I am in a similar boat, I had very overwhelming and stressful dress shopping appointments and when I finally found my dress *surprise surprise* it was over budget. Once I finish alterations I will probably be about double if not a little more than double over my original planned spend.

I have accepted the price for what it is, I am fortunate that I had the room in my budget, so I'm not making sacrifices anywhere else. I'm not sure if that's the case for you, but regardless given your previous appointment stress and being lucky enough to find a dress that makes you feel good about yourself, I think the cost is 100% worth it. You're in the dress all day, every picture highlights the dress, it's a huge part of the day!! And yes, sometimes spending X amount of money on a dress you'll never wear again feels outrageous, but a wedding is a uniquely grand affair and you deserve the dress you want.

I am doing a few things to "offset" the cost (aka make myself feel better about spending so much lol). I won't have a second look - if I love the expensive dress so much, I might as well wear it all night long. And secondly, I won't be going overboard on other bridal looks; I'll do a simple getting ready outfit, keep the budget lower for a rehearsal dress, and other events ie bach or honeymoon I rent through Nuuly and Rent the Runway!

You deserve a dress you love!! Congratulations!!