KELLY’S FOR THE OCCASION CELEBRATES 38 YEARS IN BUSINESS THIS MONTH

Kelly’s for the Occasion

618-532-0546

123 S. Locust St., Centralia, IL

For almost four decades, Kelly’s for the Occasion has been the Centralia community’s go-to for formal wear and event decoration.

Celebrating its 38th anniversary on Sept. 7., the longstanding locally owned business offers tuxedos and elegant decorating services not easily accessible in our area.

“There are a few tuxedo businesses in Marion County, but I am the only one in town,” said owner Kelly Knolhoff. “I only know of one other business with decorations like ours in Marion County.”

Knolhoff said her products draw customers from both the immediate area and from afar, with some traveling over an hour for her rentals and services.

“I went to Florida last year, and I have gone to weddings in St. Louis, near Chicago, and in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Indiana and Kentucky,” said Knolhoff. “In general, though, my radius is usually an hour to an hour and a half away.”

Originally located in Salem, Knolhoff’s business later relocated to Centralia and operated out of the back of Winning Edge’s location. It later moved into the former Barber’s Bridals store, which Knolhoff purchased, before arriving a its current 123 Locust St. location in 1998.

Knolhoff said her business has seen many changes since opening, both internally and as a result of the industry, though she insisted that it’s the changes – specifically in the styles of her products – that make the job fun.

“I originally started with decorating weddings and proms and parties,” Knolhoff recalled. “When I bought Barber’s Bridals, we got into tuxedos and wedding gowns and formals. About 15 years ago, we got out of the wedding gowns, but we still do all the formal wear and decoration rentals.”

“As far as decoration goes, when I first started, I was all cray paper and plastic. Then we went into linens, where you actually rent centerpieces,” Knolhoff continued. “A lot of people used to do all of their own decorating. There wasn’t a service available. That’s why I started offering decorating services. They styles have definitely changed, and everybody is a little different in what they want, but that’s what keeps it interesting.”

While Knolhoff said she is beginning to think about retirement, as well as the future of Kelly’s for the Occasion after she’s left, the longtime business owner insisted she wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

“This job is still interesting to me,” she said. “It’s satisfying that I have been able to keep a business this long. If you had told me when I was in my 20s that I would be doing this business for almost 40 years, I would have said there was no way. Most of the weddings I do now are for the children of people I’ve done weddings for. It’ll be interesting to see if I have a third generation [of customers] to work with.”