Olympic Gold Medalist Misty Hyman’s Fairy-Tale Wedding in Arizona

You’ll never believe how Olympic gold medalist and swim coach Misty Hyman met her now-husband, David Hovey: over e-mail! “It was April of 2016, and a mutual friend of ours introduced us by e-mail," Misty remembers. “We hit it off, and we were inseparable once we met in person a month later.” The pair fell fast, and David was soon planning the perfect proposal. On the special day, they couple went to Lon’s, the restaurant at Arizona’s Hermosa Inn, where David had reserved the private wine cellar and arranged a candlelit dinner for two. As the champagne was served, David got down on one knee. “It was perfect and private, but that wasn’t the only surprise. After dinner, our friends and family came down the stairs to the cellar to celebrate with us!” she says.

Misty and David made quick work of planning their wedding, choosing the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona. “I have coached swim lessons at their lap pool for nearly a decade and have always felt that it was such a special place,” she says. With their venue set, the romantic couple turned to Revel Wedding Co. to create a neutral palette (accented with pops of pink and orange!) and transform the venue into the perfect setting for Misty's modern fairy-tale dream. You won’t want to miss this Olympian’s picturesque celebration, photographed by Elyse Hall!

The bride had her very own Cinderella moment in her Calla Blanche gown, which featured an ornately beaded bodice and a full, flowing skirt. She completed her look with a tiara in her hair, a flowing veil, and a feminine bouquet of roses, sweet peas, and lisianthus in cream and blush.

“Our flower girl practiced in her living room for weeks,” says Misty. “She lined up stuffed animals as guests on either side of the aisle.” On the day of, the adorable flower girl wore a petal-covered dress and a crown of blush roses.

The bridesmaids looked elegant in black lace and sequin gowns, and they carried white and blush bouquets as a nod to the bride’s own flowers.

Misty loved the property’s bougainvillea plants, so they arranged their ceremony altar to frame the blooms. Additional arrangements of white delphiniums and blush roses created an enchanted garden setting, with candles glowing in gold lanterns.

“We have a large group of friends who we love and cherish, but large wedding parties can be overwhelming,” says Misty. “Instead, we had a smaller wedding party and incorporated ‘honored friends’ who sat on either side of the aisle so we could see their faces as we made our way to the altar.” David’s friends even wore color-coded ties to designate how they knew the groom, from high school to hockey league.

At cocktail hour, guests enjoyed the property’s striking views as they snacked on small bites.

The guests' table assignments were displayed on an oversize board customized with the couple’s names. (Talk about a creative escort-card display!)

The indoor-outdoor celebration featured ivory drapery, textured champagne linens, and modern gold chairs. Taper candles in glass hurricanes surrounded centerpieces of peach and cream roses. “We really wanted to bring romance into the space, so candlelight and soft fabrics were key,” says the bride.

At the reception, Misty’s bridesmaids had a huge surprise for the bride: a choreographed dance! “They knew I would love it, and it meant so much that they would put in so much effort just for me. I couldn’t contain myself, and I joined them on the dance floor halfway through,” she says. As for what she learned from the wedding process, the Olympic athlete has this to say: "Planning a wedding doesn’t have to be hard, and you definitely don’t need a year. Hire a great planner and let her do her thing! We realized that with a great team in place, planning in less time was actually much less stressful!”