Olivia Culpo, the model and former Miss Universe, holds a deeply rooted belief about marriage: “It’s a covenant. It’s the beginning of the rest of your life—and it’s the union and bond of two people forever,” she shares with Vogue. This belief served as the guiding principle when she began designing her wedding dress with Dolce&Gabbana. “I wanted something that felt as serious as that commitment,” she says, outlining her primary vision for the atelier.
For months, Culpo and the Italian fashion house collaborated to translate this emotional ideal into a tangible piece of art. On June 29th, Culpo walked down the chapel aisle in Watch Hill, Rhode Island to marry San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. She did so in a long-sleeve crepe crew neck ball gown with a voluminous skirt and button-lined back. This was the embodiment of her vision.
“I didn’t want it to exude sex in any way, shape, or form,” Culpo explains. “I wanted it to feel effortless and as if it’s complimenting me, not overpowering me. There’s so much beauty and simplicity.” This ethos extended to her beauty choices as well. Culpo opted for a minimalist look, forgoing mascara and eyebrow gel in favor of a pared-back approach. “When I think about Christian and what he loves and the moments that he thinks that I’m most beautiful, it’s absolutely in something like this: timeless, covered, and elegant,” she adds.
The design process, Culpo shares, was relatively straightforward. The couple had always envisioned a church wedding, which informed their dress vision. “That was our number one priority,” she says. This led them to a more formal design: long sleeves, a crew neck, and a dropped waist to create the illusion of an elongated torso. Culpo’s final inspiration came from a surprising source – the lack of anything similar when she searched for inspiration online. “That’s what made me even more excited about this vision,” she adds.
The Dolce & Gabbana atelier, perfectly understanding Culpo’s vision, presented her with a sketch. To her delight, it was exactly what she envisioned. “It was exactly the same as the original sketch,” she says of the gown she wore down the aisle. This dress was her one and only.
Congratulations to Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey on their wedding!
