Surprise! MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Ties Knot With Shawn Townsend In D.C. Wedding
Symone Sanders is a married woman!
The MSNBC host and her fiancé Shawn Townsend surprised invited guests by getting married this weekend in an elegant ceremony hosted in Washington D.C.
According to PEOPLE, the Friday (July 15) ceremony was held at the historic Larz Anderson House on Embassy Row, and included about 100 close family and friends. The couple kept their wedding plans a complete secret until the beginning of the ceremony that afternoon. Only a few of the attendees knew beforehand that they were there for a wedding.
The two have been engaged for a year and had previously told PEOPLE that they planned to marry in Mexico this summer. Instead, the couple decided to stay stateside to say their I dos.
“It's the moments behind closed doors that we've shared," said Townsend as part of his vows. "Whether it's me complaining about Real Housewives, a political debate or photobombing my Zoom calls. It is all time well spent together."
Sanders, spoke with gratitude, appreciation and most importantly, love.
She vowed to, “always be there" for her new husband. "To put it simply, you're the best man I know," she said. "I'm very grateful just for everything that you are. You have always just been the most thorough person. You are so kind. You are so loving."
Pastor Dededrick O. Rivers of Ward Memorial AME Church officiated the wedding. He’s a close friend and advisor of the newly-weds. Keeping things traditional, Mr. and Mrs. Townsend jumped the broom to seal the deal.
Sanders, who is the former Senior Adviser and Chief Spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, now hosts Symone, a weekend show on MSNBC and a show on Peacock. Townsend formerly served as the director of the D.C. Mayor's Office of Nightlife and Culture.
The couple have a two-week Mediterranean honeymoon to look forward to in the fall.
Congratulations to the newly pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Townsend!
