Love: Lydia Gottesfeld & Jacob Eden

Lydia and Jacob were among a cohort of 80 first-year American University law students who had all their classes together.

In September 2011, a professor's questions about contractual obligations got Lydia talking about the running calendar a company had sent her, unsolicited, then wanted her to pay for.

"Within two days, I posted on Facebook that I was looking for people to run with," said Jacob, who grew up in Center City. "I didn't really know anyone, and I wanted to meet new people." One person in particular.

Lydia, who is from West Chester, did join the running group of four, most of whom also studied together. As she and Jacob studied, ran, or otherwise spent more time in each other's company, a mutual attraction grew. They each knew it, and so did everyone around them. Yet next to nothing happened.

"I would send these horrible, flirty messages, but I would not respond well when Lydia flirted back," Jacob said. "I would go to her house and linger but not do anything."

The first year of law school is very difficult, and both were dedicated to doing well. Jacob thought it better not to complicate things by starting a new romance in the middle of it. What if things didn't work out? "Especially because we were in the same group for classes, this was fraught with peril," he said. He figured they should maintain their unspoken interest in a type of suspended animation, then get things moving after the second semester.

Jacob did not verbalize his thoughts to Lydia, but he assumed she knew and was on board with his unspoken plan.

Lydia, not possessing a mind-reading superpower, had no idea what was happening.

"I just thought he was too chicken," she said. "By February, when nothing happened, I was done with this. But then a few months later, we were hanging out and I thought, 'Well, maybe I'm not done.' "

The weeks before summer break, when Lydia would be returning to Philadelphia for an internship with Community Legal Services and Jacob doing research and writing for a professor in D.C., they were constantly together, and Lydia couldn't take the limbo one moment longer: She kissed him.

It was a giddy, joyous time, but Lydia wanted to be realistic. "We're not exclusive," she told him before heading to Philadelphia. "I want to keep seeing you, but we don't know what's going to happen."

Here's what happened: All either wanted to do was talk on the phone or Google video chat with the other. Three weeks later, when Lydia saw Jacob in person for the first time since they parted, she knew there could be no one else. That's what Jacob felt all along.

Jacob, who is now 38, and Lydia, now 29, managed to date each other and do well in law school. In May 2014, in the speck of free time after final exams but before graduation and a summer of studying for the bar, the couple took a weekend trip to Puerto Rico.

He had big visions of asking a big question on a beach at sunset, but it rained continually. Wet weather was to be expected at El Yunque Rain Forest, but rowdy tourists detracted from the romance of the waterfall. Farther up the mountain, it began to really pour, so the two ducked into a shelter for lunch. It was a simple space with a concrete floor and stone fireplace, but it did the trick. "I'm going to take some pictures of our little home," Lydia said after they ate. At the word home, Jacob knew this was the right place.

Finished with her photos, Lydia happily plopped onto Jacob's lap. While balancing her and digging around in his pack, he tried to find the right words. His life had been so much better since they'd gotten together, he said, and he wanted to spend the rest of it with her.

Lydia thought back to their beginning, when she had to make things happen. Not this time. "You have to ask," she told him.

That was his intent, as soon as he found the ring.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

"Of course!" she said.

They made their way down the mountain to Luquillo Beach, and the sun finally appeared.

Before law school, Lydia had lived in D.C. and worked for the nonprofit health-care advocacy organization Families USA. Jacob lived at home, having left his Hebrew Bible Ph.D. program at the Jewish Theological Seminary to help his dad, Avi, care for his mom, Judith, who had become ill.

His mom, who died in 2008, had long been a community activist, and her work inspired Jacob to seek a similarly involved life. He began volunteering with the AIDS Law Project and eventually was hired as a paralegal. After graduation, he returned to the AIDS Law Project, where he specializes in helping people retain their Social Security benefits.

Lydia also found work in Philadelphia. She's in her second year of an Independence Foundation-funded fellowship with Community Legal Services, the organization with which she previously interned.

The couple's simple ceremony at the University of the Arts' Hamilton Hall included a chuppah held by Lydia's older brother and her brother and sister who are her triplet siblings and by Jacob's brother and sister. The otherwise secular ceremony was led by Jacob's childhood friend Yoshi, a producer of reality television shows who told stories of the bride and groom. They used a self-uniting license to make it official.

The couple wrote their own vows in secret, yet both used the imagery of their frequent walks as a metaphor for life together. Lydia promised to encourage, respect, and lift up Jacob. Jacob promised to be the best husband he could be, and to make sure she always had a water bottle.

The reception featured lots of food at lots of stations, unassigned seats for their 175 guests, and a whole lot of dancing. They skipped the bouquet toss, cake-cutting, and cake - although they did have a cakelike tower of Tim Tam, which Jacob made from his beloved Australian chocolate-covered wafers. There was also an ice cream sundae bar.

Among the songs the band played was "Our Hearts," written by Lydia's "granddaddy" Edward, all about the couple's love for each other and for helping other people.

Lydia's parents, Janice and Gary, walked her down the narrow aisle and everybody stood to greet her. "It was crowded, and so I didn't really see Jacob until I got to him. There were tears in his eyes, and a big smile on his face," Lydia said. "For me, that was the moment it all started."

Though Lydia couldn't see him at first, Jacob watched her walk down the aisle. "I remember I was smiling but also crying," he said. "It was pretty powerful. It was just raw emotion. Just joy."

A bargain: Lydia's parents have been longtime supporters of Victory Brewing and got a special rate on the tap system. Her brother, a State Store wine specialist, helped the couple choose excellent wines at bargain prices.

The splurge: Their 10-piece band, complete with brass section.

Two days in New York's Hudson Valley, to be followed by a longer trip this winter.

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Officiant: Yoshi Stone, friend of the couple, Brooklyn.

Venue: University of the Arts, Hamilton Hall, Philadelphia.

Food: Diverse Catering, Bensalem.

Photography: Wide Eyed Studios, Havertown.

Flowers: Kati Mac Floral Designs, West Chester.

Dress: Bijou Bridal, Ardmore.

Groom's attire: Suitsupply, Philadelphia.

Music: All About Me, BVT Live! (formerly Brandywine Valley Talent), Chadds Ford.

Do you have the date? Email us - at least six weeks before your ceremony - why we should feature your love story: weddings@phillynews.com. Unfortunately, we can't respond individually to all submissions. If your story is chosen, you will be contacted.

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