Paper Moon Weddings: where your inspired ideas are cherished, polished and set free to flourish! Meet the eclectic, inventive, creative cast of characters that call Paper Moon Weddings a “workplace” (though it’s really a bit closer to a “fun factory”):
Aubrey Young
Founder, DIY Diva
DIY Diva … or DIY Detective? Sleuthing and solutions are among Aubrey’s strong suits. Her natural curiosity and savvy sixth sense are a match made in heaven for Paper Moon Weddings. Whether it’s unearthing well-worn furniture to refurbish (she’s a crafty Craigslister) or suggesting a new spin for a client’s tried-but-tired marketing strategy, Aubrey loves drawing on her diverse background and hands-on skill set to put all the pieces of a puzzle into place. As a founder and owner of Edgewater Pavilion, a ceremony and reception venue in Northern Colorado, Aubrey honed her sales, management and marketing methodology and got clued into the wedding industry from the inside out: what worked, what didn’t, and what to do about it. Her insight and instincts provide an invaluable service to Paper Moon clients, but it’s her fun-loving spirit and her contagious quest for camaraderie that make her a joy to work with. A self-confessed tomboy, Aubrey treats work as a team sport, inspiring everyone around her to get in the game, then winning them over with a delightful combination of determination and enthusiasm.
Becky Hodges
Founder, Creative Catalyst
Despite being one in a family of nine children, Becky never ceases to stand out from the crowd. Her ideas, her energy and her unshakeable faith in innovation and imagination continue to expand the horizon of possibility for every person she connects with. She’s the girl who can always tell you what time it is (and what time it isn’t). Her past experiences in events, marketing, purchasing and planning provide the foundation from which she can envision the future for Paper Moon Weddings. From the changing needs of the clientele to the shifting tides of technology, Becky brings big picture brainstorming to the table and invites the creative team to turn traditional thinking into transformational trailblazing, with a healthy dose of keeping it real and an inherent understanding that the delight always comes through in the details. She couldn’t live without her iPhone and says she spends “way too much time” perusing wedding blogs. A true entrepreneur, Becky always keeps several irons in the fire and is currently training for a 5K in addition to crafting, crafting, crafting: whether it’s clever campaigns for clients or the latest to-die-for decorative doodad she’s discovered on the web. She and her husband Josh have also welcomed a little bundle of joy to their family — an adorable pug named Rory.
Gary Young
Wise Guy and Business Whiz
Gary has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and advertising, and is no stranger to big-picture thinking. Think billboard big-picture. A veteran of the outdoor advertising industry, Gary has built success from the ground up in multi-million dollar markets and municipal mazes. He counts among his accomplishments a certain “victory in Vegas”: the time he landed the contract for new bus stop shelters featuring digital advertising screens … all along the Strip. Now that’s seeing your name in lights! A little closer to home: he has cooperated with private land owners and worked within intricate signage codes and zoning regulations to build more than 200 billboard faces in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. His razor-sharp business savvy and tough-as-nails negotiating talents don’t completely conceal the fact that Gary has a bit of a soft spot – especially when it comes to helping nurture the next generation of success. From coaching the Paper Moon Weddings team through making the tough calls – the right way – to devoting his time to two civic organizations dedicated to kids (as a board member for the Child Advocacy Center and a career mentor for The Matthews House), Gary proves every day that the best kind of smart is backed by a great big heart.
Kathy Henkenius
Office Mama
The “kids” at Paper Moon call her the Office Mama, but everyone knows the truth: Kathy is actually the Queen Mother. Far from a figurehead, she reigns benevolently over her loyal subjects, ruling through laughter and loving gestures ranging from making sure everyone eats to making sure everyone gets paid. She is Paper Moon’s resident off-color joke teller and a collector of comedic accents — her coworkers delight in her ability to stay in character while simultaneously attending to the myriad of details that keep the office shipshape. Kathy believes variety is the spice of life, and is a dedicated gardener and kitchen experimenter. An avid cook, she praises her mandolin slicer and microplane grater as indispensible, but woe is the soul who tries to pry any of her much-adored kitchen gadgets from her hands. She is the first to bring in home-baked goods and have clients to tea, and her unshakeable belief in heartfelt hospitality is a hallmark of Paper Moon’s inviting office space. Kathy has been married to her husband Kurt for 27 years and her three daughters live in Northern Colorado; none seem to mind sharing her with the Paper Moon crew. After all, this grande dame has tender loving care to spare and plenty of pizzazz for both her families.
Matt Kistler
Daredevil Designer
His parents are retired Air Force, so Matt is no stranger to a life lived with a dash of “wild” (even if it’s just applied to blue, with or without the yonder). He speaks a little bit of Spanish, favors the exotic guacamole at El Monte Grill and Lounge, and not surprisingly, enjoys Top Gear — a TV show praised as much for its visual style as for its subject matter: fast cars. An avid rock climber and motorcycle rider, Matt’s appreciation for stunning views set to the beat of a racing heart translate well to his time spent indoors, where he creates breathtaking and beautiful design concepts for Paper Moon Weddings. His advertising clients are constantly commending his thoughtful implementation of ideas, while his coworkers are teaching him to accept compliments. Surrounded by women at Paper Moon headquarters, he has quickly become the beloved brother figure, and is alternately teased and praised and tortured and flattered. He secretly loves it, though he also admits a fondness for the occasional strong cocktail, listing Basil Hayden’s as a favorite. He fights back in the den of femininity by finding and sharing zombie wedding photo shoots with the girls, much to their (possibly feigned) horror.
