quest for THE dress

i am in LOVE with this bridal gown. it's made by berketex and the style is called alison. it's so gorgeous, simple and elegant, perfect for my garden wedding! the problem is, you can only get it in great britain. they don't sell internationally, apparently. :-( here's my dilemma:
1. should i fly to great britain to buy this dress? i have to think about the cost of the flight, lodging, food and the actual dress. that busts my dress budget!
2. i can get this dress custom made... i've contacted two dressmakers. one dressmaker in san francisco quoted me $500 more than the actual dress cost. but she does fabulous custom made dresses! the other (who i found on cragislist) quoted me HALF the cost of the dress but it'll be farmed out to bolivia and i won't see it until it's complete. i've seen samples of their work but how do i know the 2nd dressmaker is legit?

i'm doing more research and asking lots of questions.

in the meanwhile, i am going to the bridal garden in new york city and also sak's fifth bridal sample sale next week! when i'm in san francisco next week for thanksgiving, i plan to hit up glamour closet!!!! so excited. (a few weeks ago, when i was in the bay area, i went to trudy's brides but didn't really find anything that i loved...)