My Biz: Couple create wedding venue in Iowa countryside

HOMESTEAD — Deda and Neil Happel are living out a dream come true while helping other couples have their own dream wedding day.

The two own and operate Koru Berry Farm, a wedding venue sitting on 22 acres near Homestead in the Amana Colonies.

“It looks a bit like a vineyard and then we have a whole bunch of animals that surround the property that people get to see when they are here — like a wedding petting zoo, if you will,” Deda said. “It’s fun and very unique.”

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Animals on the farm include sheep, goats, long-haired pigs, free-range peacocks, llamas, alpacas, emus, chickens, quail, ducks, a mini horse and mini donkeys. The donkeys, in particular, have become a popular feature of the venue as they tote around drinks, serving as “beer burros.”

“Our miniature donkeys will serve beer at cocktail hour if the couple wants them to, and people have a blast with being up close and personal with the donkey, getting a selfie while they grab a drink,” Neil said. ”From the young to the very old, people just think it's absolutely wonderful to see these donkeys all dressed up and serving drinks.”

Figuring it out

The Happels used to live in Cedar Rapids but decided to relocate a few years ago even though they had no farming experience.

“The landscape here is just incredible,” Deda said.

A nearby church, which went up for sale within three months of the Happels moving to the farm, got her thinking about a venture for the property beyond raising aronia berries, also known as chokeberries, known for their antioxidant properties.

“We thought it would make an incredible wedding venue,” said Deda, 54.

“We didn't have a background in weddings,” said Neil, 43. “We didn't have that natural progression in our careers that would say, ‘Hey, we're caterers, let's go do a wedding venue.’ I was a truck driver and a landscaper, and she was an artist and a CNA (certified nursing assistant), and this property literally fell in our lap.

“We've just listened to the vendors and our couples to see what they wanted, what was going to make their life easier, what was going to make it their dream wedding,” he said. “And we just kept adding, and we keep adding. Every single day we sit down, and we dream about what's next. What else can we do? What else can we provide for our couples?”

Deda said the process “has been such a joy, to see Neil go from, ‘No, I absolutely don't want to do this’ to it becoming a true passion now. He absolutely loves what he does. … It’s been a dream come true.”

“It was just like a nice little blank canvas that we could just play with,” she added. “We didn't start with a lot of money. So, we did a lot of the work ourselves, if not all of it. And we started with smaller weddings. That first year we had like seven weddings.”

Dreaming for others

Koru Berry Farms — the Koru name comes from the Maori word for “loop,” signifying stregth and peace — now hosts 50-plus weddings a year.

“Right now, we are booked up for summer and fall and a bit of summer of 2025,” Deda said. “It’s surreal.”

The property is designed with others in mind, but reflects the Happels as well.

Deda created much of the artwork in the building. And Neil did all the landscaping. Their teenage son, Nathan, helps with everything.

“It’s not a cookie-cutter kind of place,” Deda said, “Neil likes to say that we are the Chip and Joanna (Gaines) of Iowa,” referring to the entrepreneurial couple who made “Fixer Upper” a hit TV series and commercial success.

“With my being an artist and him being a landscaper, we've made our living dreaming for other people our whole career,” she said. “And so now we've had a blank canvas that we could do whatever we wanted, which is fun and exciting.”

Each wedding is a personalized experience, the Happels said.

Hayley Warack and her 2-year-old son, Drew, make their way down to the patio during a Thursday Throwdown event June 13 at Koru Berry Farm near Homestead. The farm has outdoor music, beverages and food on Thursday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. during the summer. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Patrons shelter from a light drizzle as they prepare to hear live music from Cole Thomas during a Thursday Throwdown event June 13 at Koru Berry Farm near Homestead. Deda and Neil Happel lived in Cedar Rapids before taking on the berry farm and creating a wedding and event venue. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Aiden (left) and Gavin King, both 5 years old, play a game of tick-tack-toe as they wait for the rain to pass during a Thursday Throwdown event June 13 at the Koru Berry Farm near Homestead. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Cole Thomas belts out “Ring of Fire” during the June 13 Thursday Throwdown event at Koru Berry Farm near Homestead. The farm presents live music, food and beverages during the Thursday summer evening events. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Patrons listen to Cole Thomas perform June 13 at the Koru Berry Farm on June 13 near Homestead. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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“I really, really, really love coming into the venue when it's a wedding day and just seeing the couple’s personality come through,” Deda said. “The venue looks different every single weekend to reflect the character of the couple.”

Neil said he enjoys “shepherding the couple through the process. They come in, … they're all giddy and they're excited because they're engaged and then they book here and then they almost are kind of like a deer in headlights. Like, ‘How do we do this?’

“Then we walk them through it so it's not a daunting or overwhelming process. … It doesn't have to be so stressful and packed with anxiety that you're just pulling your hair out. … It's so much fun to see that all come together and having the privilege of being a small part of such an important day in their life.”

Not surprisingly, the Happels keep envisioning ways to expand on their offerings.

They started a free music series on Thursday evenings in the summer and are thinking about how they can offer lodging on site for the out-of-town guests attending weddings.

“We’ve had people from all over the place … California, New York, Germany, Texas,” Deda said. “It's been kind of cool to see all the different license plates in the parking lot and just meeting people from all over.”

Know a business that should be considered for a “My Biz” feature? Let us know by emailing mary.sharp@thegazette.com.