J & Rebekah
Wedding Party
Cameron Canter
Best Folk
Cameron and J have been tight for 20 years, meeting in middle school and finding that their weird matched. After years of fun, ridiculous stories, nonsense, and heart-to-hearts, every time Cameron and J meet (no matter however many years it's been), they immediately fall back into a comfortable rhythm. J was the best man at Cameron's wedding in 2019, and we're honored to have him perform the same role in ours.
Joshua Jones
Man of Honor
Josh came into Rebekah's life at the exact time she needed him. While they had known of each other in church, they didn't really start talking until she was giving him rides to rehearsal for High Point Community Theatre's Guys and Dolls. Over the years, they have shared countless conversations on life, love, theatre and travels. They have been best friends ever since despite not having lived in the same city since 2009.
Carrie Raines
Groomsfolk
Carrie and J have shared 29 years together, and you'd think they'd have learned how to not butt heads by now. But Carrie and J can always rely on each other through the simple stuff, as well as the hardest times in a person's life. Carrie was the first person J named that he wanted up there with him, and he's honored to share his day with her. A note from the Groom: Carrie, even though Mom's not with us physically, I know she'll be there in spirit for both of us on both of our days. Love you!
Laura Lee Sturm
Co-Maid Of Honor
Laura Lee was the friendliest person Rebekah had the fortune of meeting through a Facebook group for the original Elon BFA Acting Class of 2013. Within a few weeks, Rebekah took a plunge and asked the outgoing and super-cool girl if she would be her roommate freshman year. Rebekah got *really* lucky because somehow no one else had asked Laura Lee yet. To this day Laura remains one of the friendliest and down-to-earth fun people Rebekah has ever met.
Jon Padgett
Groomsfolk
Jon and Sorcha Padgett met J and Rebekah through a random group in Wilmington, NC, and there was an immediate audible click. It started as a lightly-wound 'bitching' circle, but then grew into an intensely close personal friendship. Since then, all four of us have grown massively closer, and no matter what ridiculous location we're off to next, we know that when we meet it'll be one of the best times a person can have.
Alex Romano
Co-Maid Of Honor
Another lucky strike in fortune would be to have Alex as Rebekah's suitemate their freshman year at Elon. The two did not hit-it-off immediately as school was proving to be more stressful than they thought it would be. They eventually connected over their friendship with Laura Lee and the two of them finally realized their second true best friend at school had been only a moldy bathroom away the whole time. Since then they have spent many late nights together sharing gossip, make-overs, and wine.
Anita Rhynes
Groomsfolk
Anita and J met at Shadowbox Live in Columbus, OH, and hit it off right from the gate. Their senses of humor meshed well, and their friendship bloomed throughout their time working together. When her husband Jeremy was introduced the three soon found themselves goofing off on the regular, and they were a rock that J could lean on when things in Columbus took a turn for the worse. Anita has been a brilliant friend since, and her enthusiasm and vigor are legendary in our house.
Krista Carmichael
Sister-Of-Honor
Krista has known Rebekah longer than anyone else in this party. There was a time when they were young that they got along...most of the time... but when Rebekah was discovered to be insistently uncool and inept at keeping up with early 2000s styles, she was dumped and dubbed only as the nerdy "Little Sister." Fortunately, over the years, after seeing guys and jobs come and go, the two have found an honest appreciation for one another through travel, life experience, and pets. Rebekah is grateful to have her sister back at her side for this occasion.
Andrew Scott Zimmer
Groomsfolk
When Rebekah and J moved to DC the time there was perilously close to being crushingly lonely, despite being surrounded by millions of people. Randomly showing up to a party one evening, however, changed that. We met a whole host of people who would very soon become some of our closest friends and confidants, Andrew being one of the closest. His dry wit and pragmatism always kept J and Rebekah grounded through both easy and tough times, and we're glad to have him pop holes in our egos and heads if the party gets out of hand.
Sara Purser
Step-Sister Of Honor
Two girls willed to like each other by their parents getting married.... turned out pretty great. Sara and Rebekah had an easy time of getting to know one another through their love of theatre and strange exploits around their perspective small towns. As Sara has grown into being an adult and Rebekah has stayed child-sized, there has been further bonding as Rebekah continues to collect Sara's hand-me-down hoodies and sweat pants. As Jan and Allen are still smitten with one another, Rebekah sees many more items of clothing coming her way in the future...
Sorcha Padgett
Groomsfolk
Jon and Sorcha Padgett met J and Rebekah through a random group in Wilmington, NC, and there was an immediate audible click. It started as a lightly-wound 'bitching' circle, but then grew into an intensely close personal friendship. Since then, all four of us have grown massively closer, and no matter what ridiculous location we're off to next, we know that when we meet it'll be one of the best times a person can have.
Rebekah Johnson
Bridesfolk
Rebekah is Rebekah's oldest friend. Rebekah C. remembers the first day she saw a 5-year-old Bekah out in the carport of her Jamestown home in the fall of 1997. The family of Stephens had just moved into town and the eldest sisters thought it would be good for their younger sisters to be friends (so the younger sisters would stop bothering them). While living down the street from one another they had many play dates, pool parties, and sleepovers. Despite moving to different places over the years, fate keeps bringing them together in the best of ways.
Atwood Boyd
Groomsfolk
Atwood and J met on the set of "Baskerville" in Wilmington on 2018, and almost immediately drove the rest of the cast up the wall with the incessant dad jokes. Since then, Atwood and his partner Ace and J/Rebekah have grown even closer, sharing food, a love of motorcycles, theatre, history, awful puns, and rolled with each other. J was honored to officiate Atwood and Ace's wedding, and now they get to take a part in J and Rebekahs!
Grace Carlyle Berry
Most Honored Attendant of the Flower Girl
Rebekah first met Grace when playing opposite of her in the Wilmington premiere of the musical Fun Home. Rebekah, Grace, and J reconnected playing D&D and have been fast friends ever since. Between them, subjects include split theatre tea, New York City war stories, and general outrageous creative ideas. As Grace has become Mira's go-to Auntie, the two of them will be pairing up as honorees at the wedding.
Ms Mira Joan Sif
Flower Girl
Mira came into Rebekah and J's lives while they were living in Raleigh. She was adopted from the SPCA of Wake County after having spent over 3 months in different shelters. Now she spends her time as a retired breeder at the beach sleeping near her kitty-brothers and eating as many treats as she can. Everyone who has met her has fallen in love and the couple could not imagine having such a special day without her present.