Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos met while working on All My Children in 1995, eloped in Las Vegas on May 1, 1996, and went on to raise three children. Their shared career later brought them back onscreen together, including as co-hosts of Live. The actors’ real wedding came four years before their characters, Hayley Vaughan and Mateo Santos, married on the soap.
1995: They met through All My Children
Ripa had played Hayley Vaughan on the ABC soap for five years when Consuelos auditioned for the role of Mateo Santos. The two actors did a screen test together. Ripa later recalled the immediate force of the meeting: “I fell in love with Mark the day I met him.” ABC News recounts the casting and their relationship’s beginnings in its 2023 retrospective; ELLE places the casting process in February 1995 and reports that Ripa helped audition actors for the role in its 2020 timeline.
They began dating after meeting on the show, though the available timeline accounts do not establish a precise start date. Their characters’ story and the actors’ real relationship developed on separate tracks: Hayley and Mateo were fictional, while Ripa and Consuelos were building a life outside the soap.
1996: A proposal, then a Las Vegas elopement
Consuelos has described proposing after a walk to the park, followed by pizza and wine at his apartment. “We went for a walk to the park, I convinced her to come back to my apartment. We had a pizza and wine and I asked her to marry me,” he recalled to ABC News. Ripa initially told him to ask when he was serious; he said he was.
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They eloped in Las Vegas on May 1, 1996. Nearly 28 years later, they returned to the Chapel of the Bells, where they had married, and recreated a wedding-day photograph. During the February 2024 visit, Consuelos reflected: “In a city where people roll the dice every day here, this is one of the probably safest bets I’ve made.” ABC News covered the anniversary visit and their reflections in its 2024 report.
1997–2003: Three children join the family
Ripa and Consuelos welcomed three children:
- Michael: Their first child, born June 2, 1997, according to ELLE.
- Lola: Their daughter, born in 2001.
- Joaquin: Their son, born in 2003.
ABC News and Us Weekly describe the family milestones in their relationship timelines. ELLE reports that Ripa and Consuelos appeared as Hayley and Mateo through 2001, with some episodes in 2010; the couple’s original runs on the soap therefore overlapped with the early years of their family life.
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2000: Hayley and Mateo marry on the soap
Hayley and Mateo’s fictional wedding aired in 2000—four years after Ripa and Consuelos had eloped in real life. Keeping the two timelines distinct matters: the 2000 event belongs to their All My Children characters, not to the actors.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.2007 onward: Their work together continues
Milojo and later acting collaborations
In 2007, Ripa and Consuelos founded Milojo, a New York-based production company. ELLE reports that the name combines the first two letters of their children’s names; ABC News also identifies it as their production company. Their collaborations included Ripa guest-starring on Riverdale in 2018–2019 as the mistress of Consuelos’s character, Hiram Lodge.
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After Ryan Seacrest announced his departure, Consuelos joined Ripa as co-host of Live, making his official debut in April 2023, according to Us Weekly’s relationship timeline. ABC News also covered the change and the couple’s history of working together. Us Weekly’s timeline, updated March 15, 2026, continues to identify them as co-hosts; that update confirms their ongoing professional partnership without establishing any later relationship milestones.
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Relationship timeline at a glance
| Year | Real-life milestone | Onscreen or professional context |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Ripa and Consuelos meet during the casting process for All My Children. | Ripa plays Hayley Vaughan; Consuelos joins as Mateo Santos. |
| 1996 | They elope in Las Vegas on May 1. | Their characters’ wedding has not yet happened. |
| 1997 | They welcome Michael. | Both continue their work on the soap. |
| 2000 | No real-life wedding milestone is reported for this year. | Hayley and Mateo marry on All My Children. |
| 2001 | They welcome Lola. | Their original runs on the soap extended through 2001, according to ELLE. |
| 2003 | They welcome Joaquin. | — |
| 2007 | They establish Milojo, their production company. | — |
| 2018–2019 | — | Ripa guest-stars on Riverdale as the mistress of Consuelos’s character. |
| April 2023 | — | Consuelos makes his official debut as Ripa’s Live co-host. |
| February 2024 | They revisit their Las Vegas wedding chapel. | They recreate a wedding-day photograph. |
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