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Ken + Paula

November 16, 2016

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“And sit together, now and forever.
For it is plain as anyone can see:
We’re simply meant to be.”

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I have always loved autumn weddings. The possibilities that come with incorporating the rich colors, cozy décor, comfort foods, and beauty of a changing season are endless.

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I’ve been to several autumn ceremonies and celebrations in the past few years, and all of them have been so incredibly lovely.

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However, there is one that will stand out among the rest as being the most unique, bold, and all-around fun – Ken and Paula’s Halloween wedding!

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I was over the moon earlier this year when Paula, who was my dearest childhood friend growing up, got in touch asking me to capture her big day. I grew even more excited when I found out it was a Halloween wedding.

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That’s right. These two chose to tie the knot on October 31 and were totally committed, through and through, down to the very tiniest details.

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Heavily inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas, there were decorations galore, and the majority of the elements – including the bride’s dress – were DIY-ed with great love and attention.

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The wedding took place at a rural golf course, and I simply can’t get over what a perfect day it turned out to be. Here in Indiana, it’s anyone’s guess whether All Hallow’s Eve will be gloomy with a touch of rain or even snow, or warm and sunny.

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Fortunately, Mother Nature chose to go with the latter, and the bride and groom were able to wed in a beautiful outdoor ceremony before taking the party indoors!

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This family was so much fun to spend the evening with. So many laughs and memories!

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During the reception, guests were treated to savory slices of pizza from a local pizzeria and delicious, locally-made cupcakes! Younger guests took part in Halloween-themed games and “trick-or-treating.”

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All guests had been encouraged to dress in costume, and prizes were handed out to costume winners to end the evening.

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This wedding goes down in my book as one of the most memorable ever. The entire day was perfectly reflective of Ken and Paula’s own laid back, fun, and one-of-a-kind personalities, and I’m so thankful to have been a part of it.

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Wishing you both many, many happy years to come, Ken & Paula!

xo, Aly

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Posted by Aly Hess
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: photography

Welcome!

Hi! We’re Aly & Jeremy, a wife and husband based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We use this space to share about our adventures at home, around the world, and in life.

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Life Lately

alyhess

I never could’ve imagined the kind of duality 20 I never could’ve imagined the kind of duality 2025 would hold. The highest highs braided in tightly with the deepest lows.

A year of celebrating friendships old and new, engagements and weddings, pregnancies and births, and quiet personal wins—while also learning how to carry the still-fresh grief of my dad’s death, mourning a friend lost to suicide, navigating major shifts at work, and relentlessly advocating for long-unanswered health questions.

I juggled new side projects and passions while spending countless hours closing an estate. In April, I took a whirlwind trip to Waco to see family and rerouted to Vegas instead of home at the last minute for a work conference. And in August, found myself alone in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains (except for the night a bear came knocking).

Hosted a few gatherings. Baked many cakes. Took tons of photos. Got back into reading. Grew a garden. Gave extra snuggles to a newly, nearly-toothless Rosie. Learned how to stop taking myself so seriously. Forgot how to sleep.

I’ve never cried more. Never laughed more. Never been so social, yet so isolated.

It was a year of progress and growth—and also of bone-deep exhaustion. A year that tested my limits in every direction.

But we made it.

And I’m endlessly grateful for the friends and family who met me with patience, kindness, and unwavering love along the way. As someone who tends to disappear to rebuild and recover, the time spent with you was just as healing, and what got me through.

Every favorite memory from 2025 lives here—rooted in the people I love—and I can’t wait to make even more with y’all in 2026. 🫶🏼
Happy Christmas Eve, friends! As I spent the last Happy Christmas Eve, friends!

As I spent the last couple days baking holiday treats with only my thoughts as a soundtrack, I reflected a lot on how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many incredible people in my life—and how grateful I am to have been invited into so many meaningful moments in yours.

This year was full in the very best way: engagements and weddings, babies and promotions, anniversaries and sweet sixteens, graduations, big moves, bold leaps, new beginnings. Being trusted to bake the treats, capture the photos, and help plan the celebrations for these chapters is something I never take lightly. It’s an honor beyond words, and I’m endlessly grateful for it.

And if your greatest accomplishment this year was simply making it through—please know I see you, and I’m celebrating you, too. Some of the most life-changing seasons are the quiet ones. The heavy ones. The years that stretch us, soften us, and ask us to begin again. I’m always here for those chapters, too… whether that’s sitting with a listening ear or in shared silence, or supporting you from afar.

Wishing you all a gentle, joyful holiday season and a year ahead filled with exactly what you need. Thanks for being here. 🤍
December’s been a blur—as has the entirety of December’s been a blur—as has the entirety of 2025. Slowing down a bit to soak up what’s left of the holiday season and reflect on the past year. I hope you’re able to do some of the same, friends. 🕯️ 

#cottagechristmas #holidaydecor #christmasathome #dachshund #rosiepoesy
“In this autumn town where the leaves can fall O “In this autumn town where the leaves can fall
On either side of the garden wall
We laugh all night to keep the embers blowing

Some are leaping free from their moving cars
Stacking stones ‘round their broken hearts
Waving down any wind that might come blowing

Mice move out when the field is cut
Serpents curl when the sun comes up
Songbirds only end up where they’re going

Some get rain and some get snow
Some want love and some want gold
I just want to see you in the morning” 🍂

#ironandwine #november #wanderfolk #peoplescreatives #indiana
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See more! Follow us on Instagram @alyhess. 🌾🌿

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Who is behind Beard & Bloom? Hello! We're Aly Hess and Jeremy Weiks, a wife and husband living in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with our sweet miniature dachshund, Rosie.

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