native delight. So get in touch, we look forward to hearing from you.
Our most recent concept, the Full Wedding package covers all areas of a wedding space: entrance, ceremony spot, reception, table décor, bar, lounge and a photo backdrop.
When you’re not working, you’re….
Somewhere out and about either on foot, on our bikes or in the water. Probably accompanied by a furry friend. We live between the lakes, the bush and the beach – it feels like paradise. We do love our food too, so if at home most likely baking, cooking, or eating. Not to say that we won’t be out eating too! Picnics are always a favourite.
What you’ve learnt along the business journey
It’s not always easy but it’s worth it. Some days motivation is high, some days we can be full of doubt. As long as the passion is there and we feel like it’s right, we keep on going, tweaking as we go and making sure we enjoy the process along the way.
Time to connect! Head over to our website to see how we can transform your wedding in a lush botanical oasis.
A big thank you to Renee from One Poppy for having us on her blog. It’s fantastic to connect with like-minded peers, working together to make the wedding industry sustainable and beautiful.
Claire and Rocky
HapPea Events
Native Plant Hire + Event Styling
Photo credit Rose McMahon
Comments