A handmade dress by Etsy creator BridalBlissDesigns (Photography courtesy of Erwin Wijanto Photography )

My sister is getting married this fall. While she started out attempting to be the anti-Bridezilla, she’s realized that, yes, she wants a pretty dress, damnit.

This realization was followed by approximately 82 URLs to various dress sites across the web. She even went old-school and visited a bridal shop. She pondered Costco. She visited a questionable website that promised eight-week delivery, but no returns. She thought about buying any ol’ white dress that could resemble a bridal gown.

In the end, though, she found a dressmaker in Missouri who specializes in custom design reproduction. The dresses are far more affordable than the bridal shop variety, she gets a custom dress, and she is assured of the quality.

While I like to think I’m hip to those webby trends, I was mildly shocked to think of someone spending $700 on Etsy. Isn’t Etsy the site for $20 earrings and $10 baby tutus?

I’m accustomed to the idea of someone developing a side business via Etsy, but this idea of having a custom made wedding dress via the site triggered a reminder of the rise of the micropreneurs.

While the small town drugstore may be fading and the local shops aren’t getting the support that they need, small, savvy businesses are springing up via sites like Etsy.

Another interesting element of the micropreneur is the definition (source unknown): A micropreneur is an entrepreneur willing to accept the risk of starting and managing the type of business that remains small, lets them do the kind of work they want to do, and offers them a balanced lifestyle.

That’s a trend I can get behind.