We met in September 2007 while working for The Temple News — Shannon as a copy editor, Chris as the opinion section editor. Our first date was lunch at the Temple University food pad,  where Chris bought Shannon a bottle of Mt. Dew and a slice of BBQ chicken pizza. We stepped up our game on the next date and went to the orchestra.

Over the years we’ve lived in a combined total of four apartments, adopted two cats, started nine jobs and gone on several vacations together. We’ve been happily living together since September 2013 in the Fishtown home Chris purchased in 2009. It now has more blankets and candles.

We got engaged on July 16, 2014 on a beautiful summer night on Race Street Pier along the Delaware River Waterfront after dinner at Zahav in Old City.

EARLY LIFE

Christopher George Wink was born to George and Carol Wink in New York shortly before his family moved to beautiful, rural Sussex County, N.J. He excelled in sports and baseball card collecting, and made a name for himself at age 9 when he petitioned his elementary school principal to allow students to get grass stains on their clothes during recess without reprimand.

Shannon Ann McDonald was born to Michael and Cheryl McDonald in Northeast Philadelphia and spent the first 25 years of her life there. Her hobbies included collecting every piece of ‘N SYNC memorabilia, hanging out in her now- maid of honor’s basement on weekends and constantly rearranging her bedroom furniture to make it look as much like a TV sitcom apartment as possible.

Things we have in common:

• We both work in media
• We both enjoy evening walks around Fishtown
• We prefer getting around Philly by bike or SEPTA
• We both hate it when people reference/sing the Fresh Prince song when talking about Philly

Things we do not have in common:

• Chris doesn’t like Mt. Dew
• Shannon doesn’t like sushi
• Chris enjoys adventurous vacations while Shannon would much prefer to lay on a beach