Meet the 2026 Looks of Love Winners!
With votes rolling in all week, you fell in love with Leah & Steve’s love story.
From the very first date — when a sweet gesture revealed Leah’s generous heart-it was clear that something special had begun. What started with a thoughtful moment quickly turned into a love story so effortless, they never had to open the Hinge app again.
Leah and Steve’s journey blossomed into a forever kind of love, stealing all of our hearts along the way.
Now, they’re celebrating the next chapter of their story with the perfect date-night dream: a luxurious evening at the Kimpton Schofield Hotel, dinner at Betts (where they shared their very first brunch together-how fitting!), and a wedding planning power hour with Emily Berg Weddings & Events to start envisioning their beautiful future together.
Cheers to love stories that begin with kindness and lead to forever!
If you missed this year’s Looks of Love stories, you can check out the top 8 finalists below.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re thrilled to announce the finalists of Wed Society Cleveland + Northeast Ohio’s annual Looks of Love contest! There’s truly nothing more heartwarming than reading a love story and seeing beautiful photos that capture the special bond between two people. Over the past two weeks, our team has read and admired the many amazing love stories shared to us and have selected the top 8 couples to enter our Instagram voting competition kicking off on Wednesday, February 11th! Get a jumpstart on reading the incredible love stories of these 8 couples and tune in each day to @wedsociety.cleveland to vote for your favorite couples and love story! The winner will be announced on Saturday, February 14th and receive a Wedding Planning Power Hour with Emily Berg Weddings + Events along with an ultimate date night getaway at The Kimpton Schofield Hotel along with dinner at Betts!
Kerry & Alex
Gemini Photography Cleveland
“Alex and I met in the operating room during an open-heart surgery—me as a cardiothoracic physician assistant and him in medical device sales. He was temporarily in Cleveland from Nashville, hoping to win over a new account, and while I was finishing closing up a case, he decided to strike up a conversation about Cleveland’s best restaurants. A few days later, we matched on Bumble—he immediately recognized me and thought fate was doing him a favor, while I was blissfully unaware I’d already met him, since I never actually saw his face during our initial interaction. What started as a hospital conversation quickly turned into a coffee date in the lobby, then our perfect first date: dinner at Amba followed by a comedy show on East 4th. Fast forward a few months to when we rescued our spunky puppy Willow from the streets of Texas, bought our first home in Lakewood, and got engaged in our favorite place—our front porch. What made it even more special was all of our friends and family waiting in the backyard, turning our housewarming party into a surprise engagement celebration! It feels only fitting that our love story began where broken hearts are mended, because ours have been full ever since.”
Leah & Steve
Suzuran Photography
Leah and Steve met on Hinge in 2021, where Steve became Leah’s very first (and only) date from the app. On their first date, Leah nervously showed up with a candle from the company she founded, Hope’s Landing, where all products are handmade by survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. She was unsure if bringing a gift was sweet or weird, so she took the gamble, and clearly it worked out! In 2024, while traveling in Iceland, Steve proposed at a beautiful waterfall using that same candle as the ring box, but this time it had a new label that said “Will you marry me?” From that very first brunch at Bett’s downtown (where they talked so much they kept forgetting to order) to adventures in over 15 countries around the world, their favorite thing to do is just being together, talking, laughing, and planning their next adventure as the future Mr. and Mrs. Ripepi!
Alison & Josh
Hannah Cessna Photography
Alison and Josh have been together for a little over three years, and their love story continues to grow deeper with every chapter. They actually met years before officially dating through Alison’s cousin, and at the time, neither of them could have imagined how far their relationship would go. About a year into dating, they moved in together and started building a life together. As a photographer, Alison had always dreamed of having beautiful proposal photos and Josh pulled off the ultimate surprise by convincing her that one of her photographer colleagues needed models for a shoot. With the sun setting behind them at Edgewater Beach, Josh proposed in the sweetest way, and now they’re planning their wedding and counting down the days until forever officially begins.
Gracie & Jarod
Loren Jackson Photography
“Our story began in high school as best friends, and after going to prom together, we went off to different colleges. As they always say, distance makes the heart grow fonder, and this definitely was the case for us. We fell in love our freshman year of college just as the world was shutting down. We spent our college years traveling to see each other on the weekends, and in the spring of 2023 we moved to downtown Cleveland to start our careers and life together. In April of 2025, Jarod asked me to marry him at Lakewood Park overlooking the city, a moment we will never forget! We celebrated our engagement that night under a big white tent at my childhood home, surrounded by family and friends, where it all began. Not long after, we fell in love all over again- with our sweet puppy Birdie, who completed our little family of three. Through the years, our love has grown even more, and now we can’t wait to say “I do” in June and begin the next chapter of our story together.”
Virginia & Kevin
Jordan Lee Photography
“We technically met through mutual friends, but it felt more like fate than coincidence. Later that night at The Farm in the Flats, Kevin came over to talk to me and what was supposed to be a quick conversation turned into us accidentally closing down the bar while all our friends left without us. We weren’t ready for the night to end, so we went back to my place in the Warehouse District and sat on the couch for hours, taking turns playing songs that meant something to us, sharing stories, and talking about life like we’d known each other forever. That first night, we connected over music, vulnerability, and the kind of conversation you usually only have with someone you deeply trust and somehow, we just never stopped talking after that. From that night on, we both knew this was something different; the kind of love story you don’t expect, but are lucky enough to find.”
Ebony & Jarer
Raw Exposure Cle
“Jarer and I are getting married after many wonderful years together and he still managed to surprise me. We were in Tokyo visiting my family home and it was his first time there which makes the trip feel extra meaningful. After 20,000 steps of sightseeing around the city, he had been carrying a ring in his bag all day while I stuffed it with shopping, completely unaware. When the time finally came he proposed at the very top of Tokyo sky tree the highest point of the city. A moment we cherish forever.”
Jordan & Peter
Laura Kate Photography Co.
Peter and Jordan met in dental school at the University of Michigan thanks to a dental fraternity, a shared executive role, and Peter’s mom’s Costco membership. Despite Jordan being a year ahead, the two quickly became inseparable—assisting each other through appointments and navigating dental school side by side. Their early dates revolved around hot dogs, sparked by Peter’s belief that nothing could beat a Costco hot dog, leading them to taste-test everywhere from Costco to IKEA. Somewhere between clinic hours and hot dog debates, friendship turned into love. Today, even with Peter in orthodontic residency in Cleveland and Jordan working in Michigan, they’re counting down the days until marriage brings them together for good—ready to keep building a life as best friends who love a great deal.
Keelin & Stephen
Dream Art Photography
“Stephen and I have known each other since we were little. Our families are close and our older siblings are good friends. Although we always knew each other, we never dated until college. Our families were secretly rooting for us the whole time and joked we were meant to be. Fast forward years later when we actually hung out and the rest was history! Two and a half years later, during his family photos, he dropped down on one knee and popped the question, of course I said yes! After pictures and celebrating with family, he surprised me with dinner reservations and a dozen roses waiting at the table. Eleven were real and one was fake, symbolizing our song, ‘Till the Last One Dies’ by Chris Young, which made the day even sweeter.”
Be sure to vote on Wed Society Cleveland’s Instagram stories every day from Wednesday, February 11th – Saturday, February 14th and cheer on your favorite couple!
