Who is Shawn Townsend? MSNBC host Symone Sanders weds fiancé in surprise ceremony

American politician and commentator Symone Sanders has tied the knot with her long-time fiance Shawn Townsend.

The 32-year-old MSNBC host exchanged her vows at the Larz Anderson House on Embassy Row, Washington, D.C. on July 15 at a private wedding ceremony surrounded by friends and family.

Multiple news outlets report that only about a 100 people were aware that the couple would be getting married, with People Magazine reporting that Townsend dubbed Sanders as "ride or die."

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All you need to know about Symone Sanders' husband Shawn Townsend

As per Dewy Square's official website, Shawn Townsend is a graduate from New Mexico State University and majored in Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently lives in Columbia.

The site states that Townsend is the principal of the organization's Washington, D.C. office, and works towards building between partnerships between public and private firms. It further notes:

"As a member of the firm’s State and Local Affairs and Multicultural Strategies practice, Shawn engages with clients to provide strategic guidance and develop outreach and awareness campaigns to effectively address their state and local public policy issues."

In 2018, Shawn, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, served as the director of the Columbian Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture. He also played a key role in developing and strategizing an engagement plan to help the patients and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

As for his wedding, the ceremony was officiated by Ward Memorial AME Church's Pastor Dededrick O. Rivers. Further into the ceremony, the newly wed couple jumped a broom to secure the union, which is a tradition followed by several Black marriages.

As per The Root, Symone Sanders gushed about her new man in her vows stating:

"To put it simply, you’re the best man I know. I will always be here for you. 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.”

Their first dance as a couple was to the song So Into You by Jac Ross. Some of the closest friends and A-listers present at the wedding were Opal Vadhan, Minyon Moore, Alencia Johnson, Catherine Snyder, Brittany Ruff, Abby Phillips, Remi Yamamoto, Malcom Thomas, etc.

While talking to People Magazine in May, Symone Sanders expressed her excitement about her D-Day with Townsend.

"I am so excited, over the moon excited. It'll be a smaller wedding. I know people are probably expecting a big, huge blowout thing, but it will be our immediate circle, our friends and family."

In the same month, Sanders also revealed that the duo would be tying the knot in Mexico, but apparently changed her plans.

Symone Sanders and Shawn Townsend first crossed each other's paths in 2019 after political analyst and ex-South Carolina legislator Bakari Seller introduced them. Two years after dating, the duo announced their engagement in 2021.