When Kathleen Ann Donavon first contacted singer-songwriter Sarah Potenza, romance was the furthest thing from her mind. Her intentions were purely professional.
Kat, as she’s known, had messaged Potenza on Instagram, tasked by a friend to scout talent for Womenfest Key West. This annual event, described by Potenza as ‘a mini-Pride just for women,’ celebrates lesbians, bisexuals, queer women, trans women, and their allies.
Potenza, a familiar face from Season 8 of NBC’s ‘The Voice’ in 2019 and Season 21 of ‘America’s Got Talent’—where she earned a standing ovation from all three judges—readily agreed to perform. Donavon also secured Katie Kadan, another talented singer-songwriter from Chicago who was a third-place finalist alongside Potenza on ‘The Voice’.
Their first in-person meeting took place on September 10, 2022, at the Key West Theater in Florida. Before the concert, Potenza extended an invitation to Donavon for her sound check.
“Given Kat’s deep involvement in the booking process, inviting her to sound check felt like the right thing to do,” Potenza explained, hoping it conveyed her appreciation.
Their connection had already begun through a series of Instagram direct messages. “We formed a friendship before even meeting in person, which is quite rare,” Potenza noted.
Donavon was absolutely thrilled by the invitation. “I was completely speechless,” she recounted. “They welcomed me onto the stage, where I sat on the piano bench with Katie and then even lay on the stage with Sarah.”
Potenza found herself equally captivated. “When she arrived, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Who is that stunner?’” Potenza shared. “There was an undeniable warmth and joy radiating from her that instantly drew me in.”
That evening, following the show, Donavon paid a visit to Alexander’s Guesthouse, an L.G.B.T.Q. friendly hotel where Potenza and Kadan were staying. She made a brief appearance, however, as she needed an early night to prepare for her drag king performance the following day as part of the festival.
The next night, Donavon joined Potenza, Kadan, and some band members for dinner at Key West’s Grand Cafe, later moving to the pool at Alexander’s Guesthouse.
“With music playing and a few people around, Sarah was like a piranha,” Donavon recounted, describing Potenza swimming playfully around her. “I wondered, ‘Is she flirting with me?’”
Soon after, Potenza invited Donavon up to her room.
The next morning, Donavon thanked Potenza for a wonderful night. Potenza, residing in Nashville, questioned if they would ever meet again, given Donavon’s home in Key West.
Fate intervened: Donavon was due in Nashville less than two weeks later to officiate her niece’s wedding.
During Donavon’s stay in Tennessee, the pair spent every evening together.
“It was the first time I had ever developed romantic feelings for a woman,” Potenza admitted. “That night, I felt a thrilling flutter of butterflies and knew instinctively that I wanted a relationship with her.”
Leaving Nashville, Donavon recalled, “Tears streamed down my face.” From that day forward, they communicated multiple times daily.
Their long-distance romance flourished for nine months until Donavon made the move to Potenza’s downtown Nashville loft apartment in July 2023.
Nearly a year later, in June 2024, Potenza executed a grand, playful gesture by proposing to Donavon mid-flight on their way to Pride in Key West.
Potenza feigned a trip to the restroom, only to seize the microphone and serenade Donavon with Alicia Keys’s ‘No One.’ She then called Donavon to the front, where first-class passengers held up supportive signs. Donavon admitted she was ‘mortified’ by the public spectacle.
“If I could have jumped out and survived, I would have,” Donavon joked. “Everyone was chanting, ‘Kathleen, Kathleen.’ So I went up, and she proposed. Despite my initial embarrassment, all I felt was pure love.”
The very next day, during the opening event at Pride, Donavon returned the gesture, proposing back to Potenza while welcoming guests.
However, their joy was shattered just a month later. On July 4, Donavon reported being “viciously assaulted” after she and Potenza were seen holding hands in their Nashville loft’s parking lot.
Donavon recounted that the assailant yelled homophobic slurs before punching her jaw when she attempted to de-escalate. She fell, hit her head on the asphalt, and lost consciousness, suffering a skull fracture so severe that doctors compared it to hitting a tree at high speed without a seatbelt.
Potenza immediately canceled her upcoming British tour to dedicate herself to Donavon’s recovery. “I’ve never felt such profound love or care in my life,” Donavon expressed. “I couldn’t walk for weeks and needed speech therapy. The attack robbed me of my ability to see the good in everyone.”
The assailant was arrested, but the case concluded after he died in a motorcycle accident while awaiting trial.
“My friends always tell me that my ability to see the good in everyone is both my most loved and most frightening trait,” Donavon reflected.
Seeking a fresh start after the traumatic event, the couple purchased a new home together in Nashville’s Donelson neighborhood in November 2024.
Sarah Potenza, 45, a Rhode Island College theater alumna, continues to perform globally. She was born and raised in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Kathleen Donavon, 46, has a background in law enforcement, having served as a police officer in Addison, N.Y., and a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy in the Florida Keys. She now works as an executive protection agent for Global Risk Solutions in Nashville and an armed security officer for Corvus Strategic Solutions in Madison, Tenn.
Additionally, Donavon manages pickleball operations and coordinates special needs for Olivia Travel. She holds an associate degree in criminal justice from SUNY Corning Community College and hails from Olean, N.Y.
On October 4, at Owen Farm in Chapmansboro, Tenn., the couple exchanged vows in a beautiful waterfront ceremony attended by 80 guests, surrounded by lush trees. The ceremony was officiated by Abby Rubenfeld, the distinguished civil rights lawyer whose landmark lawsuit brought Tennessee into the Supreme Court case that ultimately legalized gay marriage across the U.S.
Donavon began her walk down the aisle solo, then met Potenza halfway to complete their journey to the arch together. “I adored watching her have her moment walking down the aisle,” Donavon shared. “I was utterly swept away and couldn’t wait to reach her the instant I saw her.”
Both brides showcased custom Krystal Douglas designs. Donavon wore a stunning beaded jumpsuit with a gold belt and a flowing tulle cape, while Potenza chose a matching mermaid gown crafted from the same exquisite beaded fabric.
Guests were chauffeured by golf carts from the ceremony to an enchanting outdoor reception area. Cocktail hour unfolded on the lawn beneath a picturesque grape arbor adorned with twinkling garden lights.
After family photographs, the brides made their entrance into the reception through a charming barn, which housed a lavish buffet. Guests enjoyed dinner in a rustic pavilion featuring a spacious dance floor at its heart.
After warmly greeting their guests, the couple shared a private cake-cutting moment, visible to everyone. Holding slices of their vibrant, layered rainbow cake, they danced into the pavilion’s center, tenderly feeding each other.
The dance floor remained lively until the brides’ magical sparkler send-off. The couple expressed immense joy over every aspect of their evening, though the exchange of their heartfelt vows stood out as the most unforgettable moment.
As they read their vows, both brides struggled to hold back tears. Potenza lovingly recited, “You entered my small world and shook it like a snow globe. You are my entire world, my forever, the greatest song I will ever sing. My wife.”
A Look Back at Their Wedding Day
- When: October 4, 2025
- Where: Owen Farm, Chapmansboro, Tenn.
- Star Power: Singer Katie Kadan serenaded the brides with “Stand by Me” for their aisle walk and her new song “I Do” for their first dance. Potenza described Kadan’s performance as “a gift and an honor,” given their long-standing friendship.
- Smoke Bomb Mishap: A planned rainbow smoke display at the ceremony’s close went awry, with muddied smoke unexpectedly enveloping the aisle, prompting a hurried, yet humorous, exit for the brides and guests.
“Instead of our planned moment, I just yelled, ‘Run!’” Donavon laughed. Potenza added, “I was laughing so hard; it looked like a battlefield.”
- Hot Chicken Delight: Guests enjoyed freshly fried Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, a Nashville specialty, served on-site. As Potenza noted, “It’s just not the same unless it’s fresh out of the fryer.”
- A ‘Spicy’ Slip: In a humorous moment, the officiant made a Freudian slip during the vows, asking, “Do you take Kathleen as your lawful spice? I mean spouse.” This was uncannily fitting, as Potenza affectionately calls Kat her “spicy baby,” a detail unknown to the officiant.