Jess and Daniel have been fortunate to have incredibly loving and supportive parents join them throughout their journey together. From the first Thanksgiving together as a party of five, to the scouting of venues and vendors for the wedding, with more than a few moms’ bookish outings in between, the Kahan and Hubbard parents have quickly grown close, and are excited to be able to officially call each other family.

Jess and Mom.jpg

Jane Kahan is a second-generation librarian in her family, inspiring Jess to follow in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps. After her library career, Jane started making one-of-a-kind crayons to sell at art fairs around Michigan, before hanging up her crayon molds to focus on reading, curating her collections of postcards, postal ephemera, and Snoopy and Smokey Bear memorabilia…not to mention wedding planning!

Jess and Dad.jpg

Sid Kahan blazed the trail that Jess followed to Cornell University, where he studied operations research. After many years as a systems analyst and project manager, he began a well-deserved retirement in 2020. In his free time, he also enjoys entertaining - he and Jess are pictured here with part of one of his elaborate annual Thanksgiving feasts, and he’ll go to as many grocery stores as necessary to find all the perfect ingredients.

Linda Last Day.jpeg

Linda Hubbard is pictured here wrapping up the last day of a 42-year career in reference publishing at Gale Research. Retirement has given her more time to exercise her passions for baking, travel, and car-free navigation of the Motor City and its surroundings. She and Daniel agree that there are few things that can’t be cured with a good walk in the woods and a loaf of fresh bread.

 Jess met Thomas in the summer of 2010 through the Oakland County Animal Shelter. When they first met, she was told, “You’re not going to find a nicer cat.” Eleven years and four states later, she still hasn’t. Thomas’s affectionate personality and eagerness to make new friends are even more remarkable than his dashing good looks, and he has welcomed Daniel like a long-lost friend.

As Jess, Daniel, and their families celebrate this joyous occasion, they will keep the memories of two loved ones especially close to their hearts. Jess’s sister, Rachel Kahan, and Daniel’s father, Roger Hubbard, both passed away in 2012, before Jess and Daniel had met each other. They are remembered with love and missed terribly.

Jess and Rachel Childhood.jpg

Rachel Kahan is our Maid of Honor in spirit. She packed a lot of life into her twenty-six years and often recruited Jess to be her sidekick or accomplice in various shenanigans. Always lovingly competitive, she declared she’d be a better cook than her dad and launched her own cooking blog within twenty-four hours of Jess starting a reading blog. Her insight and sharp commentary kept friends and family on their toes and laughing along. Rachel’s interests included Jane Austen books and adaptations (Colin Firth!), Michigan State basketball, and politics. Rachel’s favorite color, purple, will have a strong presence on August 8th.

Daniel and Dad.jpg

Every day that Daniel and Roger Hubbard spent together was an adventure. Whether they were reading at the Birmingham library, swimming at the beach at Lake St. Clair, or registering voters wherever they could be found, Roger had a way of making every day exciting with his bright smile and infectious enthusiasm. He took up real estate for its flexible schedule, which allowed him to drive Daniel to and from school (usually stopping for donuts or cookies together on the way home!) and gave him the opportunity to dispel customers’ worst stereotypes about real estate agents, making some lifelong friends in the process.