Hoda Kotb isn’t shying away from talking about what she wants for her future.
The discussion arose during a recent episode of Today With Hoda and Jenna, when Kotb and her co-star, Jenna Bush Hager, were busy discussing one of the hottest trends in wedding culture: micro weddings.
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Kotb kicked off the conversation by suggesting that the decision to intentionally keep wedding sizes small–under 30 people for micro wedding standards, per stats reviewed by the talk show–is because “I think people don’t want to spend a ton of money on the party and then the bills.”
Bush Hager interrupted to agree, inferring that, in hindsight, her wedding was maybe too big. The former first daughter then asked Kotb to think about the size of her “first wedding,” later correcting her phrasing to say “only wedding,” leading the 60-year-old to make a rare comment about her former relationship with sports coach Burzis Kanga.
Kotb explained on the Dec. 11 episode of the NBC talk show that she understands why micro weddings bloomed in popularity but also gets why they’re not for everyone, noting her and Kanga’s 2005 wedding “wasn’t small, but it wasn’t huge,” clarifying that it was also a destination wedding.
“You can’t have a micro wedding if you have a big family,” she later added. “You’re not allowed. People gotta come.”
To her surprise, Bush Hager revealed that her parents–George W. Bush and Laura Bush–had a micro wedding with just 30 people despite the former president having a big family. “My mom has a small family so [it worked out].”
The 43-year-old newly-minted Hallmark star then joked that she “didn’t know what to ask” but was curious as to what Kotb may have in mind for any serious relationship down the line without mentioning her ex-fiancé, Joel Schiffman, or any of the plans they may or may not have made during the three years the former couple was engaged.
Kotb, who handled being put on the spot well, then boldly declared that she would like to get married again one day and celebrate with a wedding, but again, nothing huge. “When that day comes, probably a small [wedding],” the Making Space podcaster said on Wednesday, smiling, “yeah.”
As for Bush Hager’s marriage celebration, she stated elsewhere that her wedding, like Kotb’s, “wasn’t small, but it wasn’t huge.” Still, “there were people that I loved who I haven’t stayed friends with,” hinting that had micro weddings been trending back in 2008 when she and Henry Hager said “I do,” some of these people may not have gotten an invite.
That said, Bush Hager still wants one to Kotb’s future nuptials. “Don’t forget about me!”
“How could I?” Kotb quipped.
While it’s clear Kotb has thought about what she wants from her “endgame” relationship, she’s not looking to rush the process of meeting the right person. This past March, she told fellow talk show host Kelly Clarkson that she had only recently gone on her first date in two years.
“You know what it was?” she shared at the time. “Just a date. It was nothing but a date.”
Next: Hoda Kotb Reveals Bittersweet Holiday Card Ahead of ‘Today’ Departure
