Wed Society Austin | Looks of Love 2026

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re thrilled to announce Angela and Brandon as the winners of Wed Society Austin’s annual Looks of Love contest! Over the past three days, the Austin community showed up in full force to support their favorite love stories, and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who participated. A huge congratulations to Angela + Brandon, who will receive a one-night stay in the Lagom Retreat’s Cabin Anna (worth over $1,100).

Meet the Top 8 Couples:

Angela + Brandon

// Photo: Tatum Dickson Photography

“Brandon spent part of his childhood in Houston before moving abroad, while Angela grew up in the same Houston home she’d always known. Without knowing it at the time, they once lived just down the street from each other—never crossing paths before Brandon moved away. Many years later, they both found themselves in Austin and became part of the same church community.

In January 2023, Brandon asked Angela out to lunch. Though she enjoyed it, she wasn’t quite ready and jokingly told him she’d be busy for the next year. Brandon stayed patient as they continued seeing each other through group hangouts. Then exactly one year later, with Brandon still on her mind, Angela flipped the script and asked him to dinner—a moment that changed everything. Now, they’re counting down to their wedding in June, excited and grateful that a “busy for the next year” turned into a lifetime.”

Shannon + Stuart

// Photo: Chandler J Photo

“How We Met — October 2023, we matched on two dating apps within the same week, yet neither of us were actively going on dates… I think we both had a feeling that we needed to put ourselves out there one last time and re-download the apps. Since two different dating algorithms had recommended that we were compatible, I thought “why not, we should meet up”. I didn’t know what to expect, but apparently Elliott had told his inner circle about me before we even met! Even though we met online, I truly believe there was something bigger pushing us together. We were having one more normal conversation on one app, talking about hobbies, then on the other app (Bumble, where the girl messages first) I started the convo with the cringiest prompt and we were just joking on that one. Acting like an old married couple, literally.

We ended up grabbing a cocktail at Whisler’s on a Monday night. We chatted for hours (he’ll say he spent most of the night trying to get me to crack a smile, I was trying to hide how cute I thought he was at first) until we remembered it was a work night. We scribbled our initials into one of the tables at Whisler’s, which we ended up going back to take engagement pictures and found them. The bartender brought us champagne after pictures!

After meeting, we went out every week for the next couple months. On our final date before being official, Elliott took me on a scavenger hunt around Austin. Our last stop was at Cosmic Saltillo. He had made friends with the bartender and hid a huge bouquet of roses behind the bar. When we arrived, he told me to go up to the bar and tell them my name, then they brought out the roses with a note formally asking me to be his girlfriend.

I can say to this day his thoughtfulness and zest for life are what I love about him. I knew early on we shared a passion for celebration and adventure! In August 2025, he proposed to me after flying both of our families out to the San Juan Islands in Seattle, where some of his family is from. It was a complete surprise to me! He had sent out a paperless post, had a slide deck of the game plan, and booked everyone’s lodging. It was unforgettable.”

Jessica + Bryan

//Photo: Jessie Schultz Photography

“Bryan and I met in total rom-com fashion on a cruise—he was on a bachelor trip, I was on a bachelorette trip, and sparks flew the second our groups met. After the cruise we FaceTimed every night, and two weeks later I was on a flight to Texas to visit him and two weeks after that, he was in Colorado visiting me. There were countless flights between Denver and San Antonio until eventually Bryan helped me pack up my Denver apartment and drove me and my dog Oakley to Texas, where we started our life together (and our dogs became best friends). He proposed at a beautiful winery in the Texas Hill Country, and now we’re just five months away from saying “I do” in Italy – proof that the best love stories start when you least expect them.”

Sara + Jonathan

// Photo: Lucy Leora

“It’s not always a good thing when a relationship starts with drama… but in our case, drama is exactly what we needed.

In 2015, we met in a high school Drama class. Over the course of a year, we grew from scene partners, to best friends, and ultimately, to lovers. Growing up while in a relationship is not always easy; life took us in many different directions. But the one constant has always been our genuine and powerful love. The basis of that love is the fact that we truly are best friends; we have shared passions, we trust one another, and we NEVER lie, hide, or disrespect each other. We’ve always grown together, never apart— and that has taken us here to Austin, where we couldn’t be happier.

In 2023, we got engaged in our hometown surrounded by family, and we’ve since enjoyed a long engagement while slowly ramping up for the big day. We’re getting married in November 2026, exactly 10 years from when we first started dating.

Despite our story beginning with drama, our relationship has truly been anything but. All these years later, we still wake up everyday excited to be with each other, and grateful for this adventure of a life together. We cannot wait to turn the page on our story’s most exciting chapter, kicking off with the biggest celebration of our lives: a wedding starring us.”

Tanis + Ben

// Photo: Sarah Tribett Photo

“I met Ben during the very first week of my freshman year at OU. I spent hours laughing at his jokes, thinking, ‘he is the funniest person I have ever met.’ What began as an easy friendship grew over the years, and through college, I discovered that Ben isn’t just hilarious, he is also the most loving, kind, and patient man I have ever known.

Four years later, as graduation approached, my feelings for Ben quietly turned into something more. I finally made the first move (thank goodness he felt the same!), and our love story truly began. We fell in love through FaceTime dates, weekend trips, and exploring new cities together, collecting memories that we’ll treasure forever. From that moment on, I never once questioned that Ben is the one for me. Our love is passionate, supportive, and continues to grow more beautiful every single day.

In 2025, Ben completely swept me off my feet when he proposed at the stunning Signor Winery in Fredericksburg. He planned the perfect surprise by proposing on his birthday, so I never suspected a thing. I thought he was pulling me in for a dance when he suddenly got down on one knee and asked me for forever in the most romantic way imaginable. To make the moment even more special, one of my best friends was there to capture it all.

Ben’s love fills me with excitement for the life we’re building together, a forever full of adventures, deeper love, and one day, a family of our own. Our engagement was truly a dream come true, and so is the promise of spending forever with the greatest man I have ever met.”

Maddie + Matt

// Photo: Leah Thomason

“So… we met at a bar in Austin. Bungalow on Rainey Street in October 2021, for anyone feeling nostalgic for those peak Rainey Street glory days. Matt had just moved down from Wisconsin that July, and Maddie made the move from Minnesota that September. Turns out Midwesterners really do find each other, because it was love at first sight from across the bar. After some classic bar small talk, we exchanged numbers and went on our first date the next week. It didn’t take long to realize we shared a love for all things Midwest: green bean casseroles, summers at cabins up north, and ice hockey like it’s a personality trait. From there, the rest was history. Now we’re engaged, wedding planning in Austin, and heading back to the Midwest this August to get married—where summer weddings don’t involve triple-digit heat. We’ll always be grateful to Austin for bringing us together, and especially to Bungalow, where our last drink turned into forever.”

Samantha + Ethan

// Photo: Julia Davis Co.

“Ethan and I met in 2021 while we were undergrads at the University of Arizona, working together as resident assistants. We began dating not long after, falling for each other almost overnight. Throughout our relationship we navigated many seasons of long distance that only strengthened our bond and solidified we were each other’s person. After undergrad, Ethan moved to Texas to start law school at UT Austin and I soon followed after nursing school. In August of last year, we took our first international trip together across Italy. Ethan proposed in Positano on our hotel balcony overlooking the ocean and the cliffside town. It was the most perfect, intimate proposal. We immediately shared the news with our closest friends and family and then spent the next few days soaking in the Italian summer, savoring those first few days as new fiancées”

Shelby + Keynan

// Photo: Macy Kasner

“We found each other not all at once, but steadily through encouragement from a mutual friend. Neither of us were looking to fall in love, but finding your soul mate doesn’t follow any given set of rules. Our love story began 3 and a half years ago and not only survived, but thrived as we lived through a year of long distance. Traveling for hours over weekends and holidays never felt like a chore to us, but a stepping stone to a life together. What cemented us as soul mates was the way life felt lighter together. Suddenly, the world felt less daunting and more magical. A fear to “grow up” turned into excitement to grow together. The world finally made sense. Then, under a beautiful Texas sky at the Botanical Gardens in Austin, surrounded by beautiful petals and interestingly enough, dinosaur statues, Keynan asked Shelby to begin their forever. In that moment, two hearts perfectly aligned. Our love story wrote itself there and then.”