LaDonna Bradford

Married TODAY - LaDonna and Darnell Suggs "jump the broom" after their Times Square wedding ceremony seen by millions of viewers.
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When LaDonna Bradford watched the NBC "Today" show as a child, she told her mother that she wanted to get married on the "Today" show someday.

"Someday" arrived last month.

LaDonna , 24, and her fiancé, Darnell Suggs, 25, were married live on June 25 on New York City's Rockefeller Plaza, after being chosen as winners of the ninth "Today" show's contest: Race to the Altar.
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"We got so frustrated this spring trying to plan our wedding with how expensive it was going to be," said LaDonna, a nuclear reactor inspector for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
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"Our jobs and bosses were very supportive," said LaDonna.
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Bradford wore a silk, strapless dress designed by Priscilla of Boston, and the groom wore formal navy attire by Hugo Boss.
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"I was standing there in tears when he responded to the invitation," said LaDonna.
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"LaDonna, your home church, the Tuskegee Church of Christ, joins me in wishing both of you all of the blessing which God has in store for you."

More than 170 of their closest friends and family members from Alabama and Georgia attended the ceremony and reception.Friends of Suggs' grandmother, who lives in assisted living apartments in Columbia, Md., dressed up for the occasion so they could watch the nuptials on television, said the groom, a 2005 graduate of Florida A&M University.

After reciting their own vows, the newly weds jumped over a broom, a popular African American wedding tradition hearkening back to slavery.

"It symbolizes the joining of two families, sweeping the past away and looking forward to a brighter future together," said LaDonna.
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They will be appearing on the "Today" show later this summer with a video recap of their travels, LaDonna said.

They plan on continuing their professional careers and having children in a few years.Meanwhile, they have returned to work and are settling into their Atlanta condominium With time to reflect on their extraordinary experiences, LaDonna says she is thankful that sometimes dreams really do come true.

More than a quarter million votes were cast, and this year, America chose LaDonna and Darnell to say their "I do's" live on TODAY.
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LaDonna and Darnell's nuptials will then be swiftly planned by viewers for a June 25th wedding event live on TODAY.A surprise celebrity guest will join the couple's friends and family and perform at the reception.

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About the bride: LaDonna is 24 years old and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.She currently works as a nuclear reactor inspector.
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LaDonna Bradford and Darnell Suggs