Congratulations to RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Darlene Mitchell and Branden Marcus on their recent nuptials.
PEOPLE got details about the couple’s “intimate” wedding at SmogShoppe in Culver City, where they hosted 100 loved ones.
Darlene told the publication, “The love, devotion and commitment we made with each other feels like the start of a family. There is a sense of peace and comfort that we both noticed almost immediately. Taking vows and making that promise to one another was something neither of us ever quite expected, being young and growing up LGBTQ.”
The venue and guest list:
Darlene and Branden were drawn to the California venue, an indoor-outdoor event space, because of its desert-inspired ambiance and eclectic décor. The couple said it “felt like a nod to” their weekends spent in Joshua Tree.
The SmogShoppe space transformed into “something magical come to life.” They embraced a bold, maximalist aesthetic, leaning into their love of antiques, oddities, and collected objects.
Darlene — who starred in season 18 of RPDR — and Branden chose to keep their guest list reined in for a more personal and intimate experience.
Among the attendees were Drag Race contestants Jane Don’t, Juicy Love Dion, Mia Starr, Nini Coco, Vita VonTesse Starr, and Briar Blush.
Immaculate vibes:
The wedding kicked off with an outdoor cocktail hour, where guests sipped signature drinks and enjoyed passed appetizers and charcuterie.
Their overall wedding vision was inspired by the retro glamour of the Madonna Inn and the “irreverence” of John Waters. “The design layered color, texture, and humor in a way that felt elevated rather than chaotic,” Darlene says. “Aerial fringe installations cut through the venue’s industrial architecture, while disco ball accents and curated objects referenced both our own aesthetic and elements of my drag persona.”
During the ceremony that followed, the couple read their vows from DVD cases of their favorite movies — Steel Magnolias for Darlene, and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion for Branden.
Dolly Parton tribute artistm, Vancie Vega, officiated the couple’s wedding. Vancie treated the crowd to a performance of a Dolly Parton megamix that Darlene says “had the entire place up on their feet by the end.”
As the celebration continued, the newlyweds shared their first dance to “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, a nod to Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. “As we danced,” Darlene says, “a projected image of Kermit and Miss Piggy added a whimsical, unexpected touch.”
“It sounds cliché, but the wedding was absolute perfection,” gushed Darlene. “We were surrounded by our closest friends and family in a space that felt completely our own.”
