Celebrate with us!

First impression of each other. What made you want to go on a 2nd date? Phil: From the start, Corinna had a calm, easy presence. When she talked about herself, she attributed many of her best qualities to her family and friends, which hinted at her self-awareness and humility. The hook for the second date was her absurdly polite facade, I needed to crack through it. Corinna: I vividly remember looking through Phil’s Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) profile and a photo of Phil and his grandmother holding hands caught my eyes. Something about the way he was looking at her really touched me. My 婆婆 and 嫲嫲 were really special to me too. I thought, “wow what a special bond they must have too… he seems really kind”. When he messaged me to go on our first date, he was very charming and confident. I was really nervous because it was my first CMB date but he made me feel comfortable right away. On our first date that started at a trendy coffee shop and ended at a Whole Foods, Phil greeted me with a big smile and a hug. I remember laughing a lot that night! We connected over our relationship with our families, love for Vietnamese food, and he even offered to teach me how to ski (5 years later, I am getting a little better). He was a very attentive listener, laughed at my quirky jokes, and offered to hold my umbrella. How could I say no to a second date! Favorite shared experience? Phil: My favorite thing we’ve done together is adopting Oski. For clarity, it’s not the most fun thing we’ve ever done – that would be eating pho or traveling – it’s certainly the hardest thing we’ve ever done together. But I like the intertwined reward, challenge, and growth. From his early near-death experience to now, he’s been the strongest impetus for us to work on our communication and teamwork. Plus, the only thing cuter than Oski’s face is seeing Corinna fulfill a life-long dream. Corinna: Vietnamese food is a cuisine that we always crave together. Fun fact, I have an album on my phone of all the ‘Bun Bo Hue’ (Vietnamese noodle dish) Phil has eaten at one of our go-to Pho restaurants in San Francisco. We especially love the home cooked meals that Lisa’s mom has cooked for us over the years - special shout out and thank you to Mrs. Nguyen! So when we booked our trip to Hanoi Vietnam in 2019, we couldn’t wait to explore all the iconic cuisines this French-colonial city had to offer. Piping hot Pho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in 90+ degree weather? Street food, egg coffee, and all the tropical fruit we wanted? We definitely did that and it was so worth it! We talk about going back to Hanoi and visiting other neighboring cities all the time and can’t wait when we do! Perhaps for our honeymoon? What are you looking forward to in married life? Phil: We both prioritize family and I look forward to having our own nucleus, a point to be implicated ad nauseam at the wedding. More selfishly, I’m looking forward to the potential decay of Corinna’s utmost respect for all people, things, and ideas so that she can appreciate and partake in my ridicule of all people, things, and ideas. Corinna: I always tell Phil that he’s one of the few people I feel comfortable being my quirky, silly self around! When I want to break out into a dance move in the kitchen and bust out a rap that doesn’t even rhyme, he’ll join in on my fun and we’ll laugh until we’re crying! I definitely look forward to many of these moments together during married life. I also look forward to the many tough conversations (level 10 convos, as we like to call it) and challenging scenarios that we’ll tackle together. Whether it’s about our future kiddos or training a new pup, I can’t wait to continue to grow and learn together!