When Olivia Culpo began planning her wedding wardrobe, she followed the advice of so many brides before her: trust your gut.
For the former Miss Universe, that meant one thing: “I wanted to feel like myself in every sense of the word,” she tells PEOPLE in the first interview since her June 29 Rhode Island wedding to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. “And I think that that’s where my decision to be more pared down came in.”
Her vision came to life in the form of a conservative, long-sleeve Dolce & Gabbana wedding dress, because as she told Vogue ahead of her big day, she “didn’t want it to exude sex in any way, shape or form.”
The look and her explanation behind it ignited a fashion firestorm on social media with deep-dive dissertations dissecting every detail of the gown and her glam. The verified account gowneyedgirl, run by Los Angeles-based stylist Kennedy Bingham, questioned Culpo’s choice of such a covered-up dress saying the “way that she was talking about this went beyond just wanting something modest for herself and pushing this idea of what she thinks all brides should look like” — comments which prompted both Culpo and McCaffrey to respond.
Even Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb dedicated a segment during their Today hour in defense of Culpo, sharing, “We think she looks beautiful” and questioning, “Why does anybody feel like they get to comment on how she’s dressed?”
Now, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model and fashion influencer is responding to the bridal backlash for the first time.
“I was definitely very surprised,” Culpo tells PEOPLE. “I feel like I personally like to give people the benefit of the doubt. And unfortunately, I feel like the words I said were spun out of context to fit an agenda that I did not have.”
“I loved every part of my wedding because I love my husband and the people we got to celebrate that day with,” she adds. “The choices that I made are because I wanted to feel like they’re choices I could be proud of in 50 years. And that’s it.”
She paired the crepe ball gown, which featured a crew neck, long sleeves and buttons down the back and arms, with a 16-foot-long lace veil, as well as minimal makeup, even revealing that she skipped mascara. The traditional design was one of three Dolce & Gabbana looks the Italian fashion house custom made for the star.
“Stylistically I had a vision. Stylistically, I felt like I was making a decision that was going to stand the test of time, and that’s it,” she doubles down in defense of the ceremony gown, adding, “I felt very comfortable in it, for what it’s worth. I was on the water and there was a very nice breeze.”
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With a career originating in pageants and evolving into the fashion arena, Culpo also points out that she’s worn “every” style of dress, adding that her ceremony gown was “surprisingly not too heavy.”
She says the evolution of each dress in her bridal wardrobe created “a story that reflects each part of the person that I am.”
“The first one felt so special to me — the simplicity of everything made it feel timeless and classic and traditional,” she shares. “The second dress I felt was ethereal and romantic, and the last dress was fun and playful. I liked the way that the three balanced each other.”
The biggest piece of advice Culpo would share with future brides is “stay true to yourself.”
“Stick to the vision you have in your head and don’t worry about anything else,” she says. “No matter what you wear, no matter what your decisions are from your makeup to your hair, to the gown, you will look absolutely beautiful because it’s a beautiful day.”
Culpo reveals that she and McCaffrey saw each other for the first time as she was walking down the aisle.
“He was beaming and very emotional,” she says. “I was so shaky. It was really special — and I know it’s a moment that we’ll both have imprinted in our memories forever.”
Another moment she’ll hold close is the private mini cocktail hour she had with the groom right after the ceremony.
“We had our own bottle of Champagne. We had everything that the guests were eating downstairs, but we had a moment to really regroup and take in the moment as newlyweds, having just had our very intimate ceremony,” Culpo says. “And I would recommend that if a bride and groom can take those moments away, it’s really special.”
Now that Culpo is settling into married life, she wants to share her passion for party planning and decor with other newlyweds.
That’s why she partnered with Crate & Barrel to curate some of her registry favorites.
“I wanted to help brides and newlyweds in their planning process, because I know how stressful that whole process can be,” she says. “Crate & Barrel really takes out the guesswork by making it a one-stop shop for the whole home. There’s really something for every need that you have, and they make it so seamless.”
Most of her picks revolve around versatile kitchen essentials and timeless decor, much like the pieces seen at her wedding.
“Our favorite thing to do together is cook,” Culpo says. “It’s one of our absolute favorite date-night activities. Work for me is leaving the house and getting dressed. Our idea of a really nice date is not necessarily going out and getting dressed up. It’s staying home and cooking in sweatpants.”
