Ilya & Emily
Wedding Party
David Ross
Officiant
We couldn't think of a better person to lead our ceremony on this special day. For as long as she can remember, Emily has done everything her big brother tells her to do, whether that was throwing marbles at the family TV, eating as many Oreos as possible while mom and dad were out, or moving to New York—where they’d enjoy Wednesday nights at the Apollo together. As we all know, it’s tough to get past a protective brother—and while it’s quite possible that a mutual love of the Celtics had something to do with it, Ilya passed easily!
Lauren Peck
Maid of Honor
Whether we're exploring ski mountains around the world, dancing like little kids, or meeting strangers wherever we go, we've been having a blast doing so since middle school. I've been lucky enough over the years to feel like one of the Peck sisters!
Simon Ioffe
Best Man
Simon was my very first friend in America and we remain best friends 20 years later. From performing in Russian drama class as 11 year olds, attempting to learn math on Sundays in Russian Math School (an academic pursuit Simon was and is far better at), to hours spent hanging out in a Starbucks parking lot, to sneaking 40 oz malt beverages into a synagogue, we have been together through thick and thin. There's nothing Simon loves more than traveling to South East Asia - except for being able to find the humor in any situation.
Lily Sonner
Maid of Honor
Since our high school days, we've been visiting each other wherever we lived until we finally lived the only way best friends should —down the hall from one another in NYC—so I could stroll over in my PJs for morning coffee, enjoy late night chicken fingers before bed, and get my hair done by my personal hairstylist whenever needed (that's Lily).
Dmitriy Andreyev
Groomsman
Dmitriy (or Dima) is my older brother and immigrated with us to US in 1998. As the older brother, Dmitriy fits the stereotype of the taller, smarter, and more responsible older sibling. While Dima was 17 when he arrived in America, a tough time to move to a new country, he was never the type to complain about it. While I was busy building elaborate structures out of Legos, Dmitriy was working in order to put himself through college and become a computer programmer. In his spare time he can be found indulging in photography, a passion he kept hidden for 20 years, and spending time with his beautiful wife Natasha and their two adorable children (Vika and Dan).
Lindsey Tannenbaum
Bridesmaid
Whether it's for a wedding, movie night, workout session, or coffee date, Li's been my original plus 1 since college (don’t worry—Ilya’s cool with it). I knew I had to find a way to get her to NYC- thank goodness it worked because I don’t know how I could have made any life decisions without her.
Marat Braverman
Groomsman
Marat is my cousin from Israel. We were born 2 days apart: the story goes that my mom and her sister Lina had a bet about which baby would be born first. The victor would get to name their baby Ilya. I arrived on the scene first, thereby "winning" and killing my own political career in America before it started. Marat and I remained close despite being separated by a big chunk of the globe, which was helped tremendously by the fact that Marat somehow learned fluent English from watching the show "Friends."
Teresa Striker
Bridesmaid
My NYC experience wouldn’t have been the same without Teresa. I had the pleasure of sitting next to her at work where I could "share" all of her gifts, stay out way past my bedtime every day (the hangovers were always worth it), and go on fun adventures. There was no better person to send me off to Boston with a trip to Alaska together.
Jai Karve
Groomsman
Jai is my best friend from Tufts University. We bonded quickly over our love of Beatles records, his inexplicable competitiveness during drinking games, and the NBA. Jai's uncompromising, sometimes unhinged, passion for his hometown Houston Rockets inspired my own equally deranged love for the Boston Celtics. Jai is the type of guy who would literally give the shirt off his back to a homeless man in Central Square (unconfirmed but probable). While he now lives in Seattle with his lovely wife Lyndsey, our friendship continues unabated - except for the two times a year when James Harden inevitably torches my Celtics.