This Couple Married Within a Lush, Botanical Wonderland at a Ranch in Napa Valley

“The celebration far exceeded our expectations,” Stanley remembers. “I saw Gloria’s jaw drop a couple of times at her own wedding, alongside our guests. Gloria and I are usually quite organized people, but wedding planning is another beast!”

And while Cowie and his team handled the creative elements for the various events and the logistics, Gloria was very intentional about her wedding-weekend wardrobe. “I wanted what I wore during my rehearsal dinner and wedding day to pay homage to the people who influenced my life and reflect the cultures that shaped me into who I am,” Gloria explains. “Because of that, I felt more empowered and not afraid to make my own adjustments and add flair to some of the outfits I bought off the rack and pre-loved.”

The couple’s wedding was held in September at Stanly Ranch in Napa Valley. “It felt exceptionally special because we were celebrating our eighth year together,” the groom says. “Perhaps a sign of fate, in Chinese culture eight is regarded as the luckiest number, symbolizing fortune and prosperity.”

Napa was the perfect location for the wedding, as it gave Gloria (who grew up in the Bay Area and went to UC Berkeley) and Stanley (who moved to the Bay Area to attend Stanford) the chance to share with their loved ones all the amazing things Northern California has to offer. “For our wedding, we made sure that we incorporated different aspects of Stanly Ranch into the guest experience, and everything we hosted was on property,” Gloria notes.

Their rehearsal dinner kicked off the festivities in the chef’s garden, next to the vegetables and herbs. Their ceremony was on the hilltop overlooking the vines, and drinks were on the Glasshouse Terrace. Dinner was served in the Glasshouse Barn, and everyone stayed at the resort. “Also, this is a bit childish, but Stanley got a real kick out of the fact the venue was called Stanly Ranch!” Gloria jokes.

For the rehearsal dinner—where the theme was organic, farm to table, and whimsical—the bride wore a floral midi-dress from Zimmermann’s fall 2023 collectsion. “I’ve always secretly been a huge girly girl, so my favorite part of the outfit was the ribbon in my hair,” Gloria says. “I wore pansy cluster studs made of mother-of-pearl shell because the pansy flower is often associated with memories, love, and affection.”

For the ceremony, Gloria wore the long white version of the Monique Lhuillier Bon Bon dress from the fall 2023 collectsion. “I wanted to select a designer with an AAPI background, and I loved the romance of the flowy A-line dress,” she explains. “It was reminiscent of a blooming flower, and it matched the abundant florals during the ceremony. My earrings were a lush cluster of flowers and leaf-like gemstones, complemented by a single dangling freshwater pearl. The winding silhouette of the piece reminded me of romantic garden pathways and looked like my wedding aisle during the ceremony. The piece is hand-assembled from Olive and Piper, also founded by an AAPI female founder.”

The couple chose shades of lavender, green, and gold for the ceremony decor to complement the picturesque lavender fields and vineyards at Stanly Ranch, and the Colin Cowie team transformed the Napa Valley venue with an abundance of florals and delicate greenery, setting an organic and ethereal tone. “The ceremony felt like a dream, and it all happened so fast!” Gloria says.

The service began at 4 p.m., and Stanley stood at the raised wood altar as groomsmen and bridesmaids walked down the aisle individually. “When I walked down the aisle with my dad, I was able to see our 200 friends and family gathered together with white parasols,” Gloria remembers.

Kina Grannis, the singer and guitarist from the iconic aisle scene in the film Crazy Rich Asians, performed during the ceremony. “We met her and her sister during a dinner celebrating AAPI creators in Los Angeles, hosted by our friend and Patreon cofounder Sam Yam,” Gloria explains. “It was important to pay homage to the film and Kina, given the cultural significance it played for AAPI representation in media. She sang a cover of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley. I remember my dad whispering to me, ‘Oh, no, why did you choose this song?’ as I watched him preemptively rub his eyes to check for any impending tears. He was trying his best not to be emotional because this song was extremely meaningful to us. My parents emigrated from Shanghai to Missouri, so I was born near St. Louis. Growing up, my parents’ window into American culture was through music. My first CD was *Elvis Presley’s Greatest Hits*, gifted to me by my parents. I knew this was the song I wanted, and it was true to us that Kina was performing the cover.”

Once down the aisle, Gloria and Stanley read vows they’d written themselves in front of their guests on the sprawling lawn overlooking the vine-laced hills of Napa. After exchanging rings, they kissed under a lush and picturesque floral arch as their friends and family cheered. “Even with the most perfect and curated backdrop, we wanted to keep the ceremony itself raw, honest, real, and with moments of laughter that became inside jokes for guests later on,” says Gloria.

After the ceremony, everyone moved to cocktails. Stanly Ranch’s Bear restaurant catered the hors d’oeuvres—with lentil fritters, scallops, prime beef tartare, endive petals, and charcuterie boards—and the bride changed into a long-sleeve, glittery Inbal Dror couture dress with a plunging neckline for this portion of the evening. “This was a cherished find from Still White, a wedding-dress marketplace, and the dress was pre-loved,” Gloria notes. “I realized I didn’t want to feel compelled to buy an entirely new wardrobe for my wedding, and it was amazing how deeply connected I felt to the bride who previously owned the dress. After I received the dress, I immediately sent her a photo of me trying it on. It reminded me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”

At 4:50 p.m., the newlyweds made their grand entrance and had their first dance to “I Love You 3000” by Stephanie Poetri Dougherty (featuring Jackson Wang), an Indonesian singer represented by 88Rising, an agency focused on connecting artists from Asia to an American audience. Once everyone settled in and dinner was served, the bride’s and groom’s parents made speeches, followed by the best man and maid of honor. Then Kina Grannis sang a cover of “Stand by Me” while the bride and groom shared the floor for their father-daughter and mother-son dances.

After the cake cutting in the Glasshouse Barn, Chinese lion dancers decorated with LED lights led guests up the hilltop to a surprise performance by Maroon 5. “Stanley and I wanted Maroon 5 because our tastes in music are so different, but everyone loves Maroon 5!” Gloria explains. “Some of my favorite nights with Stanley are singing along to ‘What Lovers Do.’”

“The festivities took on a new dimension as the evening unfolded, transforming into a late-night gambling lounge with glittering chandeliers and live music reminiscent of a Hong Kong lounge,” Stanley remembers. “ As another tribute to our Chinese and Chinese American heritages, the bar was decked out with fortune cats and red lanterns. I was born in Japan and then moved to Hong Kong, so it was fun to have the fortune cats, or maneki-neko. Maneki-neko is a statue with a moving arm, and the lucky cat is actually beckoning, inviting positive attributes, such as wealth and luck, towards it. It’s a good-luck symbol. Gloria also had two orange tabby cats when we started dating, so it was only fitting. We ended up taking some of the lucky cats home, and they’re in our living room.”

For the after-party, Gloria made her final look change of the night. “As the lion dancers came out to greet the guests, I emerged in a backless Michelle Mason dress crafted from vibrant red silk—a color symbolic of happiness and prosperity in Chinese culture,” Gloria says. “I altered the dress by adding a mandarin collar as a nod to the traditional Chinese cheongsam or qipao. I loved how the juxtaposition of the modern cut and traditional Chinese details reflected my Chinese American heritage.”

Stanley’s mother gifted Gloria a necklace-and-bangle set from Chow Sang Sang, a Hong Kong jeweler. “The two gold bangles were intentionally combined,” Gloria explains. “One is a dragon, and the other is a phoenix, often seen as a perfect couple in feng shui.” Fittingly, the pair symbolizes everlasting love.

“The wedding was a dream come true,” Stanley says. “And I couldn’t be happier to start this new chapter of life with my wife. Wow—wife. That still needs some getting used to.”

“Yes—I’m still getting used to calling you my husband,” Gloria adds. “I can’t help but chuckle a bit every time! For me, the biggest takeaway from our wedding is this feeling of overwhelming gratitude. I’m so lucky I have found someone I love so much and who cares about me so deeply in return. There is still a sense of bliss and excitement lingering in the air, and we’re truly savoring every moment.”