LADIES & GENTS & ALL IN BETWEEN. The bar has been RAISED, honey. If there isn’t a drag show at your bridal shower I’m not coming.   When asked to photograph Lindsey’s bridal shower, knowing her and her fiancé Mike, I knew it wouldn’t be just any old shower. However, I wasn’t made aware until my arrival that there would be a DRAG SHOW. Shout out to the Queen, The Lady E for their killer performance (sweatin’ in that August heat!!)

In 2011, my college roommates introduced me to a little show called RuPaul’s Drag Race. It was Season 3, I was a sophomore, and Shangela, Raja, Manila, Carmen, etc all changed my life. As someone who grew up 20 minutes outside of NYC, I was not a stranger to the idea of drag. But it was a small town, and I had never had the pleasure of seeing a drag show live at that point in time. I was instantly enamored with how confident the queens were, how well they could beat their faces better than I ever could, and the art form of a good outfit reveal and creative lip sync performance. To watch a drag show performance is to feel empowered. When you see a marginalized group of people get up there against the odds and perform their hearts out and be able to express themselves so freely, it’s truly eye-opening to someone who grew up very insecure with themselves.

So fast forward, I’m greeting Lindsey and her guests in the backyard of her parents’ home when I glance over at a “tip jar for the drag show.” That’s when her mother tells me a drag performance is going down! Lindsey did not want a typical, boring shower. Her mom and friends wanted to make it more like a bachelorette party atmosphere. Of course at this point in my life, I’ve now been to several drag shows. I still was super excited for this – a private show at a bridal shower?? These are honestly the moments where I feel so lucky to do what I do for a living. I never know just what I might be walking into when I go to “work.”

The Lady E crushed it, and as she stated: summertime drag outside is no small feat. Outfit reveals. Dramatic, operatic lip sync ballads. Powerhouse Lady Gaga numbers. Their performance had it all – in 80 degree humidity! Needless to say, I loved covering this bridal shower. So if bridal shower drag shows now become a thing – you know who to call to cover it. 😉