Who Is Candace Cameron Bure's Husband? All About Valeri Bure

Candace Cameron Bure and Valeri Bure met at a hockey game in 1994 and wed two years later

Candace Cameron Bure has been married to her husband, Valeri Bure, since 1996.

The Full House star and the former professional hockey player first met at one of Valeri's hockey games in 1994. In the years since their 1996 wedding, they've welcomed three children and gone into business together.

Candace has spoken publicly about how prioritizing intimacy and their faith has helped keep their decades-long relationship strong.

"I've been married for 24 years. I'm a Christian, my husband's a Christian, and I'm really proud that we've managed to stay married for 24 years. And the fact that we have fun and we flirt together, this is part of what makes our marriage work," she shared in November 2020.

The actress has also shared their relationship milestones on social media, such as anniversaries, sending their children off to college and starting their own winery in Napa Valley, California.

So, who is Candace Cameron Bure's husband? Keep reading to learn all about Valeri Bure.

He is a former hockey player

Valeri is a retired hockey player who played in the NHL for 10 seasons between 1994 and 2005. He played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars.

He is also a two-time Olympic medalist, having won a silver medal in 1998 and a bronze medal in 2002 representing Russia. Valeri retired in 2005 after sustaining back and hip injuries.

He was born in Russia

Valeri and his brother Pavel Bure, also a former NHL player, were both born in Moscow, according to Sports Illustrated. When Valeri was 17, he traveled to the U.S. with his father and brother so that Pavel could sign with the Vancouver Canucks. Valeri soon began playing on a junior hockey team, Washington's Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League, becoming the first Russian player in the league's history.

He met Candace at a hockey game in 1994

Valeri first caught Candace's eye at the 3rd Annual Rock 'N the Puck Celebrity Hockey Game, which she attended with her Full House castmates Bob Saget, Dave Coulier and Lori Loughlin. Candace recounted the night they first met in a 2021 Instagram post celebrating their wedding anniversary, writing that she'd been watching the "super cute, blonde haired, extremely talented Russian pro hockey player in the blue helmet."

She thanked her costars for their roles in helping them meet. Saget commented, "When Val gave you his sweaty jersey after the game I knew it was a done deal. Love you. And Val!!! ❤️"

He married Candace in 1996

The couple tied the knot on June 22, 1996. Candace was 20 years old, while Valeri was 22. Candace has shared several throwback photos of their wedding over the years, including one for their 22nd anniversary. "I love you even more today than I did on our wedding day," she wrote. "Simply because I KNOW you, 24 years in the making."

On her wedding day, Candace carried a bouquet of white roses and donned an off-the-shoulder, lacy ballgown with a layered veil and a dainty necklace.

He and Candace have three children

Roughly two years after they wed, Candace and Valeri started their family. Their oldest child, daughter Natasha Valerievna Bure, was born on Aug. 15, 1998. Their sons Lev Valerievich Bure and Maksim "Maks" Valerievich Bure followed on Feb. 20, 2000, and Jan. 20, 2002, respectively.

Candace and Valeri's kids are all grown up now. Maks started college in 2021 and Natasha is following in her mom's acting footsteps. As for Lev, he married Elliott Dunham in January 2024.

"Oh goodness, the whole thing was amazing," Candace told PEOPLE following the couple's romantic nuptials. "I'm mother of the groom, so it was like a highlight of my entire life."

Candace says the secret to their marriage is keeping it "spicy"

Candace has been open about the importance of intimacy in her and Valeri's relationship.

"The longer you're married it's so easy to take each other for granted. You know each other so well that you forget, so you have to keep it spicy," she said in May 2021. "I love that. My husband and I do. That's one of the reasons we'll be celebrating 25 years of marriage."

During a 2022 appearance on the podcast Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Candace emphasized the importance of a healthy sex life. "I'm a happier person and my husband's a happier person when we've had sex," she said.

However, her openness about sex has garnered some comments from a few of her social media followers. In 2020, Candace brushed off criticism regarding an Instagram post with her husband. In the picture, Valeri's hand is on her breast; some users called the photo "inappropriate."

"For all of the Christians that are questioning my post with my husband's hand on my boob — my husband of 24 years — thinking it was inappropriate, it makes me laugh because it's my husband," she said in a video. "He can touch me any time he wants, and I hope he does. This is what a healthy, good marriage and relationship is all about."

Their shared faith is important to their relationship

Candace has also spoken about the role that Christianity plays in her marriage to Valeri. "The reality is the glue for us is Jesus. It's the Bible," she told PEOPLE in 2018. "You know, when there are arguments or we're compromising and in ways, it's always like, 'Well, let's just go back to the Bible.' It's the foundation for us. So it's not about winning or losing. But doing this journey together."

He's passionate about winemaking

In 2006, Valeri and Candance began the Bure Family Winery in Napa, California. In a 2016 interview with the Calgary Flames, Valeri shared that they ran a "small boutique" winery, releasing around 700 cases of wine per year.

"What we are is high-end," he said. "Everything is done by hand. We don't cut corners. We use French oak everywhere. We triple-sort. We don't use tractors in the field. All those little pieces are important to us and make us different."

He added: "Being able to share your passion with friends, having people say, 'Yours is one of the best wines I've tried,' is very rewarding. But I'm not trying to satisfy anybody's palate — I make wine I love. And if that translates into something other people love, too, that's a win-win situation."

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