Ron Howard Shares Details of His ‘Very Modest’ Wedding

Child actor turned filmmaker Ron Howard is opening up about his 1975 wedding to his wife, Cheryl, a few months after their 50th anniversary. Howard, who starred in the beloved sitcoms “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Happy Days” opted for a simple ceremony when tying the knot.

“It was a small, very modest wedding in Burbank, California,” he shared with People. “And it was important to Cheryl’s dad that he pay for it, so therefore it was important to Cheryl to not let it get out of hand.” 

Howard, who was starring as Richie Cunningham on “Happy Days” at the time, invited 300 guests to the nuptials, including his pal and co-star Henry Winkler. “That church was chock-a-block full. It was everybody from ‘The Andy Griffith Show,’ everybody from ‘Happy Days’ and so many other friends,” the director said.

Howard Revealed the Cost of the Celebration

In his 2021 memoir “The Boys,” co-written by his brother Clint, Howard revealed that the cost of his wedding was only $800.

But the Howards proved that a wedding doesn’t have to be expensive in order to be fun. “My mom and dad had a small kind of champagne punch reception back at their house,” Howard told People. “The whole thing was super modest, but you know what? By God it worked.”

“It was a great day,” he added.

But while Howard was more than certain he was making the right choice in marrying Cheryl, he explained that she had been a bit nervous. “I think Cheryl might’ve had a little runaway-bride anxiety … I think she was more aware that she was kind of entering a world that she didn’t really know anything about, show business,” he explained.

Howard’s Marriage Has Stood the Test of Time

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Howard and Cheryl share four children together, Bryce Dallas, 44, twins Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige Carlyle, 40, and son Reed Cross, 38. The pair were high school sweethearts, and tied the knot at just 21 years old. According to Howard, he loved Cheryl from the start and always knew they’d be happy together.

“If you would’ve asked me then, will you celebrate your 50th wedding anniversary? I would’ve said, ‘Yeah, if we live that long, absolutely.’ I was just so sure,” Howard revealed. And he was right.

In June, the couple celebrated 50 years of marriage with a very sweet gesture. The Howards donated a “kissing bench” to the Burbank, California park where they spent their teen years cozied up together after school.

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