The Bride: Beth Glover, a 22-year-old communications director

Her Gown: DaVinci Bridal, style T8045

Her Story: "I knew I wanted a dress that was different from the strapless, princess-style ball gown that is popular right now. I'm very petite, so I didn't want to get lost in a big, poufy dress. The first salon I visited was my local David's Bridal, with my mother and mother-in-law, about seven months before my wedding. I fell in love with the first dress I tried on. It was an ivory gown with a flattering mermaid cut, a lengthy train, gorgeous yet subtle embroidery and the right amount of fabric for straps to keep me from tugging my dress up all night. But since it was my first visit to a salon, I decided that I wanted to check out other bridal salons in the Grand Rapids area before making the final decision.

I tried on dozens of dresses around the city, but finding a dress with attractive straps and a close-fitting cut proved more difficult than I thought. And many of the gowns I tried on were so beautiful, I felt that guests would be paying more attention to the dress than to me! I really wanted something that would complement my figure but that wasn't overwhelming.

So after a month of searching, I finally decided that the first dress I had tried on at David's Bridal was 'the one.' I went back to the salon with my mother, mother-in-law and two of my bridesmaids so that we could all celebrate buying my wedding dress together. But when I asked the saleswoman to bring out the gown, I was devastated to learn that the style had been discontinued. I actually sat down in the middle of the dressing area and began to cry.

My fiancé suggested that we look online for a similar gown. We spent an entire evening desperately searching eBay for my perfect dress. Finally, I found a gown that looked just like the one I wanted! I knew that I had to buy it. I immediately called the seller, who was the owner of a bridal salon in the Midwest, and interrogated her with a laundry list of questions about the dress. Once I learned that it was brand-new—and nearly half the price of the original dress I had tried on—I was satisfied that buying a wedding dress on eBay was a good idea. So I purchased it. When it arrived, I immediately put it on. Luckily, it fit me perfectly. On my wedding day, I felt like a movie star. I received so many compliments from my guests—and I couldn't resist telling them where I had bought it!" —Lauren Matthews