Celebrity Ashlee Simpson & Pete Wentz: The Way They Were From parties and premieres to business and baby, look back at the couple's rockin' romance By Kate Hogan Kate Hogan Instagram Twitter Kate Hogan is Director of Digital Specials and Features at PEOPLE. In her 14 years at the brand, she has covered everything from pets and babies to style and Sexiest Man Alive, interviewing celebrities including Céline Dion, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Evans. Currently, she oversees the creation of photo galleries that complement breaking news and major PEOPLE moments like The Beautiful Issue and 100 Reasons to Love America. She has offered expert celebrity commentary on Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. Before joining PEOPLE in 2008, Kate was an editorial assistant at Morris Visitor Publications. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication and resides outside of Chicago with her husband and three kids. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 9, 2011 04:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email 01 of 13 SOMETHING NEW Brian Ach/WireImage Seven months after a PDA-filled night in New York, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz step out as a couple on April 30, 2007 to host an opening-night bash at Wentz's new Big Apple lounge, Angels amp Kings. "I think the first day that we met that we were attracted to each other," Simpson tells PEOPLE. But the attraction ends four years later, when Simpson, 26, files for divorce from her longtime love, 31. 02 of 13 ROCK ROYALTY Michael Caulfield/WireImage All hail Ashlee and Pete! The pair have a crowning moment at Simpson's prom-themed birthday party in L.A. on Oct. 6, 2007. "We're past the honeymoon period," Wentz tells PEOPLE weeks before the celebration. "The truth is, it's crazy to be able to kiss your best friend. It's just a really awesome thing." 03 of 13 A LITTLE SPARKLE Jamie McCarthy/WireImage The lovebirds share some cute quiet time in New York City on April 16, 2008, a week after announcing their engagement. "He's a great sounding board and very supportive," Simpson says of her fiancé. "Pete and I complement each other. We are best friends, and we encourage each other." 04 of 13 WEDDED BLISS Just a month after the big proposal, Simpson and Wentz tie the knot in an Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding ceremony at her parents' Los Angeles home. "My sister is overflowing with joy," says big sis Jessica Simpson. "Pete is an incredible soul. They naturally bring out the best in each other." 05 of 13 BUMP IN THE ROAD Kevin Mazur/WireImage And baby makes three! Following weeks of speculation, the newlyweds confirm they're expecting their first child. "It's fun to have somebody that I love to do this with," Simpson tells ET Canada of her supportive husband, before showing off her baby bump at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, 2008. The couple welcome son Bronx Mowgli on Nov. 20. 06 of 13 A SOLID SMOOCH Gaye Gerard/Getty What relationship trouble? Amid speculation that their year-old marriage is on the rocks, Simpson and Wentz share a steamy smooch on stage at the MTV Australia Awards on March 27, 2009. "Sorry, we haven't seen each other in a while," Wentz told the crowd. "We're going to go and find some quiet time and fornicate somewhere." 07 of 13 BRONX BEAT Steve Granitz/WireImage With 7-month-old Bronx in tow, the Simpson-Wentzes are the picture of happiness at the Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival in L.A. on June 7, 2009. "[Being married] made me able to share more," Simpson tells Women's Health. "Now Pete and Bronx come first. It has humbled me." 08 of 13 SISTERLY BONDING Ethan Miller/Getty "The great thing about being part of the Simpson family is that they're really welcoming – you feel right at home right away," Wentz, here with big sis-in-law Jessica during his wife's 25th birthday celebration in Las Vegas on Oct. 3, 2009 has said. 09 of 13 UP AND AWAY Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Whee! The proud parents take then-11-month-old Bronx on a magical trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 29, 2009. "I realized I'd found my soul mate, and it made me want to be a better person," Wentz tells Details. "Now, with the baby, I want to be the best dad I can be." 10 of 13 HOLDING COURT James Devaney/WireImage They're full of cheer! The happy couple stays linked in during a low-key date night, watching a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 3, 2010. 11 of 13 SUPPORT TEAM Marion Curtis/Startraks; Humberto Carreno/startraks Wentz ditches his usual jeans and hoodies for a suit, supporting his wife as she makes her Broadway debut in Chicago. Months later, a smiley Simpson takes a front-row seat at her hubby's Clandestine Industries fashion show in New York City. 12 of 13 OH HAPPY DAY AKM Images Bronx, 22 months, gets the giggles while goofing off with his parents at an Encino, Calif., playground on Sept. 26, 2010. "They're fantastic parents – Pete says she's a great mom, and she says he's a great father," a source tells PEOPLE after Simpson files for divorce. "It's about Bronx's care and well-being and happiness for them." 13 of 13 LAST CALL X17 The couple goes for a final coffee run in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, 2011, before news of their divorce goes public. "They're on very friendly terms and speaking – it's fine," a source tells PEOPLE. "They've just grown apart. They've been growing apart for quite some time."