So how did this quest begin? Well, I’m about to be a bride (obviously). And I’m notoriously… erm… frugal? Cash conscious? Eff it – I’m a cheap bitch. Oh, I can spend the hell out of other people’s cash. But, when it comes to my own purse strings, let’s just say that Girl Guide badge in knot tying has come in quite handy.
 
But I digress.
 
I’m loathe to admit that I fall into that most stereotypical of clichés where women are concerned – I love to shop. I’ve also got a nerd streak in me a mile long that keeps me tethered to my computer for long stretches of time. So the concept of the two of these earthly delights combined as one had me giddy even before my first visit. I could shop AND still be sitting in front of my computer? Dear lord – this was better than man landing on the moon. Okay, not really, but it was really REALLY good.
 

A Boba Fett watch – one of my earliest eBay purchases; a birthday gift to my fiancé.

And, just to keep the clichés a-rollin’, my very first purchase via that bastion of treasure & wonder was a pair of shoes; a sassy-as-hell pair of black stilettos that have since wandered off (pun entirely intended) in to the wild blue yonder. Now, ordinarily, a pair of missing shoes (especially a really sexy pair) would be cause for some seriously colourful language and more than a little angst. But the fact that I paid a mere $8 for those beauties has kept me in off the ledge and I’ve since gone on to many more glorious purchases. I’ve discovered clothing, jewelry, shoes, tech, camera gear… everything you can imagine (and a few my imagination never would have conjured and I’d really rather I hadn’t discovered) right at your fingertips – literally.
 
Ah eBay – retail therapy in the comfort of your own home. Genius.
 

…or so the old Scottish proverb goes.

And in keeping with that spirit:

My name is Lisa and I’m an eBay Bride.

There. I’ve said it. And I feel no shame about it, either.

So, what’s an eBay Bride? Well, I’d say that there are any number of permutations of the eBay Bride (as many as there are items for sale on eBay, really). But the most important – and determining – factor would be our desire to NOT be in debt for the sake of one day of celebrating.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I do realize that there are some things that you simply cannot cheap out on. A wedding dress, for example, usually ends up being one of the pricier items in a bride’s budget.  Of course, some girls are lucky enough to find that vintage, stunner of a dress for less than $100. But I think we can all agree just how unrealistic that is to hope for. Having said that, the idea of spending $1,200 and up for a dress that will be worn only once, makes me more than a little twitchy.

And, so, in my search for elegant bits of shiny to make my Big Day as classy & beautiful as the occasion merits – I’ve found that veering away from wedding boutiques (or pretty much any retailer that uses the word Bridal or Wedding in its name) is definitely the way to go. Thus, without any real roadmap or initial plan to do so… I’ve become an eBay Bride.