Power, Purpose and Finding Your Forever Plus-One: Inside the Wedding Story of R.H. Boyd CEO Dr. LaDonna Boyd

A fifth-generation leader, a cultural steward, a CEO, board chair and philanthropist; The love story of Ladonna Boyd is one filled with historical nuance, Black Excellence and deep respect. Coming from the blood line of R.H. Boyd – the iconic literature publication giant that’s responsible for supplying the Black church with resources of literature, academia and Biblical curriculum for over half a century – Ladonna was bound to have a love story worth documenting for the history books. We sat down with the multi-hyphenate to talk all about her love story with her now-husband Waddell Wright, their luxurious wedding and the legacy she hopes to leave as a woman in this digital cover exclusive. Read below for the full interview.

Kennedi LéShea: So who are you outside of your titles? How would you describe yourself?

Ladonna Boyd: Well, certainly I have a love and passion for the arts and for travel and for shopping. I like all of the finer things in life, that’s really what I’m drawn to. I like to learn and explore new things, learn about new cultures. I love to do all the fun girly things. I would say I’m well-rounded. None of my interests are linear. 

KL: Yes, I definitely saw that and peeped that in my research about you and I thought that was so interesting. It’s amazing because, you know, you helped build upon literal, historic institutions. And I wonder how someone like you, who’s so involved in your community and in your career, but yet, also so engulfed in your own artistic self-expressions, how you intentionally built yourself before love found you. How did you become the woman of your dreams? And how did that look in real time before you got a ring?

LB: I was just always very intentional about pursuing things that I enjoy. I wasn’t really building myself up intentionally for a man – it’s not about that. The biggest thing before I met my now husband, which is still crazy and wild to say, but I knew what I wanted. I had to determine what kind of life and lifestyle I wanted to live so that I could know what type of man could match that.

I was having a real, authentic conversation with myself so that I could manage my expectations so that when I met him, I would know immediately. And when I did, I was like, ‘Oh, this is it’.

KL: Thank you for sharing that, I feel like that’s a sign that we as women really can get what we want. Sometimes I believe particularly as Black women in the historical context as well as in this country specifically, we’re almost scared to ask for exactly what we want or even accept what we want. So I love that you’re so assured about that.

LB: Mm-hm. You have to know exactly what you want, ask for it, and expect it. Pray with expectation with an expected “yes” as the answer. I really think more people in general but especially Black Women need to understand the power of that. Because It works. 

KL: I love that. Now, tell me the story of how you and your now husband Waddell met. Where were you in your life professionally, spiritually, emotionally? And do you believe divine timing played a role in you all meeting?

LB: Well, first off, here’s a caveat. I hate when people say ‘timing’ because in my opinion, if you meet someone and it’s not the right time, it’s not the right person. A lot of people deflect and say, ‘it’s bad timing’ just because you don’t like that person. Because if you wanted that person, you would change your circumstances. So using timing as an excuse, I’m very hesitant, especially for women, because then that gives a false sense of hope.

But back to how we met, it was work related. We have some commercial real estate and I was looking to sell it or develop or do something. And so one of my good friends, who ended up being our maid of honor, introduced us just via email. She’s like, ‘I think you should talk to him.’ So we scheduled a meeting and just talked. And then we scheduled an in-person meeting and it’s like, ‘Whoa!’ It was like love at first sight. I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’ ​​

He had all the things. Like I said earlier, when you ask for something, you have to believe with expectation. And when it actually is in front of you, you have to make sure you have your blinders off and you are able to realize it. I mean, he was everything I wanted. He’s tall, has a beard, he’s bald, he was riding a motorcycle, he’s in real estate development, his kids are grown— it was all perfect. It truly felt like love at first sight. 

KL: It sounds like it’s true that when you know, you know. Like you said earlier, when it’s supposed to be, it’s supposed to be. And both people will know when to do that. Tell us about your engagement story. 

LB: So as I mentioned, we met on August 31st. In early December, we had our first real date. And then a few weeks later, he was like, “Be my girlfriend.” I was like, ‘Okay.’ And this was right before Christmas so we spent our first holiday together right then. We had matching pajamas and everything. And then by April, on my birthday, he proposed. So less than five months later. 

We love to travel and do things. He was like, “Let’s go on vacation for your birthday.” So we went to Turks and Caicos. We went to El Manara and it was just beautiful, like five-star luxury. And on my actual birthday, I had dinner planned and it was on a cliff. I knew something was up because he was gone for half the day. I was like, “What are you doing?” You know, like there was something suspicious. And then we walked up there and there were rose petals everywhere. I was like, “What is happening?”

He proposed on the cliffside at sunset. And it was beautiful. We didn’t realize it at the moment but all the people at the resort who were in the restaurant at the pool behind us started cheering. It was so sweet. There was so much going on, but it was fun. 

KL: That’s such a good proposal story! Again, you come from such a strong, strong lineage in history. One that has shaped so much of what Black faith and literacy even look like for over a century. So how did your family legacy influence the way you view marriage and womanhood?

LB: I came from a two-parent household. My parents were married until the day my dad died. They were together for, I think, 40 years and married for 38 years. So a good marriage was just a normal image for me. But when you go out into the dating world, you realize it’s not normal for everyone. So I think just coming from more traditional values, I just naturally believed that marriage was gonna happen for me. We’re in such a transition in terms of generations and relationships and life experiences, it’s very different and it’s very specific to the situation. So I know that it’s kind of difficult in the dating world, if you will. My husband and I are both very faith-based. We’re not super religious, but we do go to church every Sunday, and we pray, and that’s very important to us. We’ve just definitely found connection there, especially with me coming from that background.

I think, given the context of our business, working in churches, working with faith-based businesses and brands, I’ve had to deconstruct and I think a lot of Black women are doing that right now; whether it’s societal rules or religion or… just expectations and all those negative stereotypes. Everyone’s going through their own deconstruction. So I think I’ve done that as well. I’ve been just figuring out what works for me. And him and I align.

KL: I think there is absolutely a wave of deconstruction going on across the diaspora in so many ways and so many veins. I think it’s been kind of like a Renaissance, so to speak, especially for Black women and where we rest in and with history right now within religious spaces and just womanhood in general. I think a lot of those of us in our twenties to the thirties to the forties and fifties, I think we’re all just navigating the space of finding our identity which is ever evolving.

And in that same vein, they say marriage can be a mirror to ourselves, to our truest selves. So in what ways has marriage been a mirror for you? Have you realized any new things about yourself? Has it invited a new sense of identity? Tell me about that.

LB: Oh, yeah, absolutely. I think we’re still going through a transitional phase. I’ve always lived by myself or, like, been by myself. I’ve lived alone for about twenty years. So now with this it’s like, ‘All right, this is different.’ We just bought a house about six weeks ago, so we’re getting that ready and that will be officially our first time fully cohabiting and all of that, because we’ve always had our own spaces— even still after being married, our houses were like seven minutes apart. So we like living close. It’s like we can just pop back and forth. But now it’s like consolidation. And that’s a transition. It’s been a beautiful thought. Being able to find a new normal, like how I want things versus what he wants – it’s not easy to do but it’s worth it.

KL: That’s amazing that you just shared that because I think sometimes, brides can think their journey down and after the aisle has to be so by “the book”, but you really do have to create your own rules.

LB: Yeah. And when I tell people, it’s like, “Oh, we don’t live together yet. We’re going slow.” Everyone’s like, “Oh my god, that’s amazing!” I’m realizing more people want to do that. And you know, we’re blessed and we’re fortunate and financially capable of having multiple separate households. Most people can’t do that. We also know it’s not for the faint of heart, but we’re very glad that we were able to do it. It is a blessing for sure.

KL: You are a visionary by profession. I mean, the work you do in your career is truly amazing. But when it came to your wedding, you said that wasn’t something you dreamed of— but did you have a wedding vision? What was the vibe that you were going for aesthetically?

LB: Oh yes, let me tell you; I pulled together, me personally, pulled together, this huge wedding in like four months. We got engaged late April but I didn’t even tell anyone until like June. I was wearing my ring, but I was just happy in our own world, so we didn’t make a public declaration until I hosted an annual black tie gala. I announced it on the stage there and you could hear this audible gasp in the room. And so then we thought since we started dating at Christmas time, we could do a Christmas wedding, like Christmas Eve at the house and keep it small and intimate. That didn’t happen. And so then we thought we would have a nice, beautiful spring wedding in April. Because we know so many people, our guest list increased quickly to almost 400 people really fast.

I knew what venue I wanted because a couple of my friends had gotten married there at Scarlett Bennett, so I knew it was beautiful. We went there. It was Christmas time. And luckily, they had a date for us in April on the 5th. So, we took it. They have two weddings a day, evening and afternoon, or like midday. So we grabbed the midday one. And you know how they say “April showers bring May flowers”? Well, we had a tornado on our wedding day. Like it was a whole thing, it was stormy, it was raining. And luckily, it stopped raining for our wedding, for the actual ceremony and our reception, but right after that, it was a tornado. But even that was God’s perfect timing. 

It was stressful planning a wedding because I literally did everything from designing our logo, I built the website and my mom and sister and I were physically assembling all the invites. So, doing that on top of planning a gala and running businesses and all the things, it was a lot. I’ll admit, I bit off more than I could chew, but it was fun though. 

KL: Can I ask what made you do that? Was that just a personal choice?

LB: Yeah, it was just personal because I know wedding planners and event planners and they were telling me their fees and all that and I was like, I’m not spending a hundred thousand dollars. I know how to do it. So I did it. And I’m glad I did. 

KL: What advice would you give to brides in the planning process coming from someone like you who was fully entrenched in and with it?

LB: My advice would be to understand how you want your day to flow. Understand your style. I know myself. I love elaborate gowns and dresses and all the things. I knew I wanted a cathedral veil. So you don’t have a backyard wedding and a cathedral veil, you know? I had to have a real come-to-Jesus meeting with myself and realize that I do like very formal, very high-end stuff. So I was like, “All right. We have to just do this high-end wedding. I’m just going to have to do it.” But it worked. And we had a very specific dress code too, which I think was really beautiful too. Because I like to think of the whole experience, even what our pictures would look like. And I didn’t want someone wearing yellow, somebody in red, somebody in purple. So I told everyone our color is blue. Everyone had to wear blue, black, or silver. So everyone reflected our wedding colors even in the pictures which were beautiful.

KL: I love that because people usually only think of the color scheme in terms of their bridal party, but extending it to even the guests makes photos better. It is just way more cohesive. So I love that, that’s a smart move. 

LB: Oh yeah, I put together a look book. I literally created a one-page image of a lookbook, and everybody was like, “Thank you because we had no idea what you were talking about”. I made the code cocktail attire and garden party inspired with shades of blue. It came together really nicely. 

KL: Love that. So take me down to the moment of you walking down the aisle. You weren’t a CEO at that moment. You weren’t Dr. Floyd. You were literally just you. So what was that moment like? 

LB: I mean, it was just very surreal because you’re like, “Oh my God, this is happening.” I was rushing. We didn’t even get to finish my hair and makeup. But even that was fine because I wanted it to look like me, I didn’t want the extra stuff anyway. So I was like, “Let’s go. It’s time.” I remember freaking out and then the door opened and everyone stood up and turned around and it was just so beautiful. I was looking at everybody and waving as I walked like, ‘Hey y’all!’ It was fun. I probably looked crazy walking down the aisle because I was not serious at all. 

KL: I absolutely love that.

LB: I mean it was just all these people that came from literally all over the world to celebrate with us it was just such a blessing. I was even laughing at one point. I wasn’t serious at all. I was cracking up! I was just happy.

KL: That means you were just at joy and at peace, I think.

LB: Yeah. It also didn’t help that none of my bridal parties were serious either. They were laughing too. It was just such a fun moment.

KL: Tell me your favorite moment from your reception. Do you have a moment that stands out?

LB: Well, I’m a member of AKA, so having my line sisters and sorors there singing the hymn was really good. And then we sang the Spelman hymn as well. So just enjoying those moments was also subtle reminders throughout the night that reminded me that this was really happening.

KL: You have already built an extraordinary professional legacy for yourself, but what kind of legacy do you want to build as a wife?

LB: Hmm. That’s a good question. Well, I think that my husband and I realized the importance of being a positive image of what healthy Black love could look like and finding love later. I think I want our legacy to be just a representation of that. Of what it looks like to build something together. I think that’s really special. 

KL: As someone who believes in sharing narratives, what narrative do you hope that your marriage tells about Black love in the history books?

LB: Ooh, that’s a good question too. I would say, working together to uplift the community is very important. My family’s been in Nashville for five generations. His family’s been in the Nashville area for six generations. So, we both have a very long history here in the community. He’s built a successful business. My family has a successful business. So I hope when our name gets brought up in history that it shows how we’ve built relationships and generational wealth. That it testifies to how we’ve been able to be blessed enough to build something that really can uplift the community as a whole. Because it is very important.

We wish Ladonna and Waddell a lifetime of happiness and marital bliss!

Written by Writer Kennedi LéShea.