Rebecca & Mitch
Wedding Party
Stephanie Haber
Maid of Honor
"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there." Stephanie is Rebecca's sister and built-in maid-of-honor. Their relationship goes back more than 25 years, and through all of the ups and downs, Stephanie knows Rebecca better than anybody else in this world. Sure, Rebecca was a "Po Hider" at age 6 because she didn't want 3-year-old Stephanie to have her favorite Teletubby. And yes, their mom often put them in matching outfits which Rebecca didn't like. They also shared a bedroom for a decade, which Stephanie didn't like because the walls were covered in Miley Cyrus posters and Rebecca made Stephanie's Selena Gomez posters come down. But at the end of the day, they are always there for each other no matter what.
Shaina Hammer
Bridesmaid
In August 2011 during freshman orientation at Chapman University, Rebecca attended an event for students from the northeastern part of the United States. Naturally, Shaina was there too... even though she's from Palo Alto (in Northern California, for those of you who don't know). While the two had met a few days prior at a Hillel BBQ, let's just say that Rebecca thought Shaina was an "interesting", Star Trek-loving gal. Fast forward a few years, and they had lots of fun adventures together on and off campus, they celebrated many Jewish holidays together, they lived together for 2 1/2 years and ultimately became the best of friends. While they now live on opposite coasts, they enjoy weekly Skype chats with each other and try to have as many in-person adventures as possible from NY to CA.
Sarah Stavich
Bridesmaid
Sarah and Rebecca met their first semester of freshman year at Chapman University. Since all of the "cool" people lived on Rebecca's floor (shoutout to Glass Hall, first floor south), Sarah was always there. The two instantly clicked and even lived together for part of sophomore year. They share a love of penguins, breakfast food and rummy cub. Sarah is always there to explain all things Marvel Cinematic Universe-related to Rebecca, as they watch all of the new series' together from coast to coast. (Thanks, Disney+!) Anytime Rebecca needs a source of logic in her life, Sarah is her go-to gal. It's always a plus to have that one friend who is not afraid to speak their truth, be brutally honest and help guide you during life's best and worst moments.
Kristianna Zacharias
Bridesmaid
Kristianna and Rebecca met at Chapman University at the start of Kristianna's freshman year and Rebecca's sophomore year. They developed an instant friendship and even became roommates during Rebecca's senior year. The adventures between these two are endless - from Angel's games to 90's-themed parties to jamming out to Miley Cyrus' Do My Thang, they always have the best time together. Now, even though they live on opposite coasts, they make it a priority to watch every Bachelor / Bachelorette / Bachelor in Paradise episode together via weekly Skype calls and always have a blast. Kristianna is the type of friend that will be there for you no matter what, is always incredibly kind and has a heart (and voice) of gold.
Jason Schwartz
Groomsman
Jason is Mitch's first cousin and the guy who is always there to offer Mitch older-brother advice. Their moms are sisters and they're both only children, which has strengthened their bond over the years. Growing up, they spent many holidays with their grandmother and enjoyed sharing their Jewish family traditions together. As big kids now, they both work in finance and love to discuss their shared love of numbers, which most normal people would find quite boring. From birthday parties for Jason's kids to double date outings, they always have a great time together.
Josh Haber
Groomsman
Josh is Rebecca's not-so-little brother and the brother that Mitch never had. He is the ultimate chef with a recipe in hand any time Mitch or Rebecca needs it, and he's the family IT guy. Mitch and Josh like to talk all-things baseball, even though Mitch will always root for the NY Mets and Josh will always root for the NY Yankees. Perhaps a Subway Series game together is in their future? You can also leave it to Mitch, Josh and Rebecca to stay up late playing either Phase 10 or aggravation rummy, competing aggressively to get rid of all their cards with as few points as possible.
Richard Shelton
Groomsman
Richard and Rebecca have been friends since first grade when they met at Robbins Lane elementary school. They remained the best of friends through grade school, college and now adult life. Naturally, when Rebecca started dating Mitch, she talked about Richard and couldn't wait to introduce them to each other. (Fun fact: Mitch and Rebecca's first date was at a local pizza shop. Mitch wanted to continue hanging out after dinner, so Rebecca took him around the corner to a local park, which happens to be right next to Richard's house. Rebecca jokingly warned Mitch that if anything went wrong, Richard could see everything from his bedroom window.) Now, the trio enjoys regular dinner and game nights, with their new favorite activity being virtual escape rooms.
David Pereira
Ring Bearer
David is Rebecca's adorable and extremely intelligent 4-year-old cousin. He speaks three languages, can name all dinosaurs in alphabetical order and can teach you all about different kinds of trucks (garbage trucks, excavators, you name it). While for some unbelievably strange reason he hates chocolate, these two cousins are the best of buds. They enjoy frequent FaceTime chats from coast to coast, whether it be while David is playing with his toys, off to his baseball game or getting groceries at Whole Foods.
Thea R Pereira (Oma)
Flower Girl
Thea is Rebecca's maternal Dutch grandmother and we are absolutely delighted to have her as one of our flower girls! Rebecca grew up going to Oma and Opa's house on the weekends for Shabbat, which laid the foundation for the Jewish traditions she practices to this day and hopes to share with her future family. Oma is a child survivor of the Holocaust, which makes the family customs and sephardic heritage all the more important to Rebecca. When spending time together, they always enjoy a good game of Rummicub or Scrabble, both of which Oma taught Rebecca to play when she was 8-years-old.
Solly Haber (Grandma)
Flower Girl
Solly is Rebecca's paternal Turkish grandmother and we are absolutely delighted to have her as one of our flower girls! Even though Solly lives in Florida, she always comes up to New York for the important family occasions. Growing up, Rebecca would also make the drive down to Florida with her parents and siblings during summer vacations to visit and enjoy some home-cooked bourekas. If you put these two in a room together, they are bound to crack inappropriate, silly jokes within minutes! They also enjoy a good game of aggravation rummy or Mexican train dominos.