Phebe Wahl Phebe Wahl | September 27, 2021 | Migration, Wedding Features,
As a longtime contributing editor to Vogue.com and the beauty behind her acclaimed Over the Moon site (overthemoon.com), Alexandra Macon has an eye for spotting the most stylish weddings. The tastemaker has now expanded her offering and partnered with a former Moda Operandi buyer to offer a highly curated registry for the most chic couples. The selection ranges the full spectrum of “it” girl musts—think heirloom-quality, handembroidered dinner napkins made by D’Ascoli; a stay at Hotel Il Pellicano for the honeymoon; and don’t forget a pair of Mercedes Salazar earrings for the rehearsal dinner. Couples can customize their registry page with colors, illustrations and images to make it entirely their own. We polled the style-setter for the inside scoop.
Over The Moon founder Alexandra Macon PHOTO BY COREY TENOLD/COURTESY OF BRAND
When did you first fall in love with weddings? The morning of April 29, 2011—I loved covering Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding while working at Vogue.com. Back then we had a very small team, and we all woke up early and headed to the office well before the sun was up to write about the events of the day. It felt like a slumber party! The content we posted ended up performing exceptionally well, so we knew we were on to something, and this led me to explore covering weddings even more. Eventually, this segued into my starting a monthly feature on Vogue.com and then also launching Over the Moon, originally as a content site for aspirational yet attainable-feeling wedding inspiration.
Over The Moon-exclusive Agua by Agua Bendita The Nuez minidress PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
What moment do you always look for or enjoy in a wedding? I love every aspect of the rituals and traditions that go into the ceremony—but I also really like the first dance. It’s always interesting to see what song a couple picks and how they navigate the dance floor together. Are they the kind of couple who preps with lessons or have they opted to wing it?
(LtoR) Le Creuset signature round Dutch oven; Loulou La Dune made-to-order Colette linen place mat and napkin, set of 12 PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRANDS
What inspired you to start the registry? I felt like there was a real hole in the market for a curated wedding registry that taps into the emotional experience that is wedding planning and creating a home. This led me to build—with the help of the design studio and digital agency Gadabout—an online destination that felt akin to walking into a small boutique in one’s hometown (the kind of shop where you might see what place settings other couples have registered for on display). We have a curated selection of products that features tried-and-true household names like Le Creuset and Juliska, and then also more artisanal brands like Laboratorio Paravicini, Themis Z, Mercedes Salazar, Estelle Colored Glass, Loulou La Dune, Elizabeth Lake and more. Beyond homeware, there’s a wide selection of fashion and accessories as well. In addition to having a fantastic assortment, we wanted the platform to be extremely utilitarian and functional so couples can easily do things like track who has given them what, pull gifts not on our site from across the internet, control their shipping options and convert gifts to funds if necessary.
What advice would you give couples when starting their registry? Taking a page from Marie Kondo’s playbook, you should register for beautiful things that bring you joy and that you’ll want to use every day. Your napkin at dinner doesn’t need to be starched, stiff and overly formal, but it also shouldn’t be a paper towel. Pick things that will make you happy when you set the table night after night.
How do you think registries (and entertaining) have evolved recently? The past year has made entertaining at home—and therefore registries—even more relevant. People want to give newlyweds gifts that are personal, and newlyweds are looking to curate a collection of home products that ‘feel like them’ and allow them to host small groups easily and in a way that feels special.
What news should we share for the year ahead? A post-pandemic weddings boom is coming and we couldn’t be more excited! We’re onboarding new brands weekly and adding even more features to the registry experience to make it as convenient and user-friendly as possible.
Additionally, we have a wedding styling arm to our business at Over The Moon, where we help brides and couples choose what to wear on their wedding day and to the various events before and after. I love getting to know the couples and working with them on this aspect of their planning process. And then after the wedding, it’s so much fun getting the photos, choosing favorite pictures and featuring their love story online in a way that they’ll hopefully cherish forever and share with family and friends.
What’s your favorite part of your job? Highlights have been covering Serena Williams’ wedding in New Orleans, Caroline Wozniacki’s wedding in Italy, and then going to Windsor to write about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding. Those are all events I’ll never forget!
Photography by: Top photo by COREY TENOLD/COURTESY OF BRAND