A Great Foundation: Bridal Undergarments

I think this is a very timely post. This has been on my blog to-do list, and just yesterday, Miss Canary from Weddingbee did a post on bridal undergarments. So here is my two cents on the subject. . .

Bridal undergarments do not get the necessary attention they deserve. I think this may be true of good undergarments in general. My sorority sister made a comment to me some time ago and I walk with this statement daily: “We are too old to be jiggling everywhere.” Such a true statement and I make sure I do my part when I get dressed. I HEART Spanx and Sara Blakely.

At any rate, I’m here to talk about strapless bras. And I speak from personal experience. I was in a wedding last summer and we wore beautiful strapless mermaid gowns (can’t wear it again, but it was gorgeous!). At the bridal shop, I was offered the standard strapless bra that retailed at $55.00 and I was so less than impressed! I’m only a C cup, but these babies are heavy! I didn’t get the lift I was expecting, I didn’t feel “secured” in the bra—I felt if I were dancing, my boobs might flop out! Nor did this standard strapless bra do anything for my back side—if you catch what I’m saying. So I ended up saying, “thanks, but no thanks” and started my search for the perfect strapless bra.

My search landed me at the Special Woman Boutique on the northside of Indianapolis. It’s a little storefront in a commercial park off 86^th and Michigan and I had never heard of it before. It was opened by Carole Coogle, a breast cancer survivor. When she went through her ordeal, she found that there were very few places for women who underwent lumpectomies or mastectomies to go for prosthetics, bras and accessories. Nor did they have that special touch and personal attention that she craved. So she opened her own boutique and I am so glad she did! She eventually began to see the need great bras and support garments in larger sizes (up to KK) so she expanded her business beyond prosthetics and medical bras.

You have to make an appointment to be seen at the Special Woman Boutique and each employee spends about 45 minutes to an hour with each client. I got the opportunity to actually work with Carole for my fitting. She was so nice and sweet and told me the background on how she started. She presented several long-line strapless bras for me to try and walked me through various “exercises” while trying on the bras. I had to jump up and down, bend over at the waist, stretch my arms, dance and a few other things. Carole pointed out that my boobs didn’t exactly fill out the cups of the best bra, so she put in some bust cups and the best bra became the perfect bra! I love, love, love the Goddess long-line bra that I purchased from her! Not only did I spend the same $55.00 on a far superior bra and bust cups, I also had a superior experience. The service was so much more personal and I was ecstatic about my purchase! I was Carole’s biggest fan for weeks after I left her shop and I still refer everyone looking for special undergarments to her. And the handwritten thank you note that she sent me after I made my purchase didn’t hurt one bit. She provided exceptional service.

At the wedding, armed with my Goddess bra and Spanx, I was unstoppable! I performed my bridesmaid’s duties, danced and strolled all night at the reception and I never felt better. I was smoothed out and lifted: Look, Ma! No jiggling! Nothing is worse than to be pulling and tugging all night long while you are supposed to be enjoying a wedding. And remember the photographer?? She’ll be there to capture it all—lumps, bumps and all. So this is my official endorsement of Carole Coogle and the Special Woman Boutique. You do not have the settle for what they hand you at the bridal shop, especially if it does not work for you. If you are in the Indianapolis area, do not hesitate to pay Carole a visit. . .and be sure to tell her Katasha sent you!

The Special Woman Boutique
317.876.3770
8770 Commerce Park Place Suite A
Indianapolis, Indiana 46268

Photo Credit: Goddess Bra

Thanks, On 3 Photography!

What did I do for lunch today?? I went and took some head shots with Anthony of On 3 Photography. He had his equipment set up for another client, so he offered to shoot me, gratis.
So, I mosied myself on over to his office in-between meetings and. . .ta-da!


I feel like I'm back in grammar school on picture day. . .except my outfit wasn't so meticulously planned out. Aside from the errant strand of hair (which was my fault), he made my skin look absolutely radiant! Kudos to Anthony and I'm sure to feature him on this blog as a Velvet Vendor. It's important that you "click" with your photographer personality-wise, as he or she will be with you ALL day. Anthony will surely have you cracking up ALL day!

One of my BFFs in life and in the business was also there at this shoot and it just so happens I took some pics with her over the weekend. I can't wait to see the finished results and I'll be sure to post them, and blog and rave about her, as soon as I get them.

An Eclectic Space for Your Next Event

A few weeks back, I was contacted by Casey of Dean Johnson Gallery. The gallery was interested in providing their space as a venue for Indianapolis brides to host showers, rehearsal dinners or small, intimate ceremonies and receptions. Boy, am I glad that I met with her! The gallery was beautiful! It was a clean, modern space that would be perfect for any smart, chic and stylish bride. The layout of the gallery provides an intimate space to hold most social events. I can just imagine having a wonderful rehearsal dinner for 30 in that space. Bigger is not always better. The best part about having an event in the gallery is that you get to take advantage of the art! When I visited, there was a wonderful display of Japanese kimonos from Linda Arndt. One of the upcoming exhibits is Shoe Fleur—shoes and hats and bags made out of colorful botanicals. What’s not to love about that? And all for $500! Below are some pics that I captured with my camera. I held a little Q&A with Casey and here’s what she had to say:

KSCo: Tell me the history of the building.
CJC: Dean Johnson Gallery, located at 646 Massachusetts Avenue, is a not-for-profit gallery established to support the talents of the Indianapolis arts community. We see the gallery as an expression of the natural relationship between our design business and the commercial, graphic and fine artists of our community. Many artists have become familiar to us through our work and we are glad to be able to provide a place where their work can be enjoyed and appreciated by a larger audience.

KSCo: What is unique about your space and why should brides look here for their intimate events?
CJC: The open spacious floor plan of the gallery along with the natural lighting and architecture not to mention the beautiful art work hanging around the gallery makes for a delightful setting for any occasion.



KSCo: What's the largest party size you can accommodate?
CJC: Cocktail parties can hold about 150-200 people with high-top cocktail tables. Sit down dinner--up to 60 people with tables and chairs and for bridal showers or small ceremonies we can fit up to 60-100 people sitting.

KSCo: Do you work with a list of preferred vendors, or can brides use their own?
CJC: We are flexible and can work with the bride, but do have a list of vendors we like to work with. [Insert shameless plug here: But K Sherrie+Company is a wonderful resource for your planning needs at the gallery!]



KSCo: What future plans do you have for Dean Johnson Gallery in regards to the wedding industry?
CJC: The Dean Johnson Gallery would like to offer a few select brides a year the opportunity to have their events in our space giving them the personal attention they deserve as our client. We are not looking to become a huge part of the wedding industry as much as we are as providing a unique beautiful space for small events and parties that people will cherish for a life time.



Well said, Casey. I’m plotting on what event I can have your gorgeous gallery. So—what do you think? Interested in holding your wedding shindig at the gallery? Contact Casey at 317-634-8020 for more information or to schedule a tour. Or visit their website. Please feel free to comment on how cool it would be to have your next special event in this space! And stay tuned to this blog for a special announcement. . .

Video Killed The Radio Star

“It was all a big blur!”
A. What Helio Castroneves said when he won Formula 1.
B. What a bride says when you ask her to describe her wedding day.
C. What you say when you watch wedding videos circa 1988.
If you answered B or C, then that’s five stars for you! Answer B is precisely why your day needs to be recorded for posterity and all mankind. You will vaguely remember all the sparkling, memorable and unique details. It’s not a hard sell to get brides to see the importance and value of a photographer. Many times, the photography budget will trump line items such as flowers and décor. We all know very well the virtues of capturing your wedding celebration on film. As a professional wedding planner, I’m here to tell you that videographer services are just as important. Long gone are the days of the shaky video filmed by your great-uncle Ray-Ray with the garbled music and words. Wedding videography has transformed into a true art form. Today, videographers are known as cinematographers and will condense your fourteen hour day into an impeccably edited fifty minute movie or even an artistic fifteen minute short. Video captures the feeling, sounds and words of the day. Your children’s children will be able to see and hear grandma giving you wise words as you’re getting dressed in your bridal room. You will be able to view the video months after the wedding and hear the emotion and love in the voice of your betrothed as he recites his vows. Photos alone cannot capture this.
When looking for a reputable videography company, view a collection of their work. Always observe the lighting of the video—it should not be too bright or too dim. Is the sound clear? Does the accompanying music complement the images on the video or does it compete? And by far, make sure your personalities mesh well. The videographer will be as close to you on your wedding day as the photographer, capturing all of your intimate moments. You should feel extremely comfortable with this person.

In my never-ending quest to find the best vendors Indy has to offer for K Sherrie clients, I was able to spend some time with Geoffrey Chandler of Geoffrey Chandler Videography at the Five Seasons. I was first impressed with the passion that he seems to possess for his craft. In describing that “one look, side smile or first glance” that he is always trying to capture in his videos, I could feel how into wedding videography Geoffrey was. And this is exactly the type of person that you want to capture one of the most important days of your life. I’ll let you eavesdrop a little on our conversation:

KSCo: How long have you been doing wedding videos?
GC: I was a wedding photographer for 20 years before I switched over to videography. I have been filming for 8 years. When I was a photographer, I would watch the videographers and their end product and I thought I had a better vision of what wedding video could be. And because we’re in the digital age, it made switching over that much easier, so I changed over.

KSCo: What makes your product unique?
GC: My videos capture the day and the history of those who were present that day. Would you rather show your children a picture of grandma or would you rather be able to let them hear and see grandma? My product is cinematic and I have been doing cinematic video since I’ve started in this business, although that’s the hot buzz word right now.

KSCo: What are the most important elements of a great wedding video?
GC: In each of my videos, I make sure I have three elements: something beautiful on the screen, meaningful music and narration. I also try to capture the atmosphere of the wedding, be it romantic, fun, whimsical, or sometimes, even tense.

KSCo: What type of packages do you offer?
GC: I only offer one package—and that’s the best package. I stay from start to finish to be sure that none of the important items are missed. Of course, we can customize our services to meet the needs of the client.

Please be sure to visit Geoff’s website for samples of his work. Did any of you out there skip the wedding video for your nuptials? Do you have any regrets? Please post your comments—we’d love to hear what you think!
Photo credits: Geoffrey Chandler Videography