Women in Our Community: Jessica Kerher

Serendipity: a "fortunate happenstance" or "pleasant surprise".

"Every day you are creating and forming relationships. You never know where you will go, who you will meet or what relationships will be formed. In the events you attend and the conversations you create, you can be lead down someone's path that will forever change your life. Serendipity at it's finest!" 

Much like the boutique, Jessica runs her daily business operations with a small team that is equally as in love with event planning as she is. Sometimes, less is just SO much more. Their ideas are fresh, new and unique - ranging from a two-year-old's birthday to a 500 person wedding. Here is a little focus on Serendipitous Events by Jessica:
1.) Thanks for meeting with us, Jess! Let's hear a little bit about you and the beginning of your business. My name is Jessica Kerher and I started Serendipitous in 2008. I have been event planning since high school. I was a member of a few fundraising committees and then once I was in college I was a board member. We specialize in events with your signature style and we want our clients' events to reflect their personalities. I am the mom to an almost one year old boy named, Nash. I am madly in love with Nathan and together we enjoy live music, traveling to small towns, good food, rummage sales and the occasional beer or glass of wine.

This is Nash - He is perfect. 

2.) What made you want to begin your business in our community? I love Sioux Falls! The community is uplifting and generous. We have a lot of great people here who deserve to understand a fabulous event. I saw a need for event planners in the area. We strive to be different than other planners and it is very important to me that my clients know that I am available for them. I want their event to be a screaming success. 3.) Seeing your home office was reason for us enough to know that you are an excessively creative person. What's most inspiring to your creativity? Children! If you stop and watch them or listen to their conversations you will be amazed. I love that children have no fear of what someone else might think of their ideas. Home idea magazines are a great place to find color schemes! And of course I am a Pinterest addict. The thing to remember about Pinterest is that some of the ideas and photos can be unrealistic for actual events. The photos you often see are staged. The bride and groom are often paid models and the table scapes are donated. We often have clients who want us to recreate a design, we love to try and we are almost always able but the cost can be no where near what a client may have imagined.

Her office is FULL of adorably successful DIY organizational projects. It's like she can actually attempt and accomplish a Pinterest project. You have no idea how jealous that makes me. :) 

4.) We all love our city. What do we, as a Sioux Falls community, bring to the table to help you excel in your work?
Keep talking about the need for event planners. Even if you don't speak about me or my business personally you are creating the awareness of a need for an event planner. We help in so many ways from saving money to keeping the flow of the many small events and details that occur within one event, big or small. Hiring planners for your events even if it's a trade creates an awareness. 
(Jess also has a fabulous website: http://www.serendipitouseventsbyjessica.com) 5.) You help our community out a lot via non-profit events. What are some of these? What sparked your interest in giving back to the community? Which has been your favorite non-profit event to date? I have done a lot of community and non-profit work since I was a very little girl. My parents both showed me that others may be less fortunate and that it is our responsibility as compassionate people to lift one another up. I have done work with The Humanitarian Commission, Buddy Walk, Special Olympics of SD, Children's Miracle Network, The Ronald McDonald House, Wonder Capes, Clip for the Cure, South Dakota Parent Connection and the Build It Downtown Committee. My favorite non-profits to work with are those that involve children. I originally attended college to be a special ed teacher and so I have passion for children. I have a brother who has Down syndrome and he has given me so much knowledge in people who have special needs. I love reaching out to those families and know how grateful they are for the organizations that we work with. 

6.) Your blog is gorgeous and we love our social media at the boutique as well. What would you say is your best form of communication for your company? Is it social media? Print advertising? etc. Definitely social media. We work very hard to be on top of Facebook, our website, blog, twitter and Instagram. I love being connected with people even if only via social media. I would rather know a little bit about someone than nothing at all. Social media is. Great place to ask questions or get advice both personally aNd as event planners! (Visit their blog HERE) 7.) How would you describe your own personal style? Original with a touch of sass. I love a great hat, a fabulous pair of sunglasses and even a big bow or flower in my hair. I dress pretty classic but like to express who I am in my hair or accessories! I have been known to say " the bigger the hair the closer to God". 

8.) What are the five essentials in your closet? A good cropped dress pant A great pair of jeans A denim jacket A classic shirt (usually black... I'm working on that) Cardigans 
9.) You can have five things in your purse...what are they? Lipstick Phone Sunglasses Tinted Chapstick Business cards 10.) Do you have a fashion icon? I am a mix of Iris Apfel, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kenndy 11.) Where do you see yourself and your business in five years? I hope we continue to expand. I want to continue to be the name people think of when they think of planning their perfect event. I love Sioux Falls and I mostly love our downtown. I hope we continue to make great strides. I hope we expand our cultural experiences and continue with great iconic events that we will someday tell our grandchildren about.

Chelsea's will soon be spotted at Serendipitous' weddings and events! Meaning, Chelsea's Boutique will be providing the ever-fabulous Jessica with a styled outfit for her largest event of the month. You'll catch Jess blogging about the event and giving us behind the scenes footage of her doing what she does best in an outfit from the boutique! Stay tuned!

Do you have someone that you'd like to see interviewed and featured in our Women In Our Community project? Holler at us via social media! You know the drill!

Twitter: @ChelseasOnline

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xoxo,

the boutique babes