Now and then I daydream about hosting parties purely so that I can make beautiful paper invitations…read morefor it. Without doubt, I definitely have a thing for stationery. You know - paper, pens, little note books, unusual envelopes... I'm sure there's more concerning things to be obsessed with but I really really REALLY like stationery. I come to Paperpoint when I actually need an invitation to send or a special birthday card. And okay, I admit it, sometimes I just come to smell the paper and walk up and down the aisles of coloured envelopes. I'm allowed to have a happy place, okay?

This is the kind of place an enthusiastic amateur could drop a whole load of cash in. Situated in…read morethe centre of Melbourne's design community (more or less), it's all about the paper Seriously. There's probably around a hundred different types of paper, and they have the brand name and GSM (grains per square metre, I assume) for every single one of them. Good range of wrapping paper, too, along with a few diaries and the like.

This place is magical! You walk into the warehouse type Mariana Hardwick building and there are…read morebeautiful gowns hanging as far as the eye can see with a huge staircase at the end that leads up to where the custom dresses are made. I came here twice to try on dresses as I was told this was as good as it gets. I'm from Canada, marrying my Aussie boy in Hawaii this year, so they let me Skype my bridesmaids back home to help me choose my dress. (No photos are allowed, but Skype was). The lady that helped me was Joy, and she pulled dresses as I requested them and even suggested ones that would suit my body type. Believe it or not, I chose a dress that Joy suggested (it didn't look like much on the hanger, but when I put it on, I knew it was the one). In the end I came back and signed a contract to pay 6 equal payments. You have 4 fittings, one where they measure you, one where you see the outline all pinned, one where you see your dress in the material you've chosen and the final fitting where you take home your dress. The dress is absolutely stunning and designed exactly for me! :)

Being of the as-yet unmarried and non-engaged section of society, my only experience with Mariana…read moreHardwick's bridal couture was as an onlooker, having tagged along with a friend looking for a wedding gown. But OMG how I loved this place. The gowns are seriously to die for; before stepping in here I had never had much interest in a white dress, but now I think I get the whole Princess Wedding thing. The dresses are all handmade and the staff are extremely helpful, as you would expect in a store at this price point. As well as dresses there are accessories and an "off the rack" section of last season's and discounted dresses. This place is super pricey but I know I'll be back when I'm actually in the market for a wedding dress, if only for inspiration.

I found a beautiful dress at Le Chateau Blanc Couture for my wedding. The female staff were…read moreextremely helpful and friendly. I would advise all future customers to be wary of shop management. 1. Excess surcharge if you are paying by credit card which is unnecessary, especially if paying by Visa. 2. Do not use their recommended tailor. I had a terrible experience paying over $200 for tailoring (shortening hem and train) which was dodgy. The tailor had my dress for 2 weeks and was reluctant for me to come pick up my dress! (I was due to fly out of the country that week). When I finally did go to pick it up, she rushed me out of her house without letting me examine the dress and proper consultation. I get home and I re-try on the dress and it's clear that the hem was not taken up enough as discussed. In a panicked state, I call my local tailor who offered to fix ASAP. I then contact Le Chateau Blanc management the following working day and complained. Claude, shop owner, was extremely unhelpful and even turned the situation around blaming the customer. No apologies. * The cost of my dress was $1000 off the rack. * I paid Le Chateau Blanc Couture $200 to tailor my dress. * I am now paying another $250 to fix the tailoring. I have paid half the price of the dress to tailor my dress and management still does not take responsibility. I have called a number of times without response from Claude. Highly NOT recommended.

I had the most wonderful experience shopping for my wedding dress!! I went into Le Chateau blanc…read morecouture in Sydney road Brunswick with no intention of purchasing my wedding dress that day. Claude (the owner) was patient with me, as a portion of my wedding party was late for my appointment. I had my matron of honor, sister and my Mom there with me. My intention was to try on some gowns to get an idea of what I would really like. After telling them about the dresses I had in mind, they suggested some additional gowns and then let us select some more dresses. I had a price limit in mind and I informed them of my budget. When we selected the additional dresses, we got so wrapped up in the moment that we weren't very mindful of prices. As you can imagine, I tried on "the dress" and it was twice my budget. Claude worked with me on the price, offering me a very generous discount (something that would NEVER happen at a chain bridal store)!! they never pressured me into my purchase, giving me plenty of time to think about it and even offered to give me a day to think about it. I happily purchased my dress that day and couldn't have been more ecstatic. The staff were extremely helpful, professional and friendly. They made my entire wedding gown purchase an experience I will never forget.

Like every good bride, I know the importance of shopping around and naturally, many people suggest…read moregoing to the bridal strip at High Street to do this. The sales people in the bridal stores recognise that many people are just browsing and for this reason, sometimes their approach can be over enthusiastic and scare people away. During my own wedding browse with my sister, we made an appointment at Amaline Vitale and were not disappointed at all. Firstly because I fell in love with a few dresses (just for the fabric) instantly but more so, because the service offered to us was really good. I told the sales guy which dresses I wanted and without making any comments about my body shape whatsoever he got me to try them on. I popped into all three and while being conscious of my obvious bulge from overeating all this year, he was tactful, poised and offered constructive opinions about dress styles that really would suit me. I left the store feeling confident, more aware and when the time comes to make the big dress decision, Armaline Vitale is top of my list. Whether or not, this can justify the $4900 price tag on the dress I love is another thing completely but we'll see.

I had a great experience at Amaline Vitale prior to purchasing my dress. The dresses were beautiful…read moreand the staff were extremely attentive and very helpful. After I ordered the dress, things went downhill quickly. I was so disapointed with the service I received there. My made to measure dress (costing around $5000) ended up being too big, I believe this was because most of the dress was made based on measurements taken with my clothes/bra on from approximately 7-8 months before my wedding. I also had to go back after picking it up because the hook on the back of the dress wasn't in the right position (as politely pointed out by another wedding dress maker when coordinating jewelery with the dress on in her store). In addition, throughout the process I found AV to be really rude and defensive (e.g., if I mentioned somthing didn't feel right, being told I "should've told her at the last fitting", being told I'd have to pay for any changes after information discussed prior to ordering the dress wasn't passed on between staff (again told I "should've" passed it onto AV directly) and unprofessional (e.g., angrily swearing on the phone while I was in the store). AV even spoke rudely to my MOH and mum- they could not believe the level of service provided. I have been a bridesmaid multiple times and have seen how my friends have been treated by the designers of their dresses, and the experience really did not compare. I really wish that they knew, or cared, that this was a really special experience for me which was completely ruined for me sadly. I would recommend looking elsewhere if you're on the search for a great wedding dress in addition to having a good experience during the process.

I was in a wedding last year where the bride had her dress made with Karen. The dress was amazing,…read moreand so different to anything we had seen in the shops. My friend knew exactly what she wanted, and that was basically a combination of six different dresses. Karen was wonderful. She sat down initially with my friend to go over exactly what she wanted, and she seemed to get it. She drew a sketch, and it pretty much encompassed everything she was after. In the lead up to the wedding she had several fittings, and the dress was finished two weeks before the wedding. It fit perfectly, and looked amazing. The price range is on the more expensive side, but really you pay for what you get.

I am really torn on this one. I love my dress, but their customer service leaves much to be…read moredesired. (Armadale Shop - High Street) The pro's: no booking; beautiful dresses; lovely dressmakers The con's: communication (I wasn't told to bring someone to my 2nd fitting and while this may seem intuitive, it wasn't to me); when I asked to try on the dress when I picked it up (with a 2nd person), they wanted to charge me an additional $100 for an hour with the dress maker since only the dress makers can touch the dresses; they tried to overcharge me (double!) for a custom lace hair clip. Luckily the dressmaker double checked); general arrogance of the sales people . In the end I'm really happy with my dress, but when you are spending that much money, I expect far better service.

From its name, you sort of get the gist that this is a craft store but what you don't get is the…read moreextent to which these guys go to make craft and DIY so much fun and easy. Even if you've never been good at craft, this store will transform you beyond your belief with its easy to follow craft kits. My favourite includes a nine drawer storage unit which came complete with everything I needed to get this beauty on the display shelf. It now holds my buttons and other craft bits and bobs. This is my favourite go-to craft store when I'm looking for a new project to get creative with, without burning a hole in my pocket. There's something just so satisfying about creating something all by yourself from scratch and this magnificent store helps you do that (without making you feel dumb). They also have craft classes so you can go from first timer to expert in no time at all.

This stationary/paper/craft shop is a scrap-bookers dream come true…read more Rock Paper Scissors offers an incredible range of papers in all sorts of prints, textures and thickness. From exquisite white card with a hint of sheer metallic, to a bright circus striped piece- this store really does offer exactly what you need. They have an incredible display of examples, giving you lots of ideas for your own projects. Every time I'm in this store it just makes me want to make something unique and creative (just like their examples). Rock Paper Scissors is the perfect destination for all things wedding. There are set packages of themes and styles you can choose from, or you can chose to create your own from scratch. They have an entire shelf-full of formal papers, where extras such as mini pearl stickers, diamantes, flowers, stamps and much more can be purchased. Thanks to Rock Paper Scissors, majority of my wrapping paper/party invitations and cards are all homemade with love. If you think you lack creative flare- don't worry, Rock Paper Scissors offer in store workshops. Dates and details are advertised on their website.

So glad I have found this store. I was shopping for my dress for over 2 months before I learnt…read moreabout this store. Most other stores I have been do not offer good customer service, and more importantly, all their dresses looks almost the same being from the same designers. I was amazed by Eternal Bridal's new york labels, as they were unique, and felt really comfortable when I put it on. The consultants were highly professional yet very down to earth, I ended up getting a Lazaro gown from them, even though it was bit over my budget, it was well with it, considering the design, quality and service I am getting from them. Would definitely recommend this shop to all brides out there.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first walked into Eternal Bridal. I was stressing out as my…read morewedding in July and I haven't found my perfect dress. The moment I walked into the shop the staffs at Eternal Bridal treated me like a VIP. They greeted me by my name as I have made a booking on the phone and the whole experience was just amazing. Kaitlyn was my stylist and she was such a darling. She patiently waited for me when I said I wanted to browse through the dresses. I was overwhelmed with my choices (they are very stunning!), she was quick to recommend a few based on my preference and body shape. I tried them, they fitted perfectly, I was definitely in love. I had a hard time choosing between two dresses of Lazaro and had to ring mum to come. Kaitlyn was with me throughout the whole process and I ended up stretching my budget to go with the more expensive one. I want to say a big thank you to Eternal Bridal especially Kaitlyn for making my nightmare turned to a dream come through. My bestie is getting married this Nov and I definitely recommending Eternal Bridal to her. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.

Be very cautious when using this service. The gown design is beautiful and the business owner…read morepresents a professional front. But unfortunately the dressmaking process and communication is very poorly organised, and resulted in me seeing my dress (incomplete) for the first time 3 weeks before my wedding. The dress at this time was unfinished (sleeves needed to be added, too long-couldn't walk without tripping), so alterations had to be made. This was still not complete 3 days before the wedding when I picked up the dress (there were still dressmaking pins in it where it was to be taken up!). Due to time constraints the dress was never finished. Although the dress looked lovely on the outside, I couldn't walk without tripping and the whole process was very stressful. There was no fault admitted and no apology. We were charged full price. Care advised.

When my friend told about Lookbook Bride, I was a bit sceptical. Not any more! And what a wonderful…read moreSuri creative couture wedding gown they have designed for me!! They custom-made it for me and that was picture-perfect. I simply love it! Thanks Lookbook Bride!