Instructor Chris Vo and his now-husband Tim Wildin met at Equinox — and their love story is reminiscent of a rom-com.
When Tim Wildin arrived at his usual group fitness class at Equinox one day in 2015, he was bummed to find out that a last-minute substitute would be teaching a Tabata class. He’d become partial to the class’ usual instructor, whose workouts he found particularly tough.
Wildin’s initial disappointment faded when the sub, Chris Vo, started class. “Chris really lit up the room with his smile and energy and I really had a ‘wow’ moment as he walked by,” recalled Wildin.
In fact, Wildin found himself drawn to Vo’s smile and vibrant energy, and continued to take Vo’s classes when he’d see his name on Equinox’s class schedule. Wildin caught Vo’s attention as well, as he always stood front row, brought an uplifting energy to class, and reached for heavy weights. Vo eventually asked Wildin out after class one day, resulting in their first date. Both men had recently come out of relationships — Wildin was even under a mandate from his friends to remain single — but they felt a real connection when they chatted over coffee.
RELATED: It Started at EQX: Kira and Mike
From there, the two started seeing each other regularly despite busy schedules, with Vo performing on Broadway and Wildin traveling frequently, then the Brand Director for Chipotle. They’d have margarita nights and take yoga classes together whenever possible, and Wildin would cook midnight dinners for Vo after his shows. Eventually they moved in and got a dog together
Wildin eventually realized he wanted to propose to Vo, even though marriage was never on his radar growing up. He booked a trip to the Maldives with a stopover in Paris and bought a ring. The timing felt right when the couple spotted a pair of octopuses frollicking together (a rare sighting as they’re typically solitary creatures) during a snorkeling excursion in the Maldives. Wildin popped the question and Vo said yes.
In 2022, Wildin and Vo got married at The Avalon Hotel in Palm Springs. The morning of their ceremony, they joined some of their guests for a yoga session led by instructor Rika Henry. They exchanged vows in the afternoon with the San Jacinto Mountains as their backdrop before dancing into the night.
RELATED: Scaling New Heights
“The most memorable moment was exchanging vows in front of our family — both chosen and biological,” says Vo. “Sharing our promises with a community of people who support us through life’s ups and downs was a profoundly powerful and unforgettable experience.
Today, Vo is the Director of Group Fitness Programming for Equinox while Wildin is a serial founder in the food and beverage space. Movement is still a shared passion, and the couple religiously take Henry’s “Amplified Vinyasa” yoga classes together. Nine years after they met, Wildin still attends Vo’s 5:15 p.m. MetCon class on Mondays at the Greenwich Village Equinox location, holding down his spot in the front row.