Behind the Scenes at Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey’s Classic New England Wedding

In 2019, a mutual friend set up Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey on a blind date. When she walked into a San Diego hotel lobby to meet him for the first time, he was holding a bouquet of flowers, and as they chatted, Olivia was quickly charmed by Christian’s kindness and humor. She had recently written a list in her journal of the qualities she looked for in a partner and realized he ticked all the boxes. “After that night, we were inseparable,” she says.

Four years later, Christian, a running back for the San Francisco 49ers, and Olivia, a model and former Miss Universe, got engaged on a road trip to Utah. “Christian should get an Oscar for acting because I had absolutely no idea he was proposing,” Olivia says with a laugh. “He was so good at convincing me he wasn’t ready.” He’d been secretly planning a proposal for months: After driving an RV through the red-rock desert, the two arrived at the Amangiri Hotel. That night, an employee took Olivia out into the desert for what she thought would be a casual sunset cocktail with Christian. “When I got there, there were the most beautiful flowers around the area and a beautiful sunset,” she says. “I’ll never forget Christian turning around and saying, ‘It’s too late.’ He got down on one knee, and I started crying.” »

Olivia always knew she wanted a traditional wedding in her home state of Rhode Island. After deciding to tie the knot on June 29 at the Ocean House, a historic resort in Watch Hill, she tapped Lisa Vorce to be her wedding planner. Vorce understood her vision perfectly and allowed her to be there, Olivia says. “I tried to remind myself that this could very well be one of the last times Christian and I have all of our loved ones in one place,” she says of the planning process. “I tried to keep gratitude at the forefront.”

She then commissioned Dolce & Gabbana to design her wedding dresses. “I had a very specific idea of ​​what I wanted for my wedding dress,” Olivia explains. “I’ve been working with Dolce & Gabbana for years, so it was incredibly special to collaborate with Stefano (Gabbana), Domenico (Dolce) and the amazing design and atelier team.”