Say Yes to the dress

Beach wedding attire differs from the norm, as you would expect. The usual bridal gown shapes and embellishments don't apply. Same goes for the groom with fabrics and colours. So I was on the lookout for something super simple, elegant and comfortable. Words I never thought I'd use to describe my future wedding dress. But when in Rome...
For those who’ve never shopped for bridal gowns before, it can be quite a daunting experience. Where to even begin? I had three options in my head...
1) purchase a beautiful ready-to-wear maxi dress and dress it up as a bridal gown to re-wear post wedding  2) purchase a couture bridal gown ready-to-wear, although I've never liked the idea of spending THAT much cashola on something never to be worn again; complete waste!
3) seeing what's out there online- maybe even snap up a bargain on eBay
I guess I have been extremely lucky in finding my dress so quickly and painlessly....Online! I'm living proof it can be done!
Now I know what you might be thinking. How the hell can you buy a wedding dress without seeing it in full glory in the flesh first?! Pretty easily as it turns out. After a couple of Google searches (where would I be without my trusty friend Google eh?) I managed to find an online tailor from China, named Helen who has a talent for making bridal gowns and marketing herself as a 'beach wedding dress expert'. I researched this Helen to see what others had written about her site/ dresses. All of them positive reviews, I carried on. Her prices were so competitive and her customer service was second to none that within two days, I had ordered my dress. She offered real-time live chat and we had discussed in lengthy detail what my expectations were. She also described the fabric and colour in great detail, sending me swatch photo examples in different lighting conditions to help bring my questions to life. Absolutely astounding. After having my mind put at ease, I decided to bite the bullet and order the dress. Mr B. took my measurements and away my order went. Exactly 5 weeks later my dress arrived, perfectly packed and protected inside out. I opened the package and tried it on. Boy was I immediately filled with joy! I had found the dress. Who would have thought it would be so easy. I am in many ways so glad I haven’t had to visit the many bridal boutiques in Melbourne, and bypass that whole process altogether. Maybe it's because destination weddings aren't as common, so it seems and they are under-represented in retail bridal shops.
Anyway I don't want to reveal the dress before the wedding to maintain the surprise. What I can share are the shortlisted dresses I liked that didn’t make the final cut...

I believe my dress blows all of the others out of the water, and I’ll certainly post photos of the dress on the wedding day (when I'm wearing it). So until then, keep faith in online shopping, especially for bridal gowns. There's something for everyone out there I truly believe.