NWA Wedding Ideas - December 2022

Laci Shuffield and Austin Prince were married October 16, 2021 at the Arkansas Air & Military Museum (pg 7). Planning & Coordinating by B. Jane Events (pg 2), catering by Early Bird Catering (pg 6), and photos by Shalae Byrd Photography.

Laci Shufeld and Austin Prince October 16, 2021

Ionce told Austin that the reason I wouldn’t date him was because I knew I would marry him. After years of friendship and my parents begging me to date him, I finally said to myself “Well, what's the worst that could happen?” A year and nine months later… he was down on one knee.

I wish our love story was as quick and easy as I just made it sound. From 2016 to 2021, if Austin had been given a quarter everytime I called to complain about my current boyfriend, he would be rich. At the end of most of my rants he would say “I’ll make it easy for you… Just date me.”

As director of the Arkansas Air and Military Museum, most people would assume that we got married there because it was convenient, but it’s actual ly because we went there on our first date. I had no idea it existed until he took me there and that night, I was offered the director position.

After 3 months of dating we found ourselves looking at rings. After trying on several, I asked the salesperson to bring me her weirdest or hardest ring to sell. She brought me the Compass ring by Hearts on Fire. Austin and I started laughing at the fact that it was named the Compass because he was a pilot, but I was in love with it.

For weeks, I kept saying “Let’s go back and get that ring” and Aus tin finally told me to call and see if it was still there. It wasn’t, and I cried. Months went by and I searched everywhere for anoth er one, only to find that it was discontinued.

More than a year had passed, and Austin told me we were going to New Orleans for my birthday. In the weeks leading up to the trip, my mother be came very attentive to what I was going to be wearing, and I started suspecting that Austin was going to propose.

While in New Orleans, we went to Jackson Square and Washing ton Artillery Park. As I started taking pictures of the Saint Lou is Cathedral, I noticed Austin was fighting with his jacket.

At that moment, the cathedral bells started ringing and I wanted to video it so I kept ignoring him. When he finally got my attention, I was shocked to find him on one knee…with the Compass ring. I hardly remember much after that but he says that I just kept saying “I hate you, I love you, I hate you”. The best part about the engagement was that he got a surprise photographer who captured all the emotion.

Our wedding day was perfect. It rained the entire week and had been cold but that Saturday was sunny and 75 and the leaves in our backdrop had just changed. The most embarrassing and memorable moment though was the train. When brides come to book our venue I always tell them they cannot have the cer emony from 4-4:30 because the train goes by at that time.

Unfortunately, I didn’t heed my own warning so during the course of our wedding we had 2 jets take off and the train went by. After everyone stopped laughing the preacher looked out and said “well, does anyone have a boat horn?” Our story is a little different, and I wouldn’t change a thing.