HANDMAID IS CLOSING DOWN!
All bookings already made will be honoured but we are not taking any new bookings. This website will stay open for those existing clients with bookings for a few months and for sale of our inventory.
We have loved building Handmaid and working with all our clients and industry friends over the years . We are closing for family reasons but are so grateful for the many years providing a fantastic service.
Sending love to everyone we have worked with and apologies to those that came looking to work with us.
Charlotte x
13 November 2024
GET TO KNOW US!
Three Sixty Photography
OUR STORY
Because life's too short NOT to be celebrated!
When yet another young, vibrant friend passed away, it was a sad reminder that life is really too short NOT to celebrate. This was the catalyst to start Handmaid, a business that offered rentals for hire in the greater Wellington region that would provide people with quality items to help them to 'Be the Celebrators', while also treading lightly on the Earth.
Handmaid has a collection of rentals that look great at any event where you want to stand out. If you need someone to provide rental, design and styling in the wider Wellington region with a heap of celebrations under the belt, you've come to right place.
We can't think of a better industry to be surrounded by ALL the good vibes and sooo much love and gratitude. BUT the industry isn't perfect. A lot of waste can be produced and many items used that won’t stand the test of time will enter the landfill after a celebration. So we built a rental/hiring inventory that allows our clients to have something beautiful that can be used over and over and over and over...!
After five years of growing the business and with incredibly positive feedback from our tribe, we decided to focus the business further on sustainability within the wedding and events industries to provide you with more options and ideas for your celebration to be memorable for all the right reasons.
MEET CHARLOTTE
OWNER, CHIEFTESS OF STYLING & HIRE
Charlotte loves nothing better than to see people connect, gather and celebrate. Bringing all the details together is her superpower and to see a celebration ooze all the good vibes is so rewarding!
When you engage Handmaid, chances are you will be connecting with Charlotte first so get to know her a bit here!
"Working on your event is personal, and I looove connecting with my tribe to support them along the way and help make it super special!"
CHARLOTTE IN A NUTSHELL
WHO ARE YOU? (WHO? WHO?)
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A people-lover who always sees the good in others
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The Always Loyal Friend & The Grounded One
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The Inherent Empath
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The Listener & The Pragmatist
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The Flowers-When-You're-Down-Friend
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The Summer Barefoot Gardener
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And The Love-Your-Kids-Like-They're-Mine Friend.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
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I am a lover of The Small Things & am constantly inspired by nature in all its guises
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I delight in the awakening of spring
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The power of communities
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Joyous love that draws the best out of each other (lucky I came into this industry then!)
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The strength of the human spirit (looking at you my Syrian friends)
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Flat whites, we can't forget flat whites...
(or pinot noir for that matter!)
WHAT RINGS YOUR BELL?
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Being with my soulmate I found making music on the far side of the world and with our kids by my side
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Having my fingers in the soil and breathing in nature
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Hanging with The Sisterhood
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Growing, foraging & arranging foliage and flowers
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Having busy hands with [enter any-description-of-crafting-or-art!]
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Being geeky with a cryptic crossword in bed on a rainy night
MEET TEAM HANDMAID
Ray
Ray is our packing Tetris mover and obligatory musical Irish bar man.
He is always quick to laugh with our guests, and is so lovely and kind, that after meeting him in Ireland, Charlotte imported him and married him.
Marliesje
Marliesje is a seasoned Handmaid pro. She's been helping us since the beginning of Handmaid time.
Marliesje's eye for design and ability to throw a memorable party, is widely known 'round these parts. We even have done weddings alongside her when she's singing In the band!
HANDMAID'S VALUES
1. SERVICE
We love to be in service of our tribe! Connection and clear communication is our game. We work hard to provide excellent service to our clients - actually, it's not that hard to do because it comes naturally to us.
We want our clients to want to stay in touch with us and to come back to us for the next celebration and refer us to others.
2. CREATIVITY
We chose to work in celebrations because it enables creativity. We love to think of all the ways to make a celebration special and to consider our work from a unique perspective to make an event unforgettable.
Creativity is reflected in gathering inventory that will look great, in considering the big picture design of spaces and in all the details that pull that design together. We utilise the human gift of creativity in not only our hire items and design services but in all aspects of our business.
3. COMMUNITY (AKA Social Responsibility)
We love the art of bringing people together for our clients but also for our business. We do what we do for more than our clients and the industry we love - we also do it to help make the world a better place every damn day.
We think giving back is a must in life and will show up for others in our local and global communities - be it to support causes we are passionate about or to help this beautiful Earth thrive (just some examples: we donate to organisations like Kāpiti Youth Support, The Kāpiti Food Bank and we offset the carbon used for all travel made by Handmaid and Sadie Swoon).
(AND it surely goes without saying that we welcome people of all races, genders, religions, sexual orientations & gender identities!)
4. BALANCE
While we love our work and crush it while there, we love our families and connecting with other parts of our lives too.
We choose a positive outlook and to be part of a welcoming, energetic, flexible work environment.