‘Today’ show couple ready for wedding South Portland woman to marry fiance in televised ceremony planned by viewers

PORTLAND – Until a few months ago, South Portland native Jenny LaRou planned to marry her fiance during a small service in Cape Elizabeth, and dance with him after during a modest reception.

Thanks to a twist of fate, LaRou and her betrothed, Jeff Scott, will marry Wednesday in front of millions of Americans during the “Today” show.

For two months, the couple’s wedding has been a main feature of the “Today” show. Each week, viewers “plan” the wedding by voting on some facet of the ceremony. Via the Internet, viewers have chosen the cake, gown, flowers, rings, invitations – even LaRou’s hairstyle.

LaRou, 27, doesn’t mind having her big day planned by strangers.

“I think sometimes people can get too wrapped up in the details of the wedding, about whether everything is the right color,” she said. “But we can just focus on the fact that we’re getting married.”

The couple, who now lives in Salem, Mass, will marry at 8 a.m. Wednesday in Rockefeller Center, outside the show’s studios in New York. About 120 guests will attend, and millions are expected to tune in.

The reception will follow at the famous Rainbow Room restaurant.

The wedding package is valued at upward of $60,000, LaRou said.

“America has good taste; it seems like most times they picked the most expensive thing,” LaRou said.

Viewers also managed to choose the items the couple favored, LaRou said. The bridal gown, a soft-white dress with miniscule crystals, was LaRou’s favorite.

By the time LaRou and Scott marry, more than 2 million voters will have selected every part of their wedding.

More than 183,000 people voted on the four possible hairstyles. More than 260,000 voted in the cake election, picking the “Traditional Elegance” model from Cakework of San Francisco.

The flowers received 186,000 votes and the menu week pulled in 195,000. Fifty-nine percent of the voters that week picked the winner, a Tuscan menu at the Rainbow Room featuring steak and spinach and cheese pasta.

LaRou is a copywriter for an Internet consulting firm, and Scott, 27, is a personal trainer. The couple became engaged last September.