Portrait of a Wedding

By Lisa Arnett
January 2026 View more Better Together

This couple’s celebration was picture perfect

Which would be more likely to catch your attention, a pickup line or a puppy? Leonardo Lopez opted for the latter in his first interactions with his now wife, Yaritza Herrera.

As juniors at neighboring high schools (she at Oswego and he at Oswego East), they connected through mutual friends. “He Snapchatted me a picture of his family’s dog, Ernie, and we just started talking about pets,” she says. “I had grown up on a farm in Plainfield, and I love animals.”

When they started dating, Herrera appreciated how easily their conversation flowed. “I felt like I could be myself around him,” she says. Lopez was unapologetically lovestruck. “I asked her to be my girlfriend after the first date, and then I’m pretty sure I told her I loved her within the week,” he says. They went to homecoming and prom together their senior year and continued to date for the next five years.

Herrera is now a school counselor at Leman Middle School in West Chicago, and Lopez works in management at Delta Sonic in Oswego. On a trip to Jalisco, Mexico, with Herrera’s family in 2024, Lopez planned to propose in front of a cathedral in Arandas where all of Herrera’s family members had married. Though the big moment was preempted by a mariachi band and funeral procession streaming out of the cathedral, he managed to catch Herrera by surprise.

They were married last May, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Aurora. At their reception at Loft 28 West in Aurora, guests enjoyed a digital photo booth, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream scooped to order, and live painting by Milwaukee-based artist Nicole Bobholz. Their Polaroid guestbook also elicited some entertaining results, including portraits from their caterer and selfies from a 3-year-old cousin.

After spending the months leading up to their wedding renovating their new home in Montgomery, they are now settling in with their Australian shepherd, Nala. They honeymooned in Banff, Canada, and hope to plan more trips to national parks.

Wedding Details

Reception venue
Loft 28 West, Aurora

Bride’s attire
Stella York gown from The Crystal Bride, Geneva

Bride’s hair and makeup
Alpenglow Artistry, Chicago

Groom’s attire
The Black Tux, Chicago

Rings
Engagement ring by VRAI, Chicago; bands by Brilliant Earth, Chicago

Catering
City Barbeque

Desserts
Cake by Sweet Temptations Dessert Co., Yorkville; ice cream by Ben & Jerry’s, Naperville

Entertainment
DJ Nicky Avalo, Westchester

Portrait artist
Nicole Bobholz of Fine Arts by Nicole, Milwaukee

Photography
Eight Hands Photography, Mokena

Videography
Oakhouse Wedding Films, Chicago

Photos: Eight Hands Photography