Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos exchanged vows in 1996 in Las Vegas. The couple has been the parents of three children.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleKelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ show is currently on an annual summer break. However, the duo is in the headlines right now as they recently shared advice for couples planning their marriage. The pair was spotted supporting small weddings in a chat segment on August 20, 2026, as they said that it has become a trend in the ongoing year without organizing any big ceremonies.
While their claims are going viral, Kelly and Mark’s relationship has come into the spotlight. Keep reading to know more!
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos first met in 1995. Mark came in for a screen test for All My Children, where Kelly had already been playing Hayley Vaughan for almost five years. The show was casting for her new love interest, Mateo Santos Jr. Kelly saw his photo before the audition and later said she instantly pictured a future with him.
Mark landed the role and joined the cast that same year. Their on-screen chemistry quickly turned into a real-life romance, and they started dating in 1995. The couple made their relationship public in February 1996 when they walked the red carpet together at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. In April 1996, just days before their wedding, they briefly split. The breakup lasted only a short time.
The pair reconciled on April 30, 1996, during a taping of Live with Regis and Kathie Lee for a Mother's Day special where a fan wanted to meet them as Hayley and Mateo. Their engagement was spontaneous and happened at Mark's apartment on April 30, 1996. Mark then asked Kelly to get married to him. Although Kelly had her doubts, Mark told her that he was serious about it and suggested they fly to Vegas the next day.
On May 1, 1996, they eloped in Las Vegas at the Chapel of the Bells. Kelly Ripa wore a USD 199 white dress she had bought on clearance at the Barneys warehouse sale, not originally as a wedding dress. The total cost of the wedding, including airfare using miles from a cancelled trip, was about USD 179. Mark Consuelos wore a white linen jacket with a black shawl collar.
Right after the ceremony, Mark and Kelly went to Capri, Italy, for their honeymoon. The couple then started their family. Their first child, son Michael Joseph Consuelos, was born on June 2, 1997. Their daughter, Lola Grace Consuelos, arrived on June 16, 2001. Their youngest child, son Joaquin Antonio Consuelos, was born on February 24, 2003.
Viewers of Live with Kelly and Mark are seeing previously unaired host chat segments recorded before the break, combined with repeat celebrity interviews from the season. As mentioned, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos showed their support for micro weddings.
Ripa noted that in 2026, weddings were leaning toward a micro trend, describing them as tiny celebrations with an unusual cake, no large ceremony, candles instead of flowers, and an overall focus on cost efficiency. She added that this year was about economical weddings where formal ceremonies were less popular than parties.
Kelly explained that many couples were now holding a small ceremony followed by a larger party, and that buffets were returning to venues because they were affordable and cheerful. She also said brides were increasingly choosing pre-owned wedding dresses, joking that no garment was worn less than a wedding dress except for her own, which she now uses as a beach cover-up. She mentioned that some couples were also moving away from having both an engagement ring and a wedding ring, opting instead for a single nice ceremony ring.
Mark Consuelos replied that he agrees with all the practical reasons for having a micro wedding. Ripa then teased him by asking if his second wedding would be micro so she could attend. He responded that spending large amounts of money on parties, flowers, rings and dresses never made sense to him, which was why they had eloped, adding that at the time both of them had found the expense ridiculous.
What are your thoughts about Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ relationship? Let us know.
Also Read: Kim Zolciak Speaks Out After 15 YO Son KJ's Arrest For Sodomy And Sexual Battery, 'Deeply Troubling'