Nikki Bella Says She Bought 1 of Her 4 Wedding Dresses During Her Prior Engagement 5 Years Ago

In Brides new Wedding Fashion Issue, Nikki Bella opened up about finding the perfect dresses for her nuptials to Artem Chigvintsev in August

Nikki Bella is sharing some inside scoop on her dream bridal wardrobe.

In her cover story for Brides‘ Wedding Fashion Issue, released on Tuesday, the Total Divas wrestler opened up about the four wedding gowns she wore during her Parisian wedding to her longtime partner, Dancing with the Stars’ Artem Chigvintsev, 40.

Although Bella, 38, didn’t share the exact details of her bridalwear (the reveal will be featured on Nikki Bella Says I Do on E! in early 2023), she did divulge in what it was like finding her ensembles, one of which was sourced during her previous engagement to John Cena in 2017, which ended in 2018.

“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,” she told the outlet on why she chose the gown from her past.

In her search for the perfect pieces, the WWE ambassador realized the most important person to consider when curating her wedding wardrobe was herself.

“What brides will realize when they start searching for the dress is that what you wear is about you as a woman,” she said. “It has nothing to do with the person that you’re marrying or the people that are attending. It has everything to do with what you’ve envisioned for yourself and how you feel.”

Defending her dress choice, Bella emphasized, “People will try to make you think differently and say, ‘Oh, but it was for that person and that wedding.’ But after being on this journey, what I realized was no, I didn’t buy those dresses for that person. Yes, it was going to be for that event, but that event didn’t happen.”

When it came to sourcing the other three looks, the reality star relied on her twin sister. “Brie was with me every second,” Nikki said. “I knew she was going to be brutally honest and I really trust her opinion.”

Bella and Artem Chigvintsev met in September 2017 when they were partnered on season 25 of Dancing with the Stars.

The duo reconnected in 2018 and made their relationship Instagram official in March 2019.

In November that year they became fiancés during a trip to France, but didn’t announce their engagement until January 2020.

“You are the best thing that ever happen to me. So excited for what to come I love you more then anything and thank you for saying Yes,” Chigvintsev wrote on Instagram.

“Excited for 2020 and the next decade with you @theartemc ❤️ I said yes in France in November,” Bella wrote under her own post. “We have been trying to keep it a secret but really wanted to share our excitement for the New Year!”

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Two years after welcoming their son Matteo in July 2020 (one day before Brie welcomed her second child), and after postponing their nuptials, the couple officially tied the knot in August.

The newlyweds announced their surprise wedding on Instagram with photos of their rings and a portrait of them looking out at the Eiffel Tower. “We said I DO,” they captioned the post while sharing that further details would be aired on their upcoming four-part wedding special.