A Bright Bellevue Wedding Day That Put Heritage First

After a first date full of deep conversation, it was clear there was something special between Alexandra Tran and Austin Gowen, who met at the University of Nebraska Omaha. “It is the kind of relationship where you just know this is forever, and you don’t have to look anywhere else for your person because you found them,” Alex says. Nearly four years later, Austin proposed to Alex on the pier where they became boyfriend and girlfriend. Their spring wedding day was clear and sunny, arriving just as the bride and groom were in the midst of nursing school (Alex) and a Ph.D. program (Austin). Before their “I do’s,” Alex and Austin shared a private first look. “It felt like our own piece of the day we could keep to ourselves,” she says. At the altar, Alex’s sister and cousin were among the bridesmaids, wearing silk champagne-colored dresses, while groomsmen opted for light gray attire, another variation on the neutral palette. At the reception at A View in Fontenelle Hills, natural light poured in through grand windows, highlighting the minimalist design accented with lush greenery and pops of gold. As a nod to Alex’s Vietnamese heritage, the newlyweds donned traditional attire called áo dài in vibrant red, representing luck and prosperity.