Love: JILL MARCHETTI & DOUG KERWIN

Jill and Doug both grew up in Hamilton Township, N.J. They attended the same middle and high schools. They simultaneously worked in Manhattan and likely rode the same trains. But it took the persistence of a self-appointed matchmaker to bring them together.

When Jill was very young, a couple her parents' age moved into the house across the street. Jill was especially fond of Janet, who loved to bake and befriended everyone in the neighborhood. Jill even wrote an elementary school essay about her.

Janet became the head of the "Hi, New Neighbor Club," which sponsored community game nights and dances. Doug's parents, Tom and Beverly, also were involved in the club. And they and Jill's parents, John and Barbara, were likely at some of the same events.

But Doug and Jill would grow up and move away without ever having met.

Doug graduated from Cedarville University in Ohio. In 2000, he became a computer programmer for Merrill Lynch in New York.

Jill earned her nursing degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. To fulfill a scholarship obligation, she went to work at New York Presbyterian Hospital, first in pediatric intensive care, and then in the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Fertility.

Sometime in 2002, when Jill was visiting her family, Janet told her about Doug for the first time. She told Jill that she had the perfect guy for her - a guy who, like her, was independent and loved animals and the beach. Jill did triathlons, and Janet told her that Doug was a runner in college.

Jill was generally game for a setup. "I figure I can talk to anybody for an hour," she said. But try as Janet might, her timing was never right. Sometimes Jill had a boyfriend. And Doug always seemed to have a girlfriend - he dated the same person for a long time. "She isn't right for him!" Janet would tell Jill.

She was talking to Doug about Jill, too. "Janet, what am I supposed to do? I'm dating someone!" he would tell her.

This went on until the holiday season of 2004. Doug had been single for a few months, Janet told Jill.

"OK," Jill told her. "Give him my number."

The first time Doug called, Jill's 400-square-foot studio was packed with two college friends, one with a husband and child, and an array of take-out containers. She could barely hear him, so their second phone conversation was nearly a repeat of the first. He asked her out anyway - for a mid-January walk around Grounds for Sculpture park near their hometown, and dinner in Princeton.

Earlier that day, Jill, who is now 35, had the interview that led to her current job at the IVF New Jersey fertility clinic. Doug, now 33, owns his own business, Metaverse Corp., which operates the online art retailer FulcrumGallery.com.

Doug grew up a tall, skinny kid. Jill was a little chunky in high school, but got in great shape before college.

In their late 20s, crazy work schedules and the commuter life led to less exercise and more quick, not-so-healthy eating on the run. Jill and Doug were each a bit overweight when they met, and their waistlines grew along with their love. "We were having a good time traveling, drinking lots of wine, eating out at night," Jill said.

The weight had no impact on their feelings for each other, but it made Jill feel bad about herself.

The couple tried dieting together from time to time, with limited success. In April 2010, Jill told Doug she was going to try a physician-monitored weight loss program that had worked for one of her coworkers. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked.

Doug went to support Jill. He told folks at the center that he ate poorly, and doubted he could change.

He has lost 100 pounds. Jill has lost 75.

With each other's support, they became gym-every-day people. Losing a total of 175 pounds made Doug and Jill feel like they could do anything together.

That's one of the feelings Doug was talking about at Long Branch beach on a gorgeous September day in 2010, just before Jill's 35th birthday.

"You know, we make a very good team," he said as they walked in the water's edge.

"You're right," Jill said. "We do."

"We really do make a good team," Doug said. Jill suddenly understood what was happening, and it made her so nervous that she couldn't stop talking.

"What kind of team do we make? A volleyball team?" she asked. "I'm not very good at volleyball. I hope we make a basketball team."

"Jill, I want this team to be permanent," he said. "Will you marry me?"

All Jill remembers is Doug slipping a ring on her finger, followed by a lot of hugging and kissing.

Then a wave knocked them off their feet.

They stood up and called matchmaker Janet to share the news - they would be the eighth of her matches to marry.

The couple, who now live in Lawrenceville, married at Laurita Winery. They were drawn not only by the wine, but by the cozy architecture (Jill) and the funky, modern artwork (Doug). Dancer Farm B&B provided a temporary home for both the couple and their out-of-town guests. "It was a long, extended wedding weekend," Jill said.

They were married by Pastor Mark Stento, who had been Doug's youth pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Hamilton and has been a good friend ever since. The pastor has known Jill for five years, too. "The ceremony was exquisitely personal and beautiful," she said.

Jill had been apprehensive about she and Doug seeing each other before the ceremony, since scheduling required pre-ceremony photos. But when photo time approached, Jill could not wait to see Doug. He was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and each could see how happy the other was. It felt like their wedding had begun, Jill said.

Just before the ceremony, Doug and Jill met with Pastor Stento to pray. They thanked God for bringing them together, and asked him to fill them with understanding of the commitment they were about to make. "It set the tone for the whole rest of the night," Jill said. "We knew what was important, and it was not that the wine was right, or that the food tasted good. It was preparing for what we were entering into."

A bargain: The flowers. Six months before her wedding, Jill attended the wedding of a family friend, where she was surprised to learn another neighbor, who is the floral designer at an Acme close to the winery, did the flowers. The floral designer wrapped a handkerchief handmade by Jill's beloved late grandmother around her bouquet. That bouquet, plus corsages for the mothers, boutonnieres for guys, 14 centerpieces, 12 mini-arrangements for the cocktail tables, and venue decorations cost about $1,500.

The splurge: They chose the Vincent James Band, even though they were on the pricier side, because they liked them best. They booked photographer Rebecca Barger after seeing her work, with no comparison shopping.

One week in Jamaica.

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Officiant
Pastor Mark Stento, the groom's youth pastor and a family friend

Venue
Laurita Winery/ Dancer Farm Bed & Breakfast, New Egypt, N.J.

Catering
Conroy Catering, Philadelphia

Photography
Rebecca Barger Photography, Jenkintown

Videography
The bride's brother

Music
Vincent James Band, Philadelphia

Flowers
Family friend Joanne Voorhees, Acme Markets, Bordentown, N.J.

Dress
David's Bridal, Maple Shade, N.J.

Invitations
Wedding Paper Divas, www.weddingpaperdivas.com

Planner
The bride's Uncle Dave

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