Valerie + Sam’s Halloween-Themed Wedding in Fort Wayne

When I first met with Valerie and Sam to chat about their wedding day, I couldn’t have envisioned how amazing their Halloween-themed wedding in Fort Wayne would turn out. Hurricane Ian forced them to change their plans for their ceremony, but they had always planned for an amazing wedding celebration with their reception at Sam’s parents’ house in Fort Wayne.

Valerie and Sam had planned their wedding ceremony to take place in Florida the week prior to their reception celebration in Indiana. But when Hurricane Ian hit Florida at the end of September, their venue was damaged and their ceremony plans quickly changed. They chose to go ahead and have a very intimate ceremony with their family and a few friends before cocktail hour started at their reception.

But when we first arrived for the day, I was blown away by the reception setup. They had rented this amazing clear ceiling tent to host their guests, with amazing wood floors they had installed and a bar for their guests to enjoy drinks during the celebration. Their tables were beautifully decorated with fall decor, and the wooden chairs they chose were stunning. They did an incredible job with planning all the details for the day, and it was clear that a ton of time and love went into the day to make sure it truly an amazing day.

Valerie and Sam first met in kindergarten, but they did not start dating until 2018. In December 2020, Sam took Valerie to a couple of wineries then a state park in the snow. It was there that he asked Valerie to be his wife, and of course she said yes! With two years to plan, I’m not surprised that they didn’t miss a single detail in making the perfect celebration.

Valerie and Sam kicked off the day with a champagne toast with their wedding party and family, before heading out to take their bride and groom portraits. As we were photographing them, I would continue to find details to be in awe over. The first detail I was loving were Valerie’s nails. They were hand painted by her maid of honor and name twin, Valerie. Her gorgeous dress with all the lace and tulle detail was absolutely stunning, and Sam’s suit had so many incredible details. I loved her floral crown and beautiful florals from Lopshire Flowers, who did an amazing job with all of the florals throughout the day.

After their intimate wedding ceremony on the edge of the woods, Valerie and Sam’s guests began to arrive to enjoy cocktail hour, then their reception kicked off with an amazing grand entrance from the bride and groom and their first dance. Valerie shared a dance with her father Mike, then Sam shared a dance with his mom Carolyn before dinner from Ceruti’s Catering.

After dinner, Valerie and Sam did their pie cutting before everyone headed outside for the fireworks show. Not a detail was missed by these two, and their guests enjoyed a fun show outside by the bonfire while roasting marshmallows and enjoying s’mores.

After the fireworks show, the couple played a game with their guests before opening the dance floor to their guests for the rest of the night. The dance floor stayed full, as Valerie, Sam, and their guests danced the night away together.

Valerie and Sam, it was such an honor to be a part of your wedding. Thank you for allowing me to capture such a special day for you two, and to be a part of celebrating with you and your families. I wish you all the love in the world as you embark on your married life. Enjoy your sneak peeks!

CREATIVE TEAM
Venue: Personal Residence
Caterer: Ceruti’s Catering
Florist: Lopshire Flowers
DJ: Get Up to Get Down
Pie: Bakerson Pie Company
Invitations: The Knot
Hairstylist: Valerie Morel