Marc and Sissy Blackwood of Natchez and Marlin and Ginga MacLaughlin, also of Natchez, announce the engagement of their daughter, Joelle Elizabeth Blackwood to Thomas Shayne Cooper, son of Tommy and Lea Cooper of Slidell, La.

The bride-to-be is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor of business administration in accounting and is currently pursuing a master’s of professional accountancy at USM.

She is the granddaughter of Mary Blackwood and the late Wallace Blackwood of Natchez and Marjorie Cobb and the late Joe Cobb of Eupora.

The groom-to-be is currently pursuing a bachelor of science in computer engineering technology and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering technology with a minor in math and a minor in computer science at USM.

He is the grandson of June Cooper and the late James Cooper of Carriere and Winnie McDonald and the late Norwood McDonald of Pearl River, La.

The wedding will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 30, 2012, at Washington United Methodist Church in Natchez.

A reception will follow at The Briars.