A beautiful bride in 30 minutes or less! Nikki Bella revealed she did not select her wedding dress until right before walking down the aisle with Artem Chigvintsev.
“People are going to think I’m crazy, but I didn’t choose my ceremony dress until 30 minutes before I walked down the aisle,” the former WWE star, 38, revealed to Brides in an interview published on Tuesday, October 11.
Bella and Chigvintsev, both 40, tied the knot in August — two years after the couple welcomed their first child together. Ongoing complications from the coronavirus pandemic put the pair’s initial wedding plans on pause. While they originally planned on having their wedding ceremony near their home in Napa Valley, California, the couple made a last-minute decision to wed in Paris, France instead.
“Artem and I went to Paris on a secret vacation when we were first dating and didn’t want the world to know we were a couple yet,” the reality star revealed. “After that, we always said, ‘Run away to Paris with me.’ It’s always held a special place in our hearts, and when Napa wasn’t working out, we were like, ‘We just need to run away to Paris. Let’s make it work.’ It was literally a fairy-tale ending.”
The Total Bellas alum shared that she also had four different outfit changes while searching for her bridal gown. A dress Bella purchased while engaged to John Cena was also in consideration.
“I had two beautiful dresses that I loved, and they were going to be for a different marriage, but they were my dream and I love them. So, I brought them out to see if I could make them work,” the Total Divas alum shared.
Bella also shared that fans will be able to see her and Chigvintsev’s “entire journey” of their special day — including all four of her bridal looks — during a four-part special event series from E! called Nikki Bella Says I Do which is set to premiere in early 2023.
The pair originally met when they were partners on season 25 of Dancing With the Stars at the time, Bella was still engaged to Cena, 45. The two called it quits in 2018 after being engaged for six years. Following her split with the wrestler, Bella moved on with the ballroom pro in January 2019. The couple announced their engagement the following year and welcomed their son, Matteo, in July 2020.
