Top 8 Looks of Love Finalist – Raleigh, NC

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re thrilled to announce the finalists of Wed Society Raleigh’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 with us and has 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.raleigh to vote for your favorite couples and love story. The winner will be announced on Saturday, February 14th, and receive a date including a night at AC Hotel Raleigh, Cocktails at Level 7 Rooftop Bar, Dinner at Sixty Vines, Sweets from Videri Chocolate, and Flowers from Bark and Bloom!

Janicia & Thomas

// Photo: Lusuriello Photography

“Our love story began over 16 years ago at a high school track practice and our very first jobs at Arby’s, where a simple friendship quietly took root. Though life led us down different paths, our hearts always found their way back to one another. When we reunited, choosing each other felt effortless like coming home to a love that had been patiently waiting. Together, we’ve built a life rooted in faith, friendship, and family, a love that grew, waited, and became home; proof that what is meant for you will always arrive right on time.”

Mikayla & Justin

// Photo: Celia Rawson Photography

“Justin and Mikayla’s love story began in 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a Bumble match turned into something truly special. Mikayla had just moved to the Triangle to begin her career in healthcare, and in the years that followed, Justin found his own path alongside her. Over five years together, they’ve built a partnership rooted in compassion, shared purpose, and dreams of continuing to grow side by side. When they’re not caring for others, they’re building a beautiful life with their adorable aussiedoodle, Dixie, and dreaming of the family they’ll create together. Justin asked Mikayla to spend forever with him at the breathtaking, Italian-inspired Raffaldini Vineyards, surrounded by the love of her parents and sister.”

Tomas & Megan

// Photo: Bethany McGarry

“The Journey to Forever. Tomas had just arrived in North Carolina from California. Megan, after a long road on her own, was beginning to believe her person might never join her. However, unknowingly, they were both guided to the same place, Facebook Dating. Megan made the first move, drawn to a photo of Tomas in Barcelona, a city she had recently explored herself. Travel sparked the conversation, and before they realized it, their journeys had merged into one. Their first date, wandering the art museum and walking its trails, felt effortless, and neither wanted the day to end. Distance followed at first, with Tomas driving every weekend from Winston-Salem to Raleigh, until love made the path forward clear and he made Raleigh and Megan his home. Their first adventure together took them to Helen, Georgia, where they sealed their commitment with a love lock, tossing away the key and stepping forward together. Soon after, came a flight north to Wisconsin, where Tomas met Megan’s family. Watching them welcome him so warmly confirmed what she already knew: she had found her home in him as well. Not long after, Tomas began planning the next great step. With help from a close friend, he found the perfect ring and planned a journey worthy of the moment. While celebrating the new year in New York City, Tomas dropped to one knee at sunset on the Top of the Rock. Amid the glow of the city and the cheers of strangers, he asked Megan to spend her life with him. Through joyful tears, she said yes. Now, they share a home in Raleigh with their kitty, Bella, excited for every road, flight, and adventure still ahead, knowing the greatest journey is the one they’re on together.”

Kristina & Isaiah

// Photo: House of Willingham

“Our love story started when we were 15 and 16 in our church youth group. We were on the worship team together and started talking to one another more and more. We found out we were neighbors and had been for 4 years. My favorite part is how we have been able to grow up together and be with each other in so many different seasons. I knew we were going to get married when I saw the way he loves God and the way he treats me so well. I love how it’s always been and will always be him.”

Taleia & Jeremiah

// Photo: More Love Photography

“My fiancé, Jeremiah, and I grew up in the same small town, but didn’t meet until high school; we didn’t even know the other existed. I moved away from our hometown, Danville, VA, when I was 8. My family and I moved back at the start of 9th grade. Then, I wasn’t happy about moving back, but now I’m grateful. We met in our 10th-grade English class. Jeremiah says he knew immediately that I’d be his wife, but I wasn’t so sure. We were opposites- I was shy and quiet while he was loud and outgoing, welcoming the spotlight. I was focused on doing well in school and graduating, but he was determined to get to know me. I was a cheerleader, and he was a football player, so we saw each other often. While I said no when he asked me out, we slowly became friends. Best friends. After high school graduation, we kept in touch despite him being in Delaware and me in Virginia. It wasn’t until 2017 that we really reconnected. After experiencing a great deal of loss and deciding to apply to law school, I reached out to the one person I always knew would show up for me when I needed. It was like no time had passed, and when I moved to DC for law school, our friendship remained. The first time he visited DC, we’d stayed on the phone long enough to watch the sun come up before he said he was coming to see me. The visits and the long calls became routine. As often as he could, Jeremiah would drive two and a half hours after work from Richmond, VA, to DC. When he moved back to Danville, that drive would become four hours. It was during one of his visits that I realized I’d fallen in love with my best friend. In May 2018, while I was visiting home, we went to get ice cream. He bought me my favorite, a strawberry sundae, and asked me to be his girlfriend.”

Saba & Hamid

// Photo: Kenzie Lee

“Fates aligned when a Blue Devil and a Tar Heel met on Duke’s campus. Little did we know this was the start of a decade-long friendship through four states, five moves, and a global pandemic to arrive at the one ring. All the slings and arrows of missed connections, bad timing, and a sea of apps tried to pull us apart. But one Torchy’s dinner and Marbles Museum IMAX movie is all it took to embark on our storybook beginning. In true millennial fashion, we have evolved from Facebook Messenger to FaceTime, all the while discovering more to love about one another. From sampling new pastries at Paul and Jack’s to seeking out the best ramen in NC (Noodle Boulevard is the current front runner btw), we can’t wait to embark on our next Raleigh adventure.”

Angela & Luke

// Photo: Thais Ferreira Photo

“Luke and I both moved to Raleigh during COVID and spent three years somehow crossing paths without ever actually meeting. As it turns out, Luke knew who I was the whole time and later joked that he was my “secret admirer”. In the fall of 2023, after a little back-and-forth on social media, we finally started talking, but only to realize Luke had just moved back to his hometown, 6 hours away. Even so, the connection was immediate. We did long distance for almost a year before Luke moved back to Raleigh so we could be together. What makes our story special isn’t the story itself, but how certain it’s always felt once we finally connected. Even though it took time to find each other, once we did, there was never any doubt. We’re so excited to get married this April!!!”

Julia & Dakota

// Photo: Elise Hodges Photography