Photo Credit: Sheryl Lee Ralph/Instagram
Sheryl Lee Ralph is in her romantic main character era, can you tell? To celebrate 20 years of marriage to her husband, Pennsylvania state senator Vincent Hughes, the Abbott Elementary queen threw a vow renewal ceremony that was nothing short of magical, and a little extra, in the best way.
She renewed her vows to Hughes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—a space steeped in cultural resonance, and the site of one of cinema’s most famous ascents.
Drawing inspiration from Rocky, Ralph quoted the film’s emblematic line: “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Her procession up the storied steps, wearing a strapless white Monsoori Haute Couture gown and an 80-foot shawl carried by 22 Philadanco ballerinas, was as symbolic as it was striking. “How could I walk up all of those steps without leaving a trail of something for everybody to look at?” she said in Vogue.
Hughes met her halfway, and together, they completed the climb before renewing their vows in front of 250 friends and loved ones.
“Sheryl was beautiful—is beautiful,” Vincent says of his wife. “Coming up those steps? She was just all of that and a bag of barbecue potato chips.”
Ralph’s daughter, Ivy Coco, styled the look, continuing a creative collaboration that has defined many of her public appearances. Accessories included Dior pumps and a diamond Cartier timepiece.
“In marriage, we have so many things that happen in life,” Ralph reflected. “People live. People die. Relationships change. You change. Your partner changes. Your family changes.” And still, here they are. Still walking together, step by step.
See their photos below
