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Love: Kelly Schoenewald & Josh Lewis

September 26, 2009, in Philadelphia

Kelly Schoenwald and Josh Lewis were married September 26, 2009 in Philadelphia. (Faith West Photography)
Kelly Schoenwald and Josh Lewis were married September 26, 2009 in Philadelphia. (Faith West Photography)Read more

Hello there

Kelly and Josh had mutual friends back at Quakertown High, but never really knew each other.

Seven years after her high school graduation in 1996, Kelly, who was living with her parents in Bucks County, had earned a marketing degree from DeSales University and landed a job with McNeil Pharmaceuticals. But not all was well. "I was just getting over a bad breakup," she remembered. "I had had my heart broken."

Just a few days after breaking up, Kelly heard from one of her Quakertown classmates, Daneé. Daneé had a cheer-up suggestion: She persuaded Kelly to join a group heading out for drinks in Philadelphia that night. In all, about half a dozen people met up in Manayunk before the big night out. When Josh walked in, "I thought he was handsome, but I didn't know who he was at first," Kelly said.

Two cars headed to Center City, and Kelly sat in the backseat of the one Josh drove. They started talking and hit it off. But Kelly was reluctant. "I had sworn off men," she said. But they talked more as the night went on, and the more they talked, the more she liked him. They exchanged phone numbers at the end of the night, but Kelly still kept her expectations in check.

A few days later, Josh invited her to meet him at his place in the Art Museum area and then go out to dinner in the city. There was more talking, and more of a feeling of connection. "We ended up ordering Chinese in and watching a movie," Kelly said. "My fortune cookie said, 'Happiness is sitting right next to you.' "

In the movies, it would be time for the credits to roll. But real life is more complicated.

About six months into the relationship, Josh, who had graduated from Drexel University with an information-systems degree, was offered a terrific sales and engineering job with a San Francisco software company. He got an apartment near the Bay Bridge.

Kelly weighed her options. Through college, she had worked full-time near her parents' home, so she commuted to school. Part of her longed to live, at least for awhile, somewhere different from where she had grown up. So about a month after Josh left, Kelly got her own apartment in the Financial District, just across the bay from Josh's place. "It was a leap of faith," she said. If it didn't work out with Josh, at least she'd have San Francisco.

Things were great for six months. Then Josh's company gave him an ultimatum: Move back to Philly or face a layoff. Josh came back home. Kelly stayed in California. Josh's job required extensive travel around the globe. "I would get a phone call out of the blue, saying let's meet in Hawaii or something," Kelly said. The distance was hard to deal with. "We broke up, got back together, broke up, got back together," she said.

In 2004, Josh was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. After a lot of discussion, Kelly moved back to Philadelphia and took a job with a small pharmaceutical company. Things were solid between the two of them when Josh landed a job with Citigroup in New York City after getting his degree. The couple now live in Tribeca, and Kelly works in pharmaceutical sales for Pfizer.

How does forever sound?

In August 2008, Kelly, who is now 31, and Josh, 32, took a trip to Anchorage, Alaska. They spent a large chunk of one day walking around, and Kelly wanted a nap. Josh asked her to take a bike ride on the Coastal Trail instead. Both Kelly and Josh are the athletic type - they ran the 2009 New York Marathon. So, picturing a leisurely pedal, she agreed to postpone her snooze. "It was uphill. And I thought, 'My God, I'm following Lance Armstrong here,' " Kelly said. Still, she appreciated the moose and other wildlife they saw along the way. They took a break at the summit. Then, halfway back down, Josh suggested another rest on a daisy-embossed bench that overlooked the ocean. Kelly saw Josh bend over as if to tie his shoe, but when she looked at him again, she saw he had a ring.

It was so them

Kelly set a goal for the wedding: Make it fun. They offered their 120 guests a chance to stock up at an extensive candy buffet, and to take silly pictures of themselves in a photo booth. And the reception venue - the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology - gave family and friends a chance to learn something, if they felt like it.

Awestruck

"Like many couples, we have been through good times, bad times, and hard times," Kelly said. "When we were finally dancing as husband and wife, it validated us as a couple - how strong we are, where we've been, and where we're going."

This was a surprise

When the flowers from Robertson's Flowers of Ardmore arrived, Kelly found them breathtaking. "But the note on the flowers was even more beautiful," she said. The florist had called Josh to see if he'd like to include a message for his bride. "He said that I had done a great job planning our day, and that he couldn't wait to see me, and that he loves me."

Discretionary spending

A bargain: "I lived at 99-cent stores," Kelly said. "I could give you a guide." Among her purchases: candy and containers for the buffet and note cards.

The splurge: The bride's Vera Wang dress. Wearing one on her wedding day was a childhood dream, but Kelly didn't think she could afford it. She made her first appointment at Vera Wang, thinking she might find inspiration there and then look for something similar at the more affordable shops she and her mother, Cynthia, were visiting on dress-shopping day. She found something perfect for $4,000, and while that was at the tippy-top of what she could afford, Kelly decided to go for it. "I called the other places and canceled my appointments, and mom and I went to lunch," she said.

The getaway

Two weeks traveling in Greece, Hungary, and Ireland.

Behind the Scenes

Officiant
The Rev. Alan Neale of Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia

Venue
Church of the Holy Trinity and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia

Catering
Museum Catering Company, Philadelphia

Photography
Faith West of Philadelphia

Music
CTO Heat of Philadelphia

Dress
Vera Wang

Invitations
www.weddingpaperdivas.comEndText

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25 finalists revealed

You've got the ball rolling, and now we're down to the 25 finalists in the Love of a Lifetime Wedding Giveaway. Go to philly.com/winawedding and vote for your favorite couple, and next Wednesday we'll reveal the Top 10 determined by your votes. Polls are open until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. Held at the Independence Seaport Museum, the wedding will include a custom bridal dress, floral arrangements, wedding bands, a custom song, wedding cake, catering and fireworks - a package worth more than $90,000.

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