Dressing Up with Sarah Kolis

Sarah Kolis
  • 5.0 (20)
  • FASHION & BEAUTY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Welcome to the Dressing Up podcast! Join Sarah Kolis as she shares engaging 💍 tips about all things bridal dresses, wedding/event day advice, a little bit of sewing content, and all the tips and tricks of dressing up. Sarah talks about lots of bridal and general wedding day content, but not exclusively. Oftentimes, she finds that your wedding day is one of the few days in your life where you truly dress up and feel your most beautiful, and she hopes to encourage women to dress up more and confidently outside their wedding day. Sarah Kolis is a couture gown designer based in Detroit who serves the whole Midwest area and beyond specializing in complete custom couture bridal gowns, veils, and alterations. Sarah has a meticulous approach to quality service and will shape your garment to fit properly and match your personal shape and style. Working with such special gowns and dresses is truly an honor! Join Sarah as she interviews experts in this field, learn about her opinion on certain topics, and take a moment to show and enhance our own personal style through the clothes we wear. Visit https://sarahkolis.com/ to learn more, book of fitting, or inquire about designing the custom couture bridal gown of your dreams. Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/

  1. 2D AGO

    68. Real Bride Series: Nicole, Julia, and Bianca Tell It All

    We're back with another Real Brides episode Sarah sits down with Nicole Humbert, Julia Schalk, and Bianca Hessenbruch to hear all about their dream weddings, emotional moments, and the details that made their big days unforgettable! From Greek dancing and champagne sabering mishaps to custom Disney gowns and greenhouse venues, these three women bring completely different perspectives on what makes a wedding truly special! In this episode: Nicole shares her September 2025 wedding at the Detroit Athletic Club, including how she incorporated lace from her grandmother's wedding dress, why she never had that "Say Yes to the Dress" moment until her actual wedding day, and the hilarious story of her maid of honor's champagne sabering attempt during her speech. She also opens up about planning a 220-person Greek wedding while simultaneously renovating a house and buying a new home—and how the unexpected Tigers game fireworks made for stunning rooftop photos! Julia walks us through her meticulously planned October 2024 fall wedding at Cherry Creek Golf Course, how she and her mom DIY enhanced all wedding paper goods. She shares the full story of creating a custom Disney Bridal gown by combining design elements from two different princess dresses, why velvet bridesmaid dresses and envelope liners were non-negotiables, and what it was really like planning her dream Italy honeymoon. Julia also talks about why having a pre-fitting consultation was a MUST and gave her total peace of mind! Bianca describes her fairy-tale October 2025 wedding at Planterra, the stunning greenhouse-style venue in metro Detroit. She opens up about her weight loss journey leading up to the wedding, why scheduling alone time with her husband between the ceremony and reception was one of her best decisions, and how adding structural boning to her strapless gown made her feel secure and beautiful all day long. She also shares practical planning advice for brides considering Planterra! If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com  Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/  Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    58 min

  2. FEB 12

    67. How to Plan a Beautiful Wedding Without the Stress (with Wedding Planner Jennie Wiegand)

    Planning your dream wedding can feel overwhelming—but what if you had an insider's perspective on how to make it all come together beautifully?  In this episode, Sarah sits down with Jennie Wiegand, owner of Beautiful Day Planning, one of metro Detroit's premier wedding planning companies. With over 17 years in the industry and a team of seven coordinators handling 60-70+ weddings annually, Jennie shares the secrets to creating a stress-free, personalized wedding day! From her unexpected career pivot from the automotive industry to wedding planning during the 2008 recession, to managing emergency situations with grace, Jennie offers honest, practical advice for couples navigating their engagement season! In This Episode, You'll Learn: Jennie’s journey to entrepreneurshipHow trust plays a crucial role between wedding planners, couples, and vendorsCreative ways to personalize your wedding without breaking the budgetWhy first looks have become Jennie's favorite wedding traditionEmergency wedding day tips: from removing goose poop to hiding stains with baby powder!The value of hiring a wedding planner (and Beautiful Day Planning's unique "kickoff meeting" option)How to enjoy your engagement season without feeling overwhelmedBehind-the-scenes stories of what really happens when things go wrong at weddings Connect with Jennie: Website: https://beautifuldayplanning.com/contact Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifuldayplanning_/ Email: jen@beautifuldayplanning.com If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com  Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/  Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    52 min

  3. FEB 5

    66. Real Brides Series: Emily & Sue, A Mother–Daughter Episode

    We’re back with a special edition of the Real Bride Series. Instead of sitting down with three brides, we paused the series to feature one bride and her mother for a meaningful, full-circle conversation about weddings, family, and the power of thoughtful design! You’ll hear from Sue Cronizer (Mother of the Bride) and Emily Barto (the Bride) as we walk through every layer of their wedding journey—from a custom, couture-level mother-of-the-bride gown to a multi-generation vintage dress redesign worn straight onto the dance floor, and everything in between! In this episode: Sue shares what it was like wearing a completely custom silk satin organza mother-of-the-bride gown, why natural fibers mattered for a California destination wedding, and how a late design change led to the dress she felt the MOST beautiful inEmily walks us through her Carmel Valley wedding, her bold color palette, her unforgettable reception reveal, and why wearing her mom’s (and grandmother’s!) wedding dress as a second look was one of her favorite decisionsTogether, they talk about the often-overlooked importance of the mother-of-the-bride role, honoring family history through vintage redesigns, and why trusting your vendors makes all the difference!Connect with Emily:  Website: https://www.epcfit.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epc_fit/ Her Wedding Photographer: Kelley Williams Her Planner: Cork & Vows  If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com Connect with Sarah:  Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    38 min

  4. JAN 29

    65. The Most-Asked Questions From Brides (And The Entourage!)

    Ever wondered what really goes on in a bridal studio? All your burning questions, answered.In this episode, Sarah Kolis answers the real-life, just-for-fun FAQs she hears every single day inside the bridal studio. From the story behind the space itself to her sewing journey, business beginnings, favorite details, and heartfelt moments with brides, this episode is a behind-the-scenes tour you won’t want to miss! In this episode: How a former garage became a private bridal studioThe design inspiration behind the space and its most-asked-about detailsWhat’s upstairs, what that loud noise really is, and how the studio functions day to daySarah’s sewing journey, from childhood to business owner since 2012Making her own wedding dress and her sisters’ gowns from scratchBridal shapewear myths, Day-Of Styling, and bridal tipsLife behind the scenes of alterations, custom gowns, and wedding weekendsWhy fittings are about so much more than just the dress If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com  Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    38 min

  5. JAN 22

    64. Real Brides Series: Kimmy, Jenna and Julia tell it all!

    We’re back for another episode of the Real Bride Series: catching up with past-season brides and hearing how their wedding days actually unfolded, plus the lessons they’re taking with them now that it’s all said and done! In this episode, we sit down with Kimmy Youngman, Jenna Magbitang, and Julia Offner for three mini-interviews full of the fun details, the behind-the-scenes realities, and must-hear bridal advice! In this episode: Kimmy shares the sweetest story of how she and her husband met, the emotional moment she’d relive forever, and the hilarious “unexpected” mishap that proves you can plan everything… and still forget the one thing you actually need Jenna talks about her Fox Hills wedding, her private vows moment she’d relive in a heartbeat, her wedding shoe detail, and why the final weeks before the wedding are truly the most intense and how she stayed calm through it all! Julia goes down in Real Bride history with three vintage redesigns (yes, three!), the emotional meaning behind wearing family dresses from different generations, and the one planning tool she swears every bride needs: the day-of wedding binder! If YOU are a bride that worked with Sarah in any way and would like to be on the podcast, just email us and we will get you scheduled! hello@sarahkolis.com If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com   Connect with Sarah:  Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    53 min

  6. JAN 15

    63. Real Brides Series: Isabelle, Rachel and Natalie tell it all!

    Three real brides. Three totally different weddings. One episode packed with the honest takeaways brides actually need—what mattered, what surprised them, and what they’d stop stressing about if they could do it again. We’re kicking off the Real Bride Series for winter by catching up with three brides from the past season and hearing how their wedding days truly unfolded—plus the lessons they’re taking with them now that it’s all said and done. In this episode, we sit down with Isabelle O’Neil, Rachel Long, and Natalie Hether for three mini-interviews filled with real-life planning stories, bridal style talk, and the kind of perspective you only get on the other side of the day! If YOU are interested in being on the podcast as well, we would love to have you! Email us at hello@sarahkolis.com!  In this episode: Isabelle shares what it was like planning a Mackinaw City wedding on the water, the fall details she leaned into, and how being a bridal hairstylist shaped her perspective as a brideRachel talks about planning her wedding as a wedding vendor herself, redesigning her mom’s 1990 wedding dress into her own, and how preparation and support allowed her to fully relax and enjoy the dayNatalie brings the unique perspective of being a wedding photographer/videographer turned bride, including her best advice for avoiding social media comparison, plus the sentimental details she incorporated (like her mom’s veil) to make the day feel deeply personal If YOU are a bride that worked with Sarah in any way and would like to be on the podcast, just email us and we will get you scheduled! hello@sarahkolis.com Connect with Isabelle: Website: https://isabelle-oneil-beauty-1.showit.site/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelleoneilbeauty/?hl=en   Connect with Rachel:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choschmo/ Website: https://beautifuldayplanning.com/    Connect with Natalie  Website: https://coffeewithnatalie.com/links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photographywithnatalie/ Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    1h 13m

  7. 11/13/2025

    62. From Makeup Chair to Bride Herself: The Evolution of Bridal Beauty with Brittany Lo

    Founder of Beautini and Beia, Brittany Lo, joins the podcast to share how she built a luxury bridal beauty brand based in NYC, the biggest shifts in wedding trends, and what it’s like to plan her own wedding after a decade behind the scenes! We discuss how bridal beauty has evolved over the past decade, tips for the skincare timeline every bride should know, the reality of wedding costs, and how to stay grounded through it all. In this episode: How bridal beauty has evolved — natural, glowy, and skin-first The one skincare rule every bride should follow (and what not to do the week before) Hidden wedding costs and how to prioritize vendors What can help create a stress-free wedding morning The essentials every bride should pack on the big day The Beia Refresh Wipes: https://beiabeauty.com/products/refresh-wipes Connect with Brittany: https://www.instagram.com/brittany.lo If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    44 min

  8. 10/23/2025

    61. Maximalism is back in Bridal! Inside 2025 Trends with Magnolia Laine Detroit’s Kelsey McDonagh

    Maximalism is having a moment!I am joined by Kelsey McDonagh from Magnolia Laine Detroit, part of the White Magnolia Collection to unpack what she saw at Chicago Bridal Market and what Midwest brides are loving right now.  We get into sizing strapless ballgowns so they stay put, the veil (or no-veil) debate, why detachable-everything is tricky in alterations, how Magnolia Laine curates a calm, private shopping experience, and the brand’s Detroit story, including its October breast-cancer initiative. In this episode:Trend shift: Minimalist to maximalistWhy more crinoline and fuller skirts are back Veils and other trendy accessoriesThe current style of the midwest bride vibeNew changes in the buying experience: Private suites, curated racks (less overwhelm), and a “no hard sell” philosophyWhat is going on behind the scenes in the wedding dress industryConnect with Kelsey and Magnolia Laine: Magnolia Laine Detroit: https://www.magnolialainebridal.com/detroit Learn more about Metavivor (October giveback): https://metavivor.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnolialainebridal/ If you have questions for Sarah to answer, send an email to hello@sarahkolis.com Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbh7HlVmyj9N5VsleuySxcQ

    32 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Dressing Up podcast! Join Sarah Kolis as she shares engaging 💍 tips about all things bridal dresses, wedding/event day advice, a little bit of sewing content, and all the tips and tricks of dressing up. Sarah talks about lots of bridal and general wedding day content, but not exclusively. Oftentimes, she finds that your wedding day is one of the few days in your life where you truly dress up and feel your most beautiful, and she hopes to encourage women to dress up more and confidently outside their wedding day. Sarah Kolis is a couture gown designer based in Detroit who serves the whole Midwest area and beyond specializing in complete custom couture bridal gowns, veils, and alterations. Sarah has a meticulous approach to quality service and will shape your garment to fit properly and match your personal shape and style. Working with such special gowns and dresses is truly an honor! Join Sarah as she interviews experts in this field, learn about her opinion on certain topics, and take a moment to show and enhance our own personal style through the clothes we wear. Visit https://sarahkolis.com/ to learn more, book of fitting, or inquire about designing the custom couture bridal gown of your dreams. Connect with Sarah: Website: https://sarahkolis.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahkolisdesigns/

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