RuPaul's Drag Race stars were in the house and on the dance floor as Cordero Zuckerman, best known to fans as season 13 star Denali, wed his longtime love Alexander Montgomery in Chicago last week.
"This wedding is a huge mile marker in both of our lives," the couple told People. 'It's a physical embodiment of the core elements of our relationship: chosen family, dancing, queer culture, music and love."
The magazine was first to share exclusive photos from their big day, snapped by photographer Julie Mikos, and posted on Denali's Instagram.
Among the 125 of their closest friends and family were Drag Race winners Shea Couleé and Willow Pill, as well as Denali’s season 13 sisters Kandy Muse, Utica Queen and Kahmora Hall.
Kandy Muse, Willow Pill, Utica Queen, Shea Couleé and Kahmora Hall pose with Denali.Julie Mikos
Zuckerman, 34, and Montgomery, 33, met at Chicago's Berlin Nightclub in May 2017.
"I was at a very transitional point in my life looking to leave figure skating touring, settle in a big city and find more queer community through drag," Zuckerman said. "We ran into each other on the dance floor of Berlin, and since that moment, dancing and queer culture has been a through line throughout our lives."
The flower girl was none other than Zuckerman’s 90-year-old grandmother. She walked alongside both of their mothers.
"Honoring the women in our lives was very important, and it was my dream to have my grandmother still here to witness our wedding," Zuckerman told People.
The pair then walked down the aisle, hand in hand, wearing classic Tuxedos from The Black Tux with green and white pops in their corsages.
“We wanted the ceremony looks to be chic and classical, which served as our 'something new,'" they told People. Zuckerman’s "something old" was a wedding day gift from his mother: her diamond earrings that the professional figure skater wore. "Diamond is my birthstone, and it meant the world to wear a family heirloom so closely connected to my mother," he said.
Their entrance song was "Pulaski At Night" by Andrew Bird, performed on the piano by their brother-in-law Josh Grybinas. In an email to Out, their publicist revealed that is their favorite folk song, quoting the couple as saying: "It's a beautiful song about starting fresh in Chicago and represents our journey so well."
The officiant was Jamie Meun, better known as Chicago drag performer Aunty Chan.
Jamie Meun, better known as Chicago drag performer Aunty Chan, officiated at the wedding.Julie Mikos
"She is an incredibly talented drag legend here in Chicago and the funniest person we know," the couple said. "Luckily, we have so many amazing drag friends who are great on mics!"
During the ceremony, the couple invited everyone to play a fun game of "ring bearer roulette," where they had secretly hid their wedding rings underneath one chair, and the guest seated in the lucky seat got to be the ring bearer.
"We brainstormed various rituals and traditions we could do, but honestly nothing really felt like us," they said. "And the shorter the ceremony, the more time we have to party with our guests!"
Those wedding bands were custom-designed by inclusive New York City jeweler Holden, with each one incorporating their birthstones: a diamond for Zuckerman and a ruby for Montgomery. People reported each ring also carries an inscription of a lyric from Lorde’s “400 Lux,” the song the couple later chose for their first dance: "…and I like you."
Alexander Montgomery and Cordero Zuckerman’s wedding invitations and custom-designed wedding rings.Julie Mikos
Zuckerman and Montgomery wrote their own vows. The couple also reportedly did all the planning for the celebration themselves, with help from the team at The Joinery and day-of coordinator Tempris Daniels of Glowing Moments.
"It helps that Alex is corporate and I’m in the arts," Zuckerman said. "We've definitely been able to use our respective skills in getting both the logistical and creative details knocked out together — which is probably great, because we’re also both picky, so it could be rough to have someone else taking the lead."
Then, for the reception, the grooms changed into custom designs made for them by Ethan Mundt, a Project Runway season 21 finalist and Drag Race alumna, Utica Queen.
Alexander Montgomery, left, and Cordero Zuckerman wore custom designs made for them by Project Runway finalist, Utica queen, at their reception.Julie Mikos
For Montgomery, Mundt created a sleek black button-up with oversized trousers. Zuckerman wore a silk halter with back-chain detailing and similarly oversized cream trousers and cream shoes.
Given that they first found each other on a nightclub dance floor, the couple said the most important part of the entire night was the dancing.
"For the reception, all we required is that our guests come as they are and dance! "they said. "We had a few little surprises in store — different events and activities for the reception — but our main focus was keeping people on the dance floor, not standing in line for things."
Chicago DJ VITIGRRL kept the beat going.
"Since we come from the nightclub life, hiring our favorite Chicago DJ for the reception was a no-brainer. Chicago is the birthplace of House music, and VITIGRRL is one of the greats of our generation who’s really been passed the torch. She was also incredible to collaborate with on our music choices and helped guide us to tracks that would keep everyone on the dance floor, young and old!"
Although Zuckerman told People he grew up in a salsa-dancing family, for his mother and son dance, he chose a Disney classic: "Baby Mine" from Dumbo, a lullaby he said she sang to him as a child. He later shared a father-son dance to Bad Bunny’s "Baile Inolvidable."
After dinner, the couple served pr-esliced cake from their favorite trans-owned Chicago bakery, Jennivee’s Bakery & Cafe.
"In general, we're looking at this as one of the only opportunities we'll ever have to bring together this many people we care about from different corners of our lives."
It was the first time in all the years they've been together that both sides of their families and all their friends have been in the same room at the same time, "so, our priority is giving them all time to meet each other and party together!"
And that they did.
Alexander Montgomery and Cordero Zuckerman dance with their wedding guests.Julie Mikos
"As much as marriage has traditionally been a straight institution, I think the queer tradition of chosen family is actually extremely compatible with marriage," Montgomery said. "You're taking a step away from the circumstances you were born into and forging new bonds, choosing to honor those bonds as highly as those you were born with."
"We have been each other’s family for a long time now and don’t need paperwork or a party to prove it, but I’m grateful to be in a generation of gay people who are able to get our paperwork, and I’ll never turn down a party!"
For Zuckerman, getting married also carries a deeply personal significance. "Growing up in a religious family, marriage to me is yet another reminder of the risks I took and the gut instinct I followed to create a happy life for myself," he says. "I can proudly look back at my life and know I lived a beautifully fulfilling life all by following my heart. I am so proud to honor the man that I love and the family we have created."
Alexander Montgomery, left, and Cordero Zuckerman posed for a photo following their wedding. Julie Mikos
