Anyone who’s obsessed with weddings likely knows the name Alexandra Macon. As Vogue.com’s wedding editor, she seems to have a never-ending rolodex of the most awe-inspiring brides and the stories of their big days on file. But did you know Macon also has her own destination website for bridal inspiration, Over The Moon? For one, this non-bride can’t stop perusing the shoppable shoots (I mean, doesn’t everyone need to know what they’d buy for their imaginary fiance and bridal party?) The Daily talked to Macon and buyer Emilie Ghilaga about how they curate the stunning selection .
Alexandra Macon
Macon with her daughters (courtesy)
Tell us about your background, how did you end up at Vogue.com?
When I first moved to New York City, I knew I wanted to work at a magazine. I interviewed at Cosmo and Nylon, but to know avail. I ultimately started working as a freelance maternity leave fill-in for the director of international marketing at Ralph Lauren. (I had just returned from a year teaching English in Japan, and they needed someone who could help liaise with counterparts in Asia). After a year at Ralph Lauren, I finally landed the job “a million girls would kill for,” and began working as the assistant to the managing editor (Laurie Jones) in 2004.
How did covering weddings become your beat there, was this something you consciously pursued?
After three years in that role, I left Vogue to go to Domino, where I was the assistant managing editor. Then Domino folded during the recession, and I moved over to Interview magazine as the managing editor. I ultimately returned to Vogue in 2010 as the third hire at Vogue.com, where I was the managing editor for seven years. While in that role, we covered Kate Middleton’s wedding, and that’s what really sparked my interest in weddings. It was fun to cover that big event, and there were so many different aspects of it that I enjoyed writing about: fashion, love, jewelry, decor, travel…
So, what led you to launch Over The Moon?
At that point, I was also attending a lot of my friends’ beautiful weddings. The photos were gorgeous, but there wasn’t really a place for them to be featured online. Everything else felt too saccharine or overly stylized and inauthentic—so I started Over The Moon in an effort to fill that void.
What were the early days like as you tried to get the site off the ground?
I started it while I was on maternity leave with my second child…so, busy! But it was also so wonderful to have a creative outlet that was all my own.
What is it about covering weddings that you love? It sounds like a dream job!
Yes, I would definitely call it a dream job! I love helping couples commemorate such a happy time in their lives. Also, going to New Orleans to cover Serena Williams’s wedding and dancing next to Beyoncé for a hot second was definitely a career highlight!
The couples you feature are always incredible, how do you find them or do they reach out to you?
I get lots of submissions and tips! I’m also in constant contact with wedding planners, photographers, PR reps, and agents regarding upcoming weddings.
Why have you now decided to branch into e-commerce?
I felt like there was another hole in the market. Couples often DM asking for advice and where they can find certain things, so we worked to curate an e-commerce shopping experience that brings all of that RTW, bridal, jewelry and accessories, gifts, homeware, and kitchenware together in one aesthetically pleasing, beautiful, but approachable place.
(overthemoon.com)
What’s your hope for this new venture?
That couples will sign up for and love the registry which is launching later this fall!
Emilie Ghilaga
(Photo: Daisy Johnson)
You’re a former buyer at Moda Operandi, how did you end up there?
I was about to move to Jaipur, India to intern at The Gem Palace when I read a Town & Country cover story about Lauren [Santo Domingo] when Moda was first launching. I remember loving the concept so much and thinking, “Now that’s a place I would like to work!” Two years later, one of my best friends connected me to a friend who worked there, and I landed a position as assistant to the director of accessories, and the rest is history.
And how did you become involved with Over The Moon?
I was introduced to Alexandra by Loulou Baker, the designer and illustrator. (She’s a founding brand on Over The Moon!) I was living in Costa Rica at the time, but when Alex and I first met in New York, we instantly understood each other and hit it off. This was late September 2019, and shortly thereafter we began brainstorming the ideal bridal trousseau and wedding registry site. I, from my casita in Costa Rica and she in New York. It was a remote work-from-home situation from the start which is so interesting when you consider what ensued just months later.
The brands are amazing, how did you go about selecting them?
Alex and I knew at the beginning it should be highly curated; to launch with just over 100 brands across eight departments, in order to give the client exactly they need and no more. To start, the tried-and-true brands that we have grown up with in our kitchens as well as the new guard of sustainable cookware options. For home and tabletop, it was about connecting with the craftsmen and artisans both domestic and international, telling their story and making their products available for a new couple without the extensive travel. For the bridal department, we began with the classics and then integrated non-bridal brands who we could create special exclusives with. The origin of Over The Moon was a website for love stories and inspirational content for one of the most important milestones in a person’s life. Therefore, offering product that you can pass down to generations is something that is a pillar within our brand matrix.
What are the pieces in the selection that you’re currently obsessing over?
Estelle Colored Glass custom stemware set (you can pick up to six color!). Margaux ballet flats, Sue Sartor Paloma Dress, Hibiscus Linens monogram cocktail napkins, Meg Busacca vintage face masks, Sarah Bray Plumeria Hat, and Edie Parker’s new bridal collection.
What makes a brand stand out to you?
A brand which has great character and a signature aesthetic, as well as thoughtful and considered production methods, with hopefully some cultural heritage and craft to understand its provenance.
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