They came to Dallas for different reasons—Trinh Pham hails from Houston and Jeffrey Tsai from Walnut Creek, California. But as most young people who move here know, all roads lead to Uptown, and as it turns out, it’s not a bad place to fall in love. At least that was the case for Trinh, who met Jeff one night and then continued to run into him. “We both moved to Dallas around the same time, and one of his classmates from dental school introduced us,” Trinh says. They were dating other people at the time but continued to hang out with mutual friends.

Things changed, however, when their circle of friends planned a trip to Jeff’s neck of the woods: San Francisco. “That’s when we started taking things more seriously,” Trinh says. When they returned to Dallas, they returned as a couple, and love blossomed. Two years later, Trinh was planning a special birthday bash for Jeff. But her boyfriend had something a little different in mind: He decided it would be the perfect setting for a proposal.

“Everyone was there,” Trinh explains. “He turned his birthday party into a surprise proposal. Everyone knew what was going to happen at that party except for me.”

She immediately said yes. “I really felt like I knew him my whole life,” she says.

With the proposal secured, Trinh got to work. Her first priority: the dress, of course. She made an appointment at StarDust Celebrations to find the perfect gown. “I wanted an open-back dress,” she says. Lucky for her, she found a Hayley Paige dress that hit all the right notes. “I had my bridesmaids there with me,” she says. “When I tried it on, they were like, ‘That’s the one!’”

While she was trying on dresses, the conversation naturally turned to her upcoming nuptials. Her sales consultant happened to ask if she was working with a wedding planner, and Trinh said she hadn’t selected one yet. The sales person left and returned with planner Devan Sheil of Weddings by StarDust. A conversation began, and another all-important match was made. “I have my own style—it’s a more modern-chic, sophisticated look,” Trinh says. “After talking to Devan, I knew she was the one. We picked the place, and she made all of the ideas come to life.”

The venue for the reception was a no-brainer: The Nasher Sculpture Center. It was the site of Trinh and Jeff’s first formal date, so they loved it for sentimental reasons. But they also really responded to the aesthetic. “We both love art, and we thought the Nasher made sense,” she says.

On September 13, 2014, the duo got hitched without a single hitch. The weather was lovely, and guests danced the night away to the musical stylings of DJ Marcus Rollins. Midway through the reception, rumors began circulating about a big surprise. Trinh’s friends told her to keep her eyes open. “During the last song, fireworks erupted over the dance floor,” Trinh says. “We still don’t know if our friends planned the fireworks, or if they just knew what was going to happen. But it was great.”

When the clock struck 11, the guests went on their way. Trinh and Jeff set off for Bora Bora. And they lived happily ever after.

—Laura Kostelny

The venue for the reception was a no-brainer: The Nasher Sculpture Center. It was the site of Trinh and Jeff’s first formal date.