By SHAYNA SEID
MARCH 13, 2026
Made by Gadabout Creative
When we first met Over The Moon Writer Cathleen Freedman, she was our editorial intern and a bright-eyed sophomore at Fordham University. She has since spent the years penning features about OTM couples, their weddings, and more. It’s been such a joy for us to watch her write her own love story with Robert Deacon. “Robert saw a picture of me on our mutual friend Andrea’s Instagram story, and, for the first and last time in his life, swiped up,” Cathleen shares. “He asked Andrea to set us up together, and she arranged a group mini golf outing for our meet cute.”
“We dated for almost a year-and-a-half but knew we’d get married much, much sooner,” Cathleen reveals. “He proposed a few days after I returned to Houston from New York Bridal Fashion Week events. We were early to Easter Vigil mass, so he suggested we sit in the pew and pray together. Then, he got down on one knee. I said, ‘YES!’ We reveled in our happy news, just the two of us—and the church choir that was rehearsing in the back of the room.”
Robert and Cathleen, wearing her namesake Fanm Mon for Over The Moon Dress; Cathleen in the OTM Exclusive Wylie Dress; The to-be-weds with Cathleen in an Abbey Glass dress.
The two have set a date in June and booked a New Orleans venue. Cathleen’s bridal wardrobe—like everything she does—is sentimental through and through. “My wedding fashion has some kind of history behind it. I’m wearing my mother’s Scaasi dress and her veil but getting the dress slightly revamped with designer David Peck to fit me,” she says. “I’m wearing a Mestiza New York gown to the rehearsal dinner and a Sachin & Babi dress to my bridal shower, which I discovered on Over The Moon. I even found a mint condition Watters & Watters dress that my mom’s bridesmaids wore to her wedding and will put it on for an event that weekend. Basically, I'm covered on my something borrowed, old, new, and blue!”
And while planning is well underway, the Houston-based creative is sharing her Over The Moon Registry with us. She describes her personal style as “rhinestone cowgirl meets Francophile archaeologist” and her registry aesthetic as “thoughtful, special, and practically whimsical.”
Dream Registry
For The Kitchen
Invest in “buy-it-for-life” appliances, and choose a signature Le Creuset color to tie the space together.
Cathleen and Robert during their engagement shoot. The bride-to-be is wearing her namesake dress from the OTM Exclusive Fanm Mon Collection. Photo: Yasir Habibi
Q:
Can you explain why your process for choosing your Dream Registry items?
Robert’s family is filled with chefs—I’m not exaggerating. His grandmother wrote three excellent cookbooks. Meanwhile, my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations. Given our cooking proclivities, Robert owned the kitchen portion of our registry. He researched the best possible brands that we’ll have for the rest of our lives and found them all on Over The Moon—Le Creuset, Wüsthof, Cuisinart, and more. I’m really impatient in the kitchen, so Robert prioritized appliances that will make cooking easier and, more importantly for me, faster. Obviously, we love our Cuisinart food processor so far!
Dream Registry
For The Table
Accessorize with timeless classics, and contrast with vivid accents and patterns.
Cathleen in the OTM Exclusive Wylie Dress.
Q:
We know you’re a huge Ginori 1735 fan. Tell us how you incorporated this favorite and other tabletop items into your registry.
I started my Ginori 1735 collection before I met Robert, so we’re polishing it off together. I’m one of the many devotees of Oriente Italiano and have several color ways, but we also both admire the Il Viaggio di Nettuno pattern. I first saw it when I began interning at Over The Moon in 2019 and thought, “THAT’s my kind of fine china!” He and I also love crystal and believe in using it for casual meals, too. Waterford is a heritage brand that makes me think of my grandfather who insisted on gifting my parents the crystal for their wedding.
Dream Registry
For The Home
When hosting and entertaining, curate a space that is uniquely your own with monogrammed items, artisan-made pieces, and more.
Cathleen leaves us with sage advice for couples currently making their own Over The Moon Registries: “Create your registry together. I cannot recommend it enough.” She adds, “Robert and I had date nights in my apartment, sitting on our laptops, and scrolling through Over The Moon’s Ultimate Registry Checklist and Best Of Registry Collections. Because we did it with each other, our registry is a true reflection of what we both want. We even see our registry as a vision board of sorts with the tools we want for our future. These are the pieces our children will use every day! How could you not be invested in it together?”
