Sheryl Lee Ralph Renews Her Wedding Vows with Husband Vincent Hughes on the Iconic Rocky Steps in Philadelphia

Sheryl Lee Ralph and her husband, Vincent Hughes, marked their 20th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows.

The Abbott Elementary star and the Pennsylvania state senator, both 68, celebrated a “recommitment ceremony” on the iconic Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, per Vogue. While the couple told the outlet they initially envisioned an intimate event, their plans soon took a sharp swing as the guest list grew to 250 people.

“My husband has turned into groomzilla, and his list is twice as long as mine,” Ralph said, playfully placing the blame on Hughes.

The actress also went big when it came to her bridal look. She wore a classic white strapless dress by Monsoori Haute Couture — with an 80-foot-long shawl that cascaded down the museum’s 72 steps, famous for being featured in the 1976 boxing movie Rocky, starring Sylvester Stallone. Adding to the drama, 22 ballerinas from Philadanco carried the sheer shawl behind Ralph.

“How could I walk up all of those steps without leaving a trail of something for everybody to look at?” Ralph joked to Vogue.

Hughes, who wore a white suit jacket and black trousers, gallantly met his wife halfway up the steps as Diana Ross’ power anthem “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” played.

“Sheryl was beautiful — is beautiful,” the politician told Vogue. “Coming up those steps? She was just all of that and a bag of barbecue potato chips.”

Ralph told Vogue that her over-the-top look — and the cinematic location — were all part of her vision of making a grand entrance. She noted that one of Rocky‘s famous lines, “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward,” has always resonated with her, particularly in the way it relates to marriage.

“In marriage, we have so many things that happen in life,” she explained. “People live. People die. Relationships change. You change. Your partner changes. Your family, your immediate family, your extended family — there are changes in life. And then there’s just the everyday of it. How are you able to get back up again and continue being together? I love that sentiment.”

The couple recited handwritten vows, per Vogue, as their guests — who included Al Roker and Ralph’s Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters — looked on. Following the ceremony, everyone gathered to celebrate at a reception, where Ralph treated her loved ones to a surprise performance of “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole.

In a video shared by the outlet, Ralph and Hughes can be seen sharing a private dance on a set of marble stairs inside the museum.

Ralph previously revealed her plans to renew her wedding vows with Hughes in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE at the 2025 Gotham TV Awards in June.

“Why shouldn’t I be a little bit of a bride again?” she said, while hinting at the ceremony’s location.

“I’m hoping that I get to have the longest veil in that Rocky Steps history,” Ralph added.

She also teased one other thing she hoped to be wearing on the big day. “I need a new ring too,” she said with a laugh. “I need all of that.”

Ralph and Hughes tied the knot on July 30, 2005. She opened up to PEOPLE about their love story in January, addressing their nontraditional living arrangement — she lives in Hollywood and he lives in Philadelphia. They found a solution to the logistical challenge early in their relationship that has endured.

“Every two weeks, we saw each other, and it has continued to work out well. When I go to see him, I love to see him. When it’s time to leave, ‘Bye-bye. See you soon.’ I’m telling you, life is good,” Ralph explained.

She added, “He has his own life. I have my own life. He has his own real career, I have my own real career. He has his light to stand in, I have my light to stand in. He is not looking at me thinking about status or this or that. He’s doing his thing. I get to do my thing.”