Swoon Bridal is Reno/Tahoe’s premiere bridal salon and is owned and operated by Michelle Depoali. Michelle is a proud 5th generation Nevadan who wanted nothing more than to add something special and beautiful to the local bridal scene. Michelle, a University of Nevada Reno alum, landed her dream job in San Francisco at the famed Marina Morrison salon after writing her master’s thesis on bridal gowns. After cutting her teeth in the bridal industry in the Bay Area for a couple of years, Michelle decided to return to her hometown of Reno to bring some bridal magic to the area. At the time, Michelle’s greatest cheerleader and endless supporter, her mother, Kendyl, had just passed away. Kendyl had gifted Michelle with a love for ‘beautiful things’, something that Michelle quotes on an almost daily basis, and she became the inspiration behind the opening of Swoon. A year and one day after she passed, Swoon Bridal opened its doors for the first time.
With her background in fashion, Michelle thoughtfully brought the best designers and wedding gowns to the Reno/Tahoe area. If there’s one aspect of Swoon that is so incredibly important to Michelle and her team, it’s the diversity of their collection, from both a design and price standpoint. Michelle and her team place incredible care into the selection of each dress that comes through the door, attending Bridal Market in New York City and Chicago as well as various designer releases throughout the country.
“What makes Swoon special is our bride. Our Swoonies come from all walks of life, with different styles, diverse backgrounds, unique body types, and a beautiful story to tell. It’s our great honor to be a small part of telling their wedding story exactly as they always imagined it.” – Michelle Depoali, Owner of Swoon
To the team, that means curating the Swoon Collection from bridal designers all over the world, from Tel Aviv to Minneapolis to South Africa, in order to bring a fresh and unique selection of ‘beautiful things’ to the Reno/Tahoe area. Michelle mentioned that in big cities, brides may have to go to up to seven stores to find what they are able to find under one roof at Swoon.
During the pandemic shutdowns, the Swoon team, like many others, adjusted their sails and innovated their appointment and dress buying process. They attended Market over Zoom in order to keep fresh styles flowing. And to help brides during these trying times, they held ‘Virtual Swoonings’, in which brides could send their gown photo inspirations, and each consultant would showcase each dress on a mannequin via Zoom.
This adjustment, though not ideal, truly showcased each consultant’s talent for finding the ‘perfect’ gown for their brides. If a bride liked a certain gown, she was able to take it home for a try-on carefully guided by a Swoon consultant. Though Swoon can now take in-person appointments, they maintain strict guest limits and COVID-19 protocols to keep everyone safe without missing out on the full Swoon ‘magic’ experience.
This year has changed the way people get married at least for the foreseeable future, so Swoon has options for the bride on a shorter timeline. Typically, gowns are purchased to order, with a sample dress in store for try-on, and then purchased directly from the designer as close to the bride’s size as possible. This process takes anywhere from 3-6 months, and a 2-3 month window is recommended for further alterations. Swoon works with some designers that can make a dress on a ‘rush order’, and for the bride who needs a dress quickly or would like to save on her gown, Swoon offers many in-store samples available at a discounted price.
Michelle and her ‘Swoonies’ truly believe that there will always be room in this world to celebrate true love, and so, they will continue to do just that. The dresses, the Swoon magic, and the brides that grace their beautiful pink walls, all give way to the extra special experience of being ‘Over the Moon at Swoon’.
Photo and Video Credits:
Store Images – Gagewood | Dress Images – Cindy Rahe | Boomerang – Tony Castaneda Films