A year-and-a-half after Madigan McGovern, founder and CEO of special event company McG Projects, and Zach McHugh matched on Hinge, he proposed in Red Hook, Brooklyn. “Red Hook has always been a special place for us because of our favorite restaurant, Red Hook Tavern,” Madigan explains. “Thinking we were going to a friend’s birthday dinner at our spot, Zach proposed on a nearby pier overlooking downtown Manhattan.” Family flew in for the proposal and to add to the magic of it all, Zach had friends waiting down the street at Strong Rope Brewery. “It was perfect.”
Once engaged, Madigan swiftly decided to split the September nuptials between New York City and the Hamptons. The rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks were held at The Bowery Hotel, while the wedding and after-party were in Amagansett and Montauk at The Reform Club and Best Pizza (now named Dive Bar Pizza). “New York will always be our home, but so much of our love story and life together has unfolded in the Hamptons, so it was important to us that our guests experienced both,” she notes.
The Reform Club in Amagansett—and all of its floral-filled scenery—was the first and only venue the couple considered. And, as for the after-party, Best Pizza was the perfect dive-bar chic locale for the post-ceremony celebrations. “As a bride with almost a decade of experience managing large-scale events, I wanted to make sure my wedding planner, Lyndsey Hamilton, and I worked closely as true partners throughout the 11 months of planning,” Madigan says. “Seeing everything come to life the day of brought both of us to tears.” To top it all off, Over The Moon-favorite photographer Ryan Ray was on hand to lens every moment.
Similar to finding a venue, Madigan chose the first dress she ever tried on and paired it with Prada heels. The bride-to-be worked with Reem Acra to customize the look—as did her mother for her own wedding day. “Going through the fitting process together was really special and something I will always cherish,” Madigan says. On the day-of, after Emma Willis applied the bride’s glowing beauty look, bridesmaids and groomsmen stood beside the couple in looks by Norma Kamali and Paul Stuart.
As for the weekend’s other—equally as charmed—events, Madigan carefully curated a wedding wardrobe that fit the aesthetic. To the rehearsal dinner, she chose a satin mini dress by Alex Perry, complete with Mach & Mach shoes.
Next—following the ceremony, of course—she switched into a sparkling SIMKHAI fringed look. And finally, as the festivities journeyed on, she slipped into something fit for dancing, a Paco Rabanne style and Amina Muaddi heels. “I kept my jewelry simple as I wanted my dress to stand out,” she notes. “We have a family jeweler, Genovese Jewelers in St. Louis, and Joe Genovese loaned me the most stunning earrings for our wedding along with an incredible necklace, bracelet, and earrings for the rehearsal dinner.”
On September 30, 2023, Madigan and Zach wed in the sunken garden of The Reform Club surrounded by sprawling florals by Lyndsey Hamilton. “Planning an outdoor wedding, I researched historical weather records showing our date had seen zero rain in the last 10 years; however, we found ourselves in near-hurricane conditions the day before the wedding,” Madigan laughs. “Luckily, the rain cleared up exactly when we needed it before our guests arrived and gave our photographers ideal lighting to work with.”
She walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with her father while Eddie Money’s “Baby Hold On” rang. “The second ‘Baby Hold On’ by Eddie Money started playing I was beyond excited to marry my best friend in front of all our favorite people,” the bride remembers. “It was truly the moment I felt all our hard work planning start to feel real.”
After an exit amidst cheers and falling flower petals, the newlyweds posed for a few portraits and then met in the orchard for cocktail hour. Escort cards by Alison Pennline led guests to their seats inside the tented reception space artfully adorned with budding ivory florals, rattan chandeliers, and bright tablescapes. Madigan and Zach danced to Leon Bridges’s “Beyond,” before Great Performances served filet mignon and lobster as loved ones offered toasts.
“Our cake was carried out to the song ‘Cinema’ [by] Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go—and it may have been my favorite moment of the night. This was the cake of my dreams,” Madigan notes of the four-foot-wide Jerri’s Cakery confection. Élan Artists had everyone dancing all evening and, when the time came, everyone boarded school buses to an after-party featuring a deejaying Oliver Benz, which lasted until 3:00 a.m. “The most perfect night celebrating with my new husband.”
