Wedding Party
Allie & Jill Effron
Co-Maids of Honor
Gayle's favorite sisters! Not sure where I'd be without them. So many special memories from family travel to slumber parties to asking for advice and getting each other out of trouble. After a couple decades our sisterhood turned to friendship and we're so lucky to share "sister vacations" where we often get asked if we're triplets.
Melanie Lidman
Bridesmaid
Ben's sister (BEST SISTER EVER according to her contact info). From Mickey Mouse ice cream cones in Disneyworld as kids to exploring the Bay area, our relationship has only gotten stronger over the years. After international travel (visiting Jordan) and vacations together (boating on Lake Tahoe) it's safe to say no one knows Ben better!
Carrie Benjamin
Bridesmaid
Gayle's first friend! In preschool, Carrie brought me to school for show-and-tell and told the class I was her "special friend." We've been a duo ever since. A favorite memory is slumber parties in Cleveland when we used to "rave the refrigerator" wearing dark garbage bags as camoflauge. Then we took the fun with us to Lake of the Woods summer camp together and shared a bunkbed for many summers :)
Anders DiLascio
Best Man
Ben and Anders met in 7th grade in English class and have shared many memories since. From our trip to Cancun to going to Lollapalooza and other rock concerts (including seeing Slash how many times?) we've shared a lot of great experiences. There's no one else I'd rather drive around in a car without a destination, singing the guitar solo to Freebird with.
Jessica Just
Bridesmaid
Gayle's second friend and first cousin. Growing up like sisters, we shared sleepovers with Grandma Mona and Papa Irv, shenanigans on the family cruise and matching outfits. We even traveled together at ages 9 and 10 on an airplane, without adults! Travel continued with annual family vacations and we can’t wait for another Cousin Cruise now that we’re adults. Club Quasar- here we come!
Jason Bongiovanni
Groomsman
Ben and Jason met through band. We both played trombone and from 7th grade through graduating high school helped keep each other sane through the many hours of band and jazz band. Jason's basement was a second home for Ben and friends with hours spent playing video games and watching movies. He'll be joining the celebration after coming all the way from Korea!
Brittany Bauch
Bridesmaid
Gayle's travel buddy and SF bestie. We spent 3 weeks traveling through Europe in college and have been exploring together ever since. Other than Ben, Brittany is the only person who knows how to deal with me during a travel meltdown. I'm so lucky to have one of "The Nine" from high school living in SF with me the past 10 years. Our "Gayle & Brittany Days of Fun" are about to get even better. Clara Lynn Bauch arrived February 3 and Auntie Gayle is so excited to add a baby to the adventures.
Alex Maslow
Groomsman
Alex is one of Ben's oldest friends. Ben and Alex have always had a special bond that was cemented when we went to sleep away camp together in the Berkshires after 7th grade. Since then we've jumped around each other a bit, Alex was living in the Bay Area and decided to move back to Boston... the month before Ben moved to the Bay Area!
Alaina Simon
Bridesmaid
Gayle's partner-in-crime and high school BFF. One of "The Nine" - a self-appointed crew of high school besties. Allie and I have had quite a few unexpected adventures through college and high school and I'm so thankful we didn't have Facebook at the time. We've celebrated just about every occasion together since we were 14 and I'm so glad to have her by my side once again!
Joe Quigley V
Groomsman
Joe and Ben were friends in middle and high school, but really solidified our friendship during and after college. We went on a crazy trip to Korea to visit Jason (taking up ALL of the space in Jason's tiny Korean apartment), and when Ben lived in Cambridge we would frequently spend Sundays going to brunch and watching football.
Andrea Rosen
Bridesmaid
Gayle's adventure buddy. Instant friends during study abroad in Tel Aviv. We've shared global adventures through Egypt, Greece, Sweden and both coasts of the US. Surviving questionable choices together really sealed this friendship and we're going strong even living across the world from each other for over a decade.
Jon Poage
Groomsman
Jon was one of Ben's first friends. We would spend hours together playing Kirby or throwing Jon's stuffed animals up and down his stairs. We've bonded over many things (Ben introducing Jon to Animorphs, and Jon getting early access to some of the books!) and after college enjoyed the bachelor life living together for a year outside Boston.
Ivy, Willow & Tyler
Flower Girls & Master of Sunglasses
We’re thrilled for Ben’s cousins to join our wedding party. Annual Thanksgivings in New Jersey have kept the family close, and thanks to Facebook and Instagram, we can keep up with their adventures (and hip changing hair colors) all year long. P.s. If you see Ivy, ask if she’s still selling Girl Scout cookies 🍪
Pearl
Flower Girl
Pearl is the wonderful daughter of Gayle’s friend Hannah. She brings us smiles and laughs on the regular. We love getting at least a picture a week, and sometimes multiple in a day. Her videos are the best and Gayle watches them over and over especially when there’s Shabbat songs. Pearl is the new big sis to baby brother Moe.