The search for the perfect wedding dress

As a self-confessed plain-Jane with a penchant for gorgeous things that I buy to hang in my closet and constantly stare at without actually wearing, I want a dress, that, as Carrie Bradshaw put it in the first Sex and the City flick, "ups the ante" – taking me from drab to fab in matter of nano-seconds.

After looking through Bride to Be magazine, I narrowed my search to two Sydney designers, visiting both and trying on two gowns at each store. I'm told that a custom-made dress needs eight months worth of notice (phew, just made it!), and will come with its veil and accessories (yay, no added expenses).

Steven Khalil helps Sarah plan her dress

Although I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, I tried on a few styles to make sure the vision in my head translated into reality. As a short girl marrying a tall bloke, I had to be realistic with the styles that I wanted, and I was stunned to find that old adage to be true: when you know, you know.

After stepping into the Paddington boutique of bridal couturier Steven Khalil, I knew immediately that I had to have one of his classic, elegant and steal-the-show designs. And while one style made me look pregnant, the other was a dream come true, further exemplified by the fact that I wanted to race out of the store and parade myself down the street as soon as he put the veil on my head "to complete the look".

I'll be checking in to Khalil's store regularly for measurements, calico-fittings and material selections. While I think the most important part of my big day (sans the groom) now sorted, I have a bigger drama ahead of me: keeping the style a secret, resisting everyone's self-invitations to come along to a fitting and most of all, to stop myself ogling other styles and designs.

Clearly, I do not comprehend limitations well. Then again, dresses should be a lot like the groom – you can look around and admire what's out there, but in the end, once you've made one style you're one true love, you gotta see it to the end. So heed my advice and make sure that when you settle, you better be settling for one that's worth it.