Catherine Anna Louise Lee & Jalen Juwon Rice
March 29, 2025 | The Grand At Willow Springs In Prairie Grove | Shalae Byrd Photography
Catherine and Jalen met around the holidays in 2023 through mutual friends. Her cousin and husband played matchmaker and connected the two, knowing they would instantly hit it off.
“It was pretty much love at first sight,” Catherine said. “We met in November 2023, went on a few dates and continued to get to know each other long-distance. Jalen lived in Fayetteville [while[ I was living in Little Rock at the time.”
At their six-month anniversary, Jalen planned a magical date to get their pictures taken at the Clinton Library in Little Rock. The photoshoot turned out to be their engagement! “After a few shots together, the photographer let me take some individuals when I turned around to rejoin Jalen for the remainder of the shots,” Catherine said. “He was on one knee. He made the sweetest, most heartfelt declaration of his love for me and asked me to be his wife!”
The celebration didn’t end there. Jalen whisked Catherine away to a dinner at Samantha’s Taproom, her favorite restaurant in town. When they arrived, Catherine was greeted by her parents and siblings and congratulated them on their engagement.
Photo Credit: Shalae Byrd Photography
Wedding Professionals We Love
Venue: The Grand at Willow Springs
Jeweler: Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry
Wedding dress: Low’s Bridal
Photo Credit: Shalae Byrd Photography
More Wedding Professionals
Planning and design: Katie McIntire XO; Photography: Shalae Byrd Photography; Cake: The Cake Occasion; Bartending: Mint 2 Mix; Florist: Arloh Flora; DJ and lighting: DJ Ty Walker; Band: SYNRG Reloaded; Groom’s tux: Clarence; Hair stylist: Sheena Scott with She The Salon; Makeup artist: Kayla D. Artistry; Dance floor: The Dance Floor Man; Stationery: Shindig Paperie and Leslie Carol Designs; Custom cups: GB Design House; Wedding singer: Wayne Ashley Music; Getaway car: NWA High Society
Photo Credit: Shalae Byrd Photography
Q&A
Q: What did you love about the wedding planning process?
A: “Every girl dreams of their wedding day, but I was especially grateful to be able to share the planning process with my mom,” Catherine said. “I’m the youngest child and only girl so I know how much it meant to her to be present for me throughout the journey. It was a dream come true for her, too.”
Q: Did you incorporate anything sentimental?
A: “My grandparents passed away years ago, so I wanted to honor them in the ceremony,” Catherine said. “We reserved chairs with their photos in the seats, as well an acknowledgment of them in our program. I was also fortunate enough to include one of my grandmother’s hat pins in my bouquet. My aunt and uncle also contributed to our big day.”
Q: Tell us about your color palette.
A: “I’ve always loved the color pink, white hydrangeas and peonies,” Catherine said. “I found a bouquet inspiration on Pinterest that incorporated all of these things and Arloh Flora brought it to life, right off the page! It also helped that we got married in the spring. We had so many options to choose from. I asked for those pieces to be incorporated to give a sentiment of ‘shades of spring.’”
Q: What inspired your florals?
A: “I absolutely love fresh flowers and Jalen would often buy them for me while we were dating,” Catherine said. “My florist almost brought me to tears when she arrived with my bouquet. It was exactly what I wanted, even with me asking her to impart her own creativity on top of my ideas. Arloh Flora made my date with every single floral detail and the presentation was unmatched!”
Photo Credit: Shalae Byrd Photography
Jumping the Broom
“My aunt made a decorative broom for the ceremony and my uncle placed the broom in the aisle for Jalen and me to jump over as part of an old African-American wedding tradition,” Catherine said.
Photo Credit: Shalae Byrd Photography First Communion
Catherine’s dad had one simple request for the couple on their wedding day, and they delivered. The newlyweds took their first communion as a married couple in front of everyone at their ceremony. “So many guests mentioned that they had not seen that before and appreciated how we kept our faith a steady constant throughout the ceremony,” Catherine said.
