Olivia Culpo Weds Christian McCaffrey Saying, ‘Marriage is a Covenant’

Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo attend the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 27, 2022. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Olivia Culpo shared her beliefs about marriage in a recent interview with Vogue.

The former Miss Universe, 32, married San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, 28, in June and expressed her thoughts about their union.

“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 said.

The newlywed couple met on a blind date in 2019 and McCaffrey proposed to Culpo four years later during a road trip to Utah.

“When I walked up, there were the most beautiful flowers surrounding the area and a gorgeous sunset,” she told Vogue. “I’ll never forget Christian turning around and saying, ‘This is long overdue.’ He got down on one knee, and I started to cry.”

The following year, their desire for a “traditional wedding” came to fruition as they walked down the chapel aisle of a historic resort in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

“I tried to remind myself that this could very well be one of the last times Christian and I have every single one of our loved ones in one place,” Culpo said. “I tried to keep gratitude at the forefront.”

Regarding her vision for the wedding, Ms. Culpo wished for the event to reflect her beliefs on marriage. “I wanted something that felt as serious as that commitment,” she said.

Ms. Culpo collaborated with the Italian company Dolce and Gabbana to create an original wedding dress, and the bride-to-be had specific requests for the overall design.

“I didn’t want it to exude sex in any way, shape, or form,” she said of her long-sleeved crewneck ball gown complimented with a 16-foot veil. “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 she wore minimal makeup, abstaining from mascara and eyebrow gel for a more natural look.

Ms. Culpo felt assured that her husband would also admire the look. “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.”

When she traveled to Milan, Italy, for her final fitting, the model reiterated her thoughts about her wedding dress in a social media video.

“This is the first and last and only wedding dress I’ve ever tried on. I didn’t try any other silhouettes, I didn’t try any other styles. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I’m so happy,” she said. “I really love the way that the veil balances the traditional, more simple characteristic of the main dress.”

Ms. Culpo said her primary concern was for her and McCaffrey to get married in a church, as they desired a religious ceremony. “That was our number one priority,” she said.