When Olivia Culpo and star NFL running back Christian McCaffrey married in June, they had no idea the controversy they’d spark stemming from the model’s wedding dress selection.
Culpo told Vogue ahead of her nuptials that she “didn’t want [her dress] to exude sex in any way, shape, or form,” a comment that provoked conversation. Some were thrilled to hear the model had chosen a more modest dress, others were appalled.
Culpo and McCaffrey found the hate unsettling, calling out specific users on social media.
OLIVIA CULPO INSISTED THAT HER WEDDING DRESS NOT ‘EXUDE SEX IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM’
Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey married in Westerly, Rhode Island, on June 29, at Watch Hill Chapel. (Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise/USA Today Network)
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Olivia Culpo’s sisters, Aurora and Sophia, walking to her wedding. (Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise/USA Today Network)
Nearly a month removed from her special day, Culpo is reflecting.
“I was definitely very surprised,” Culpo told People magazine in a new interview about the backlash. “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 wanted to feel like myself in every sense of the word,” she reiterated of her original message she gave to Vogue last month. “And I think that that’s where my decision to be more pared down came in.”
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Olivia Culpo said she was “surprised” by the backlash to her wedding dress. (Daniel Zuchnik/Variety via Getty Images)
“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 added. “I felt very comfortable in it, for what it’s worth. I was on the water and there was a very nice breeze.”
One of the critics of Culpo’s gown was fashion influencer Kennedy Bingham, who uses the moniker Gown Eyed Girl.
“I’ve been a bridal creator for four years now, and I have never said this before, but I do not like this wedding dress,” Bingham said in a video posted to social media.
McCaffrey responded to Bingham’s commentary by slamming her for sharing an “evil” post.
Christian McCaffrey called out an influencer for criticizing Culpo’s dress. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Best Buddies International)
“What an evil thing to post online. I hope you can find joy and peace in the world, the way my beautiful wife does,” he commented on the Instagram reel.
Bingham added that while she did not have a problem with the “simple, elegant” dress, she believed the gown had “no personality.” She captioned the video, “From Miss Universe to Miss Pick Me, Olivia Culpo is earning her crown.”
Culpo later chimed in in the comment section on TikTok, calling Bingham a “bizarre human.”
She and McCaffrey married at the Watch Hill Chapel in Westerly, Rhode Island, with a reception held at the Ocean House.
A reception took place across from the chapel at Ocean House. (Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise/USA Today Network)
“I felt very comfortable in it, for what it’s worth. I was on the water and there was a very nice breeze.”
Culpo worked directly with Dolce & Gabbana to create not only her wedding dress, but also the welcome party, reception and after-party dresses. “That’s what made me even more excited about this vision,” she explained to Vogue of working with their atelier. “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 noted. “I wanted something that felt as serious as that commitment,” she said of her wedding gown.
The former Miss Universe also opted to wear minimal makeup for the ceremony, skipping mascara and eyebrow gel to ensure a more natural look.
“I wanted it to feel effortless and as if it’s complimenting me, not overpowering me. There’s so much beauty and simplicity,” she said of the dress, a long-sleeve ballgown with minimal embellishments. She also wore a 16-foot veil.
Olivia Culpo said she was “very comfortable” in her wedding gown. (Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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Despite the hubbub, Culpo says her wedding was great because she did it the way she wanted.
“I loved every part of my wedding because I love my husband and the people we got to celebrate that day with,” she continued. “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.”
Fox News Digital’s Chantz Martin contributed to this report