KK'S Christmas Wonderland

A Brandon couple has a penchant for party planning.

- Sandra Massey Buckley

We have been hosting a Christmas party off and on since 1987,” says Kathy Coker of Brandon. She and her husband, Lu, held the first party for Lu’s district office with Shelter Insurance—with many more to follow.

While Lu currently serves as an alderman for the city of Brandon, the couple has recently retired from their respective professions. As a way to celebrate their retirements, the Cokers hosted their largest Christmas party to date at their home one evening last November.

As a mortgage loan originator with Origin Bank, Kathy established early on a vast network of colleagues. “One of my marketing methods was to send out an email each week with a rate sheet and a recipe,” she says. “I also provided a lot of home-cooked meals for various Realtor open houses and functions. I decided to have a party to celebrate the holidays with the Realtors, closing attorneys, appraisers, and all the other support people I had worked with during the year. The first party was an evening event in 2007, but I changed it to a luncheon the next year. This year, Lu and I combined parties and moved it back to the evening.”

Hosting a party has become a meaningful part of the Cokers’ holiday traditions. “I have always tried to have the party very close to the first of December,” she says. “It gets me motivated to get all my decorating done and all the goodies cooked so I can relax and enjoy the season.”