Sarah + Brianna
Wedding Party
Andrea Zieger (she/her)
Maid of Honor
Andrea met Sarah at Webster University, bonding over trashy vampire novels, crunchwrap supremes, and Kylie Minogue. Over the years, their geeky pop culture connections have kept them together through cross-country moves, career changes, and relationship antics. Andrea was a midwife at the birth of Sarah's drag persona Helena Handbag, a fact Sarah has never let her forget. A Cancer through and through, she is a bulldog for Sarah through her transition - but she's also a soggy marshmallow inside who WILL sob through the wedding ceremony. Andrea lives in rural Maryland with her husband Matt, the flower girls Parker and Austen, and two diva huskies, Castiel and Charlie. She is THRILLED to be a part of Sarah and Brianna's love story.
Draiy Buckles (she/her)
Bridesmaid
Draiy met Sarah about 10 years ago while attending college with Sarah's ex. They joke that Sarah got Draiy in the divorce (no actual divorce occurred). It was an instant friendship bonding over their love of drag. Draiy is an interior designer by education, but has made a lateral switch to sales/territory management. She spends her free time volunteering with dogs at the animal shelter and of course is still going to drag shows with Sarah. Due to her love of animals, she is also vegan, and has a strong love of fruit. Her favorite color is lavender and can't figure out if her style is hippie, witchy, goth, or summer camp counselor (depends on the day). She's hoping for a long joy filled life for Sarah and Brianna.
Kelsi Davis (she/her)
Bridesmaid
Picture It-St. Louis 2008 Sarah, working at Blockbuster, calls another store to find a movie for. Kelsi working at said store, answers Sarah's very sassy call. Months & innumerable movie quotes later, they worked together when Kelsi's store closed, becoming coworkers for the Double Rainbow shift of Taco Bell and RuPaul's Drag Race. After Blockbuster's closing, the two became friends - enjoying Showtunes Sunday, plenty of drag shows, podcasts and the occasional reality TV show created for a friend's birthday. Kelsi is a case manager helping people with developmental disabilities receive the resources and supports they need to live full and inclusive lives. Kelsi lives with her wife Melodie and two cats- Rupert and Sirius. Kelsi and Melodie have been together since 2011 and will celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary March 2022. Kelsi enjoys watching movies and tv shows, especially Gilmore Girls and Parks and Recreation, while snuggling on the couch with her love. Kelsi is excited to stand with Sarah as she begins this new chapter in life.
Skylar Heinle (she/they)
Bridesmaid
Sarah and Skylar became friends through their mutual communities. They quickly became two little schoolgirls that could do nothing but gossip to each other about the girls they liked. From the moment Sarah and Brianna met, Bri is the only girl Skylar ever heard about, and she is beyond joyed that they found each other. A typical conversation between Sarah and Skylar consists of asking if the other has seen our favorite show yet so we can talk theories or Sarah mentioning a celebrity and Skylar having to google who that person is so that she appears cultured. Skylar can't wait to get to the day of Sarah and Brianna's wedding!
Steve Jamieson (he/him)
Bridesman
Steve is Sarah’s younger brother by three years, so he has known her his whole life. Steve is an Athletic Trainer after a victory lap through college. He currently works at a boarding school in southern Minnesota because he is a glutton for cold winters and feet of snow. He eventually wants to work in the NHL and travel through Canada to see every NHL arena the country has to offer. He lives with his beautiful girlfriend, Summer, her 2 daughters, Autumn and Stormi and their brand new son Teddy born 11/7! They often take adventures to see animals & drives listening to Disney songs to Minneapolis for Dunkin’ and Jersey Mike’s. Steve is so proud of the woman that Sarah has become and the journey that she has taken to find happiness. He is thrilled that she has found someone in Brianna that fills her life with love and happiness.
Samantha Madison (she/her)
Bridesmaid
Samantha met Sarah at Webster University somewhere in fall 2007 for their freshman seminar. They would see each other in passing til one day Sarah butt into a conversation and that’s where they really hit it off. Almost 15 years later their friendship's seen them take road trips visiting drag queens, drinking game nights, & talking about their love for their nieces. Samantha is a St. Louis native, textbook Virgo, purple is favoritest color & is a not so recovering pastaholic! As a freelance local performance artist who loves the spotlight & using art to tell stories/be an activist she’s been fortunate to travel, tour, & teach in the region as well as nationally/internationally. Samantha is beyond honored to be a part of Sarah and Brianna’s special day & can’t wait to share more recipes.
Varenne Cardoza (she/they)
Maid of Honor
Varenne is Brianna's younger sister and they have always been close friends. Varenne enjoys spending time with her sister, especially playing video games or tabletop RPGs, and talking about their book ideas. Varenne is an artist and a writer, but loves animals more than anything else and is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in biology, with the intention of one day going to vet school. They are a proud pet mom with a German Shepherd named Josie, a demon spawn (cat) named Bennett, two ferrets named Sid and Lila, and a ball python named Caspian. Varenne also dreams of one day owning a horse, and hopes to eventually publish her novels. Varenne has considered Sarah a part of the family ever since meeting her, and is excited for it to be official.
Jade Starke (they/him)
Maid of Honor
Jade has been a sketch, painting, photography, and jewelry artist for more than a decade. They love to dance, travel, role play, and learn new things. Jade’s special interests include anime, plushies, and spending time with a very close circle of loved ones. Their music tastes are diverse and their fan-fic reading list is endless. Jade met Brianna on a dating website that they both hated so much they quit using it and instead became dear friends over their shared love of video games, Marvel, and Mexican food. Since then, they have traveled together, volunteered together, and campaigned together. Watching Sarah and Brianna’s double-proposal will always be one of their fondest memories and it will be Jade’s privilege to witness the wedding of a lifetime!
Justin Cardoza (he/him)
Bridesmate
Justin first met Brianna a few minutes after she was born, and they were roommates for many years after that (we could just say Justin is her brother, but that takes some of the fun out of it). He is excited to welcome Sarah into the family and absolutely loved being able to be there for their proposal, which was adorable by the way. Justin is a computer programmer for a company that provides computer systems for Medicaid. He does photography as a hobby and enjoys tinkering with technology in his spare time too. He just recently married his wonderful wife, Jamie, in September 2021. He wishes Brianna and Sarah all the happiness in the world as they step into this new chapter of their lives together.
Jamie Cardoza (she/her)
Bridesmate
Jamie met Brianna about 4 years ago once she began dating Brianna’s brother Justin. Justin and Jamie married each other in September 2021 and now Brianna and Jamie are sister-in-laws. Jamie is a therapeutic lead teacher for a non profit organization that helps children who are victims of crime. She is animal obsessed and hopes that she and Justin will adopt a cat soon. She spends her free time with friends and family, and loves playing tabletop RPGs run by the amazing and talented Brianna. Jamie has an obsession with coffee and watches way too much true crime shows and documentaries. Her favorite color is light blue and she loves the smell of vanilla. She looks forward to Brianna and Sarah’s future together and wishes them a lifetime of love and happiness.
Rene McCloskey (any pronouns)
Bridesmate
Rene met Bri when he was dragged in from the cold like a smelly kitten by her sister Varenne. Xe proceeded to take up residence in the cupboards and crawlspaces and was given a spot at the family D&D table. Rene and Bri immediately struck up a friendship based on the 3 B’s - Bionicle, Bioware IPs, and (Taco) Bell. When she saw Bri and Sarah’s double proposal, she thought it was, quote, “the cutest shit [she’s] ever seen.” Now, Rene makes awful little men for Bri to deal with in her various campaigns. Rene is a certified science dork and Vet Tech in Training, and is particularly enthusiastic about reptiles and other exotic species. They are planning on getting their Bachelor’s degree in Biology, whenever that ends up happening. In the meantime, she enjoys playing Final Fantasy XIV, doing genealogical research, and eating way too much Taco Bell.
Daniel McLaughlin (he/him)
Bridesmate
Daniel first met Brianna through dating her sister Varenne, whom he is now engaged to. He got to know her almost solely through nerdy things such as D&D and video games. He was very excited to have another DM (Dungeon Master) to speak and exchange ideas with. He would often go on long walks with Brianna and Varenne, he enjoyed listening and talking to both of them. Daniel is majoring in psychology and has always had an interest in why people act certain ways and what purposes they may have behind the way they act. Also on the ever growing pursuit of Pokémon Master. Daniel enjoys playing various video games (mostly RPGs and Sims) and playing tabletop RPGs. He is very excited to enter the Cardoza family and have even more opportunities to learn and grow alongside Brianna and Sarah.
Jeff & Kathy Jamieson
Parents of the Bride
Jeff and Kathy are Sarah’s parents who have the honor of walking her down the aisle. Jeff (he/him) is celebrating a well-earned retirement after nearly 40 years practicing law across the St. Louis area. He enjoys golfing, watching reruns of The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and South Park and is the biggest fan of The Eagles you’ll meet. When not keeping the house running, Kathy (she/her) volunteers her time with the International Institute of St. Louis, helping refugees who have arrived in St. Louis with various needs. She’s a fan of staying active through walks and Zumba, the odd trip to the casino and an occasional Showtunes Sunday with Sarah and most of her bridal party. Both are huge fans of hockey, especially our St. Louis Blues, and finally got to celebrate a Stanley Cup win in 2019 - including attending the victory parade down Market Street! Jeff and Kathy have been pillars of love and acceptance on this journey with Sarah and are so honored to welcome Brianna into their family.
Tom & Cheryl Cardoza
Parents of the Bride
Tom and Cheryl Cardoza are the proud parents of Brianna Hope. Both work as college professors in Reno, Nevada. Tom (he/him) teaches Humanities including Film Studies, and Cheryl (she/her) teaches English, including Creative Writing and Technical Communications. They recently celebrated 35 years of marriage with a trip to Disneyland which naturally resulted in a lightsaber and an R2 unit. They were married in a Gold Country Church in Soulsbyville, California. Tom enjoys studying history and hiking with our beautiful Labradors Aislinn and Frejya. He has been taking auto body and paint classes because he loves working on cars. That means all of the Cardoza cars (and their spouses) are in tip-top condition and look really snazzy. Cheryl loves art and music. She sings in the choir at the college and has also performed in some of the musicals there. She loves all things Disney and is a big MCU fan though her interests expand to superheroes of all sorts. She is currently writing a book about Brianna’s transition. Tom and Cheryl realized early on that Brianna needed to “take her own path” through life. We are excited about her new adventure with the incredible Sarah Jamieson.
Patrick McMahon (he/him)
Officiant
Patrick McMahon is an award winning* wedding officiant, ordained by the Universal Life Church in 2019. Born and raised in Saint Louis, Patrick is a fan of all things MCU, Star Wars and Notre Dame football. Patrick has been friends with Sarah for nearly 20 years, meeting on their first day of high school when Sarah was talking about Quentin Tarantino, catching Patrick's attention. They've been through a lot together and one of their favorite memories is seeing all three Star Wars Episodes VII-IX on their respective opening nights! It is an honor for Patrick to be asked to officiate her wedding to her forever person, Brianna. (*Patrick is not nor has ever actually been award winning)
Parker and Austen Zieger
Flowergirls
Parker is over the moon that her aunt Sarah asked her to be a flower girl - a lifelong dream for this 5 year old. PJ loves all things Super Mario Bros. and K-pop (her BTS bias is RM and she will fight you on this point). She is a makeup lover like her mother and aunt, and is already practicing a winged eyeliner look for the big day. When asked about being a flower girl, Austen said "No!" which is her absolute favorite word, so we can assume she consented. Aussie is a die-hard Elmo stan who is hoping she can somehow climb down the aisle instead of walk it. She has been warned NOT to eat the petals but since she is VERY sassy about her food, it's best you mind your business if you see her snacking.