Having been introduced by someone they both trusted, Dr. Gilbert and Ms. Wong knew a second date was in order, and minutes after it ended, it was Ms. Wong who picked up her phone to call Ms. Hemmer. She asked in a joking tone if she would give a toast at their wedding, to which Ms. Hemmer replied, “I think I should officiate.”
In the ensuing months, Ms. Wong and Mr. Gilbert found many things in common, including the fact that each was highly opinionated, and though they do not always agree on everything, they keep the peace “by using our words and agreeing on ground rules,” as Ms. Wong put it.
They were engaged in March 2020 at their home in Mendocino, Calif.
“I was truly surprised,” Ms. Wong said. “I first thought he would propose to me on Valentine’s Day, the month before, and when that didn’t happen I had no clue if or when it was going to happen at all.
They were married Aug. 28 in a sunset wedding in the backyard of a private residence, owned by friends of the couple, Drs. Khai and Jacqueline Tran, adjoining the Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma, Calif.
The bride and groom stood before Cynthia P. Smith, a judge for the Napa County Superior Court in California, as well as 20 guests, including the bride’s father, Kwong J. Wong of Montebello, Calif. Kathy Fischer, a Buddhist priest, took part in the ceremony.
“Communication is the key to an intimate relationship,” the bride said. “Successful couples know how to argue.”
