Photo Credit: Victor Wang Studios

Gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Olympic soccer player Alex Morgan is set to marry longtime boyfriend Servando Carrasco, a professional soccer player for the Houston Dynamo of the MLS, this winter. Last December, Morgan took to Instagram to announce their engagement with a picture of them together showing off her her new sparkling ring, with the hashtag #instabling. 

Photo courtesy of Alex Morgan via Instagram

Not only is Morgan America’s soccer darling, but she’s also known for her classic beauty; she was featured in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue with her winning looks! Bridal Guide sat down with the athlete to learn more about her beauty routine and upcoming nuptials.

Q: You don’t get a whole lot of down time between your club play, the national team, press work, and writing children’s book. How have you fit in wedding planning?

A: (Laughter) Yeah, it’s been really fun, but also interesting. My sister actually just went to the venue to do my menu tasting because Servando (my fiancé) and I were unable to be there. My mother-in-law picked out a great rehearsal dinner venue, too. Basically, my wedding planner, sister, and mother-in-law are helping out a lot and taking care of the things that we aren’t around to do. It’s definitely a different planning experience than what most brides go through, but it’s our life. I would rather plan now and get married this year before my life gets even busier gearing up for the World Cup and Olympics!

Q: How do you de-stress or relax with all your obligations?

A: I love yoga; it clears my mind. When I feel like relaxing and being lazy, though, I like watching TV and reading books. I watch Game of Thrones — Servando and I just started getting into it, and we are on season two now. I just started reading The Boys in the Boat, a story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew team and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal in Berlin. Soccer season is very intense, so on my down days, I need to conserve my energy. At the end of the day, it might seem like simple stuff, but I really enjoy it.

Q: Your makeup always looks so pretty and natural. What’s your beauty routine?

A: Thank you! I really try to take care of my body and skin daily — especially my lips, since lips are the thinnest and most sensitive skin on the body. I use the ChapStick Dual-Ended Hydration Lock products and love the feeling they give my lips. Plus, they help make my lips look healthier and younger. Since I am always exposed to different elements and climates, plus with traveling a lot — especially on airplanes — I have to take extra care to moisturize and be diligent about my routine. I can’t always follow the exact same beauty routine day-to-day because of packing and traveling, but luckily, I am able to stick to the same basic routine. I bring my ChapStick everywhere I go, so I can keep my lips looking and feeling great leading up to my wedding day.

Q: What are your beauty must haves?

A: Of course, ChapStick! My new favorite ChapStick is the Moisture Renew Hydration Lock — it has a different advanced formula on each end and ingredients to moisturize my lips and keep them looking youthful leading up to my big day. Mascara, definitely — I use Benefit mascara. I always have a good eye cream with me; I recently ran out of my Tarte eye crème that I received as I gift, so I had to quickly go out and buy another one. I also always keep drugstore facial towelettes on hand; those are especially handy when traveling. I also love my Armani Aqua Di Gioia perfume. I am always up for trying new products, but every girl has her staple items!

Q: Are you doing anything different beauty-wise to prep for your wedding?

A: Not really; I am sticking to what I generally do every day. Playing soccer, I don’t like to clog my skin with too much make up, so I am conscious of the amount of makeup I use and make sure I clean my face thoroughly. I make sure I stay moisturized, using lotion on my skin, and ChapStick Moisturize Renew on my lips. I actually just started using Invisalign to straighten my teeth, but that’s it. Brides shouldn’t try to change themselves too much for their wedding —  the way you look every day is one of the things that attracted the person you are marrying to you in the first place!

Q: How do you envision your wedding look?

A: I want to look natural, maybe have my hair in loose curls. I am still deciding whether I want my hair up or down. Overall, it will be a very natural look but, of course, a little more done up than usual —  I mean, it is my wedding day! Plus, Servando likes my natural look, and I want to look like myself when I marry him. I will definitely keep a bag of essentials and emergency items with my maid of honor; it will probably have blotting pads and ChapStick Day Night Hydration Lock, since the wedding day will be an all-day event and our ceremony will be outside, as well as blush and mascara.

Q: As both of you are soccer players, do you see any soccer elements ending up in your wedding plans?

A: Having many of our friends, who we have met through various soccer teams and organizations, and sharing the day with them will be the extent of the “soccer-ness” of our wedding. We want to keep the soccer on the field and have our wedding day reflect what we feel describes us. Of course, many of the guests that we have on our list include my and Servando’s teammates.

Q: Are there any unique elements you have planned for your wedding?

A: We do have a really fun band for the reception; we found them through one of my teammates, and there was no need for a trial — I knew they were who we wanted. Servando did have one main request: to have a solo guitarist for the ceremony with a female singer. It will be a simple wedding; our theme is “Rustic Romance,” and we will definitely include details here and there that reflect us and our personalities.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for the wedding?

A: Reading magazines, and experiencing friends’ weddings as a guest and noticing what we like or don’t like. A lot of the inspiration comes from a very natural look. I love flowers — but, other than a beautiful bouquet, I am not sure if I will incorporate flowers into my hair and will likely not wear a lot of jewelry. I am keeping a lot of details about the wedding dress to myself until the big day, but it is a custom dress by Amsale and has a fitted bodice that goes well with my body type. I’m really looking forward to my first fitting and seeing it all come together!

—Naima DiFranco