Kelly Ripa Shares Sweet 26th Anniversary Tribute to Mark Consuelos: ‘The Love of My Life’

• Kelly Ripa shared a sweet Instagram post honoring her 26th anniversary with Mark Consuelos.

• “26 years with the love of my life! 💕♥️” she wrote.

• The pair have been head over heels for each other since they met as co-stars on All My Children.

If any couple could inspire the world to believe in love, it’s Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. The pair’s teenage-like infatuation with one another is heartwarming, and it’s what’s carried them through to their 26th wedding anniversary, which they celebrated over the weekend. Ripa shared an Instagram on Sunday to honor the special occasion.

In the photo, she happily nuzzles the cheek of a smiling Consuelos, her eyes closed. “26 years with the love of my life! 💕♥️” she wrote. Naturally, fans and followers ogled over their seemingly perfect partnership.

“That’s 102 Hollywood years congrats you two!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️” Real Housewives star Lisa Rinna wrote. “Our inspirations ❤️,” another added. “Wow! Congratulations!!! You two are my forever goals! Happy Anniversary! ♥️♥️♥️” someone else wrote.

On her Instagram Story, Ripa shared a photo of Consuelos’ anniversary gift: a beautiful white flower arrangement. “Best husband award recipient,” she wrote. Consuelos, too, shared two images in appreciation of his wife. In one, they faced each other sporting wide smiles, and in the other, two penguins held hands. “Happy anniversary! 26 years. Penguin status😎,” he wrote, which, of course, refers to the idea that penguins are monogamous and mate for life.

But Ripa and Consuelos didn’t need 26 years to know they would be together forever. For Ripa, it was love at first sight. They were both young actors, and Consuelos was scouted to audition for the part of her love interest, Mateo, on the soap opera All My Children. Ripa didn’t even have to meet him to know he was “the one.” The casting director simply showed her his picture.

“I was not a hopeless romantic. I never thought about getting married, it never occurred to me that I would grow old with someone,” she recalled in 2018 on Bruce Bozzi’s SiriusXM radio show, per People. “[But] when I saw him, the photograph of him, I saw my entire future with him flash before—like I saw it. And I [didn’t] believe in any of that and now I do because of that moment.”

It may sound silly when other people say it, but when Ripa and Consuelos talk about being soulmates, it’s totally believable. Shortly after becoming co-stars, their future quickly became clear to them both. They eloped in Las Vegas in 1996 two years after meeting.

“We just understood each other really well," the Live with Kelly and Ryan co-host told Soap Opera Digest in 1996. “If two people were ever supposed to be together, I’d say it was us.”

Now, they’re the dream team. They’ve raised three kids—Michael, Lola, and Joaquin Consuelos—and just sent their youngest, Joaquin, off to college.

Here’s to 26 more love-filled years, this time as empty nesters!

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