One of Catherine’s longest and closest friends since they were 5 years old. They grew up together as neighbors and bonded over tennis, badminton, and orchestra. They have maintained a strong friendship even through living in different parts of the US and the world. Cindy currently lives in Munich and is researching government policies that drive and impact the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catherine’s older sister. Christine was a trailblazer as the first child of an immigrant family, and paved the way for Catherine to explore all the opportunities of the New World and be molded into who she is today. They grew up as a violin-viola duo and both studied music in college. Christine is an occupational therapist and works with special-needs children.
Catherine’s baby sister and confidant growing up. They've been through thick and thin together, and always have each other's back. They share an adventurous spirit and created lasting memories together throughout the world including Taiwan, San Francisco, the East Coast, and Europe. Carolyn is a data coordinator at a non-profit working towards social equity.
Tomer and Raphael crossed paths as teenagers in Bern. After their respective apprenticeships, they bought a Volkswagen van, converted it into a camper with Raphael’s father’s help, and took off on a 3-month road trip through Europe. The rest is history.
Vitas and Raphael met on the first day of vocational school. During Raphael's U.S.-years, they stayed in close touch, with Vitas visiting Raphael in SF and Boston. Together they enjoy taking train trips and attending festivals. Their extensive cookouts are legendary.
Eugene started a position at the MIT Media Lab when Raphael was in the middle of his research and graduate studies there. With an immediate admiration for one another, they bonded over shared values, weekend trips, and countless late nights in the lab.
Marcel (aka “Mägert”) was Raphael's senior during the first week of his apprenticeship. After the first day, they were best buddies. They shared a love for the Drum'n'Bass scene in Bern, backpacked through Thailand, and went to Burning Man together. Today, Raphael is Godfather to Mägert's son.
Kevin and Raphael were in the same class in Bern for four years and overlapped for some of their undergrad studies. Together, they built WhatsApp before WhatsApp (alas, smartphones weren't quite there yet) and still love to talk everything computers today. Raphael is the Godfather of one of Kevin's sons.
Our amazing Italian wedding planners, Marco, Anna, and Dario. We are fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated team of local coordinators assisting with all the details of the wedding. Dario (right) will be the MC for the wedding. Also in the photo is Marie Antoinette from our catering and Giovanni from the family that owns the convent.