Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Are Returning to the Vegas Chapel Where They Eloped, 28 Years Later (Exclusive)

"We cherish those memories, still to this day," Ripa tells PEOPLE

<p>John Argueta/ABC</p> Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

John Argueta/ABC

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are taking a walk down memory lane.

Nearly 28 years after tying the knot, the couple will once again visit the Chapel of the Bells, the Las Vegas wedding venue where they eloped a year after meeting on the set of All My Children.

All will take place when Live with Kelly and Mark heads to Sin City to tape a week of shows.

"We're definitely going back there," Consuelos, 52, tells PEOPLE exclusively, calling the famed venue "a very special place" for him and his wife. "We always try to make a drive by when we're in town, but this time, we're going to take the viewers inside, where it all happened."

The parents of three — who share sons Michael, 26, Joaquin, 21, and daughter Lola, 22 — wed on May 1, 1996. The wedding, including airfare, cost them $179 (thanks to miles they cashed in).

"It was really romantic, though. It was very sweet," Ripa, 53, says. "We cherish those memories, still to this day. It's been 28 years and we still can remember every minute of that wedding. And I mean, it was really minutes. It was like two minutes!"

"We were very present," she adds.

Courtesy Kelly Ripa Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa at their 1996 wedding
Courtesy Kelly Ripa Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa at their 1996 wedding

Related: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' Relationship Timeline

As they've explained in the past, Ripa and Consuelos decided to elope because they had two consecutive days off of work — a rarity for them at the time — and knew they didn't want to plan a large wedding. They chose Vegas because the winter of '96 had been "endless" and the weather that day at City Hall was still "cold and miserable."

"It was like, 'Let's go to Vegas and get married and it'll be fun,' " Ripa recalled on an episode of Live in August 2022.  "It really is such an efficient way to get married. And it was fun. We were like, 'Now, this is gambling! Woohoo!' "

Picking the Chapel of the Bells happened on a whim, Ripa and Consuelos tell PEOPLE.

"We checked into the hotel and I remember going through the Yellow Pages, because they had Yellow Pages back then," Consuelos recalls. "And I looked up 'Wedding Chapels' and the Chapel of the Bells had the biggest, biggest ad. It was one of the first ads, and it was right in the right position of the page."

Related: Kelly Ripa Celebrates 27th Wedding Anniversary with 'Love of My Life' Mark Consuelos

<p>Stefani Reynolds / AFP via Getty</p> Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2023

Stefani Reynolds / AFP via Getty

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2023

Related: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Spent $179 on Their 1996 Las Vegas Elopement — Including Airfare

Consuelos was told that the Chapel of the Bells had two times available that day: one at 12 p.m. local time and one at 2 p.m..

"The funniest thing was... I was like, 'Hey, which one do you want to do?' " Consuelos remembers. "She's like, '2!' I go, 'Noon. We want noon.' Because I wanted to make sure I didn't get cold feet."

"You didn't make sure you didn't get cold feet?" Ripa asks Consuelos.

"I wanted make sure she didn't get cold feet," Consuelos teases.

Ripa had another reason to wait. "I just wanted to shave my legs and maybe, I don't know, put on some mascara before I got married!" she jokes.

"'Nope, we're going right now,' " Consuelos repeats. "In the next 45 minutes, we're going to do this!' "

Live with Kelly and Mark episodes will tape Feb. 26 and 27 from the BleauLive Theater at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The hotel property is known for its luxury rooms, convention space, world-class collection of restaurants and shops, exquisite pools, vibrant nightlife and spa and wellness offerings.

"We've not been inside the theater yet, and we cannot wait because apparently it's gorgeous and impressive, just like the hotel itself," Ripa says. "We're going to give our viewers a behind-the-scenes tour of the VIP suites, and what movie stars that stay there experience. We're going to go into the spa. And we're going to taste what we've been told is amazing food — which, whenever I can order anything from room service and eat it in my robe, I'm a happy camper."

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<p>Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Disney General Entertainment</p> Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Disney General Entertainment

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

Related: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Debate Trend of 'Manlier' Wedding Rings: 'If It Makes You Happy, Go for It'

Fans who would like to join the fun can visit Fontainebleaulv.me/kellyandmark for a Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel room package, which includes a special room rate and two complimentary tickets to the show. Fans can also get free tickets by visiting the show's official website.

Guests include Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Howie Mandel (America's Got Talent), comedian Jim Gaffigan and American Idol judge and Grammy winner Lionel Richie.

Performances for the week of shows come from Rogue, REO Speedwagon, Carrot Top and DJ Steve Aoki with rapper Lil Jon. There will also be a special performance from DJ Pauly D.

Live with Kelly and Mark airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).

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