Olivia Culpo wanted to "feel like [herself]" on her wedding day

The brunette beauty - who wore a conservative, long-sleeve Dolce and Gabbana wedding dress - told PEOPLE: "I wanted to feel like myself in every sense of the word. And I think that that's where my decision to be more pared down came in."

Olivia's wedding dress divided in opinion on social media, and the model has now admitted to being surprised by the backlash.

She said: "I was definitely very surprised."

Despite this, Olivia doesn't have any regrets about her wedding day or her wardrobe.

The model shared: "I loved every part of my wedding because I love my husband and the people we got to celebrate that day with.

"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."

Meanwhile, Olivia has urged future brides to "stay true to yourself".

She said: "Stick to the vision you have in your head and don't worry about anything else.

"No matter what you wear, no matter what your decisions are from your make-up to your hair, to the gown, you will look absolutely beautiful because it's a beautiful day."

What's more, Olivia revealed that she and her husband saw each other for the first time as she walked down the aisle.

The model - who began dating Christian in 2019 - shared: "He was beaming and very emotional.

"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."