An Interview with Michelle, the owner of Michelle's Bridal and Tuxedo in Urbana, IL

We recently had the pleasure of learning all about this stellar bridal boutique from owner Michelle Schweighart. Since 1983 Michelle’s Bridal and Tuxedo has successfully catered to brides in the Champaign-Urbana area and beyond. Currently in their fourth location, the shop has grown into a gorgeous, full-service salon which provides superior service, style, and selection while maintaining a friendly, boutique atmosphere.

Michelle and Morgan

Through the years, Michelle’s evolved from simply offering bridal gowns to providing just about anything a wedding party needs at their one-stop-shop. As the store has expanded, Michelle and her daughter Morgan have worked tirelessly to maintain the personal, unique bridal experience they pride themselves on. Every department of the store is staffed with highly trained teams of stylists who accommodate each member of a wedding party on an individual basis. The close-knit team at Michelle’s works together to create a relaxed, enjoyable experience for their clientele.

Michelle began her journey as a bridal shop owner when she was just 21 years old. Michelle says, “It was sort of a fluke that I got into the bridal business.” Searching for a career, she saw a bridal salon listed for sale in the newspaper. After she inquired about it, she ended up purchasing the business and the rest is history. As she and her business grew, so did her passion for creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience for every bride. Her favorite part of owning a bridal boutique? “I love all of the different people my business has allowed me to meet and engage with. There’s nothing better than being able to make someone so happy and play such a big part on one of the most important days of their lives.”

Her favorite advice for brides? “Come in open-minded and TRUST your stylists. We do extensive training and have the best bridal designers in the industry, so don’t be overwhelmed – let us as the experts do our part. You just relax and have fun!”

Michelle carries an extensive line of bridal designers in her store including Essense of Australia, Maggie Sottero, Sottero and Midgley, Allure Bridals, Mori Lee, Justin Alexander, Mon Cheri, Jade and Jade Couture, Adrianna Papell, Sorella Vita, Bill Levkoff, and the Dessy Group. With her many years of experience, her practiced eye is always focused on upcoming style trends so that she can stock her store with the perfect items. Right now, Michelle says, “Sheath styles are definitely an up and coming trend that we will be seeing even more of this fall and spring. We will also continue to see lots of illusion, cut outs, and sheer bodices. Girls are wanting to be comfortable, sexy, but still look like a bride.”

Michelle even has her own prom store called M2, where she carries prom, pageant and homecoming gowns by Sherri Hill, Alyce, Jovani, Vienna, Blush, Faviana and Ellie Wilde. Many of her prom girls become bridal customers, too. Michelle adds, “We love our M2 to Ido brides! I always LOVE seeing a girl that has bought all of her prom and homecoming dresses with us come back and purchase her bridal gown and the rest of her bridal party attire with us. Those loyal customers are always fun to work with!”

We loved hearing about how Michelle sets her bridal boutique apart from the big box bridal stores, “We truly care about our customers. It’s not just about selling a dress or renting a suit to a customer – our job is to make customers feel good about themselves and really enjoy their overall experience. We are here to create memories. We are much more personal and pride ourselves on creating relationships with our customers. We keep in contact with our customers throughout their entire planning process, not just the day they purchase their dress.”

Michelle described what the future of the boutique looks like to her, “I would obviously love to keep growing; however, I have plans to enjoy other parts of my life as well, such as being a grandparent and traveling to my Michigan home more often. My daughter, Morgan, plays a big role at the bridal shop, so I would love to see her grow with the business and continue to have the same passion for it as she does now.”

With hard work, dedication and a passion for all things bridal, Michelle and Morgan, together with their team, have succeeded in establishing a family-based salon that will continue to fulfill the wedding dreams for brides in their area for many years to come.