The Truth About Buddy Valastro's Marriage
Before the popularity of baking shows like "The Great British Bake Off," there was TLC's hit show, "Cake Boss." The show profiled Buddy Valastro, a pastry chef based in Hoboken, New Jersey (via Deadline). The show was a wildly successful hit for both TLC and Valastro's brick and mortar bakeshop, Carlo's Bakery, which now has several locations including one in Los Angeles.
Featured prominently on the show were Valastro's wife, Lisa, and their three children. When it comes to his accomplishments, his proudest one is his family. "I am a busy guy. I have a lot of accomplishments," he told Life of Dad. "I am not bragging ... I have done a lot of good stuff. But my biggest accomplishment is my kids and my family."
It has always seemed as if his marriage was picture perfect. The pair have been together since before they hit it big on reality TV. But is their union as steady as it appears?
Buddy and Lisa Valastro met as children
Certain couples genuinely seem like they were fated to be together, and Buddy and Lisa Valastro are arguably one of them. In a joint interview with Renato Cardoso, Lisa revealed that she first met Buddy when the two were children. Buddy's cousin, who lived next door to him, was best friends with Lisa's parents, so they used to run into each other "all the time" whenever the two groups were visiting each other.
Years later, when Buddy's family, who were also friends with Lisa's parents, were visiting from Italy, they all went out together. That was when Buddy and Lisa met properly, before ultimately getting together romantically, too. She was 19 years old at the time, while the soon-to-be "Cake Boss" was 22. They were married within just a few years. The rest, as they say, is history, as the happy couple has been virtually inseparable ever since.
Their wedding needed a do-over for one major reason
Plenty of couples who get married young feel the need for a do-over later in life, but Buddy and Lisa Valastro opted for a vow renewal ceremony 10 years on for one very important reason. Speaking to People, the reality star explained he was eager to include their children in his re-proposal because he "wanted to do something special." It was a lavish proposal befitting a lavish renewal event, as Buddy revealed, "The kids came to make cupcakes that spelled 'marry us.'"
As far as the "Cake Boss" star is concerned, it was the least he could do. Renewing their vows wasn't just an excuse to throw a big party, however. He explained, "We got married in October 2001, less than a month away from Sept. 11 and as joyous an occasion as it was, everybody had a piece of their heart ripped out." In fact, Lisa was too nervous to fly out for their honeymoon, which meant the vow renewal, obviously, had to take place somewhere tropical — with a themed cake to match, naturally.
They have four kids together
As noted by Closer Weekly, Buddy and Lisa Valastro share four children, three boys and a girl, named Buddy Jr., Marco, Carlo, and Sophia. Although he and his wife are both incredibly busy people, Buddy told Life of Dad, "I still have a strong bond and relationship with my kids. I will take them when I travel."
Fatherhood came easily to the reality star, who was stoked to be a dad after worshipping his own father growing up. Buddy explained simply, "I wanted to be that for my kids." He admitted to crying "like a baby" when Sophia was born, because Buddy immediately saw her whole life flash in front of his eyes, alongside everything he hoped for her. The TV star shared that there's nothing he loves more in life than seeing "little bits" of either himself or Lisa in their children. He stated, "My kids are my best friends. I have a special relationship with all of them."
Buddy Valastro considers Lisa his 'soulmate'
Considering they first crossed paths as children, only to reconnect once they were old enough to make it official, it stands to reason Buddy and Lisa Valastro consider each other endgame. The adorable couple frequently professes their undying love online, much to fans' delight. For instance, when the Valastros attended a friend's wedding in September 2021, Buddy shared a pic of them in their finery to Twitter, sweetly writing alongside it, "You have and always will give me butterflies."
In response, one commenter gushed, "You guys are couple goals beyond any Disney fairy tale!" Another enthused, "Love y'all together so much."
In celebration of Valentine's Day, in February 2022, Buddy took to social media again to pay tribute to his wife. He shared a shot of the two cuddling up on Instagram, captioning it, "Your beauty got my attention, your cooking stole my heart. You're my forever love story and I'm one lucky man!" Buddy also notably used the hashtag #soulmate which, really, nobody could possibly argue with at this point.
According to Buddy and Lisa Valastro, they've never had an argument
Every relationship goes through its rough patches but, as far as Buddy and Lisa Valastro are concerned, it's nearly always been smooth sailing for them. During a 2019 tour of their house for People, Buddy quipped, "15 years we're married, me and this woman," and Lisa quickly finished his sentence, "And never had a fight!" The "Cake Boss" star confirmed, "Never!"
However, they might have been joking around since, earlier in the video, Buddy acknowledged Lisa "wants to kill me sometimes." The issue, according to the adorable couple, surrounded Buddy having invited people back to the house for dinner without giving his wife enough of a heads up, so suddenly she was tasked with preparing a meal for a group of strangers with very little time to do it.
Thankfully, their home is always fully stocked, thanks to having four hungry kids and also the fact that, as Lisa quipped, "Our immediate family is, like, 25 people."
Lisa Valastro doesn't like sharing her husband with the whole country
Being a world-famous, and beloved, reality star has its perks, but being the partner of one can be challenging. During a chat with Universal.org, via Delish, Lisa Valastro shared, "When we got married, it was just us. Every night, he'd come home and we'd talk." But, since her husband became the "Cake Boss," times have changed significantly.
Nowadays, as Lisa detailed, "I share him with millions of people," which is unfortunately one of the most "stressful" parts of being married to a famous person. Thankfully, whenever Buddy Valastro is home, they make sure to sit down and enjoy dinner together as a family, which is a special time when the six of them can also share stories about their days.
Buddy noted, "Those meals, that family time, are times we'll never forget." And, although Lisa's eggplant Parmesan is a family favorite, we bet Buddy makes sure there's always a cake or two on hand for dessert, too.
Buddy Valastro claims this is the secret to a happy marriage
In 2021, Buddy and Lisa Valastro celebrated 20 happy years of marriage. In his Instagram post, the reality star described Lisa as his "dream girl" and "best friend." Buddy added, "We have created the most amazing life together full of love, happiness, and dedication not only to each other but our children. I love you beyond words." Lisa, meanwhile, shared photos from their wedding day and thanked Buddy for being her "partner in crime." She also quipped, "Our love gets SWEETER every day."
Clearly, these two know a little something about what it takes to make marriage work. And yet, if you ask Buddy, he's got a very simple reason why they're still together all these years later. According to Closer Weekly, during an appearance at the 2019 NYC Wine and Food Festival's (NYCWFF) Goldbelly Sweets 'n Beats, he shared, "The key to a happy marriage or a happy wife is lots of cake!"
Lisa's favorite, naturally, is their wedding cake, which was comprised of "chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries." Evidently, as long as he keeps the cakes coming, these two shouldn't have any problems.
The Valastros are closer than ever
The couple has been together for over a decade, and it seems like things are still going strong. After Buddy Valastro suffered an accident that resulted in a severe injury to his hand, he and his wife grew even closer. "My wife has been amazing. She's been a trooper," he gushed to People in 2020. "We're going on 20 years now, and I think that we kind of checked all the boxes. But after you have an injury like this, and your wife helps you dry you out of the shower, that crosses another level."
If you're wondering how he sustained such an injury, it was surprisingly not from baking. He was fixing an object in the couple's in-home bowling alley when his hand got lodged in the machine and put his career as a pastry chef up in the air. Though the couple have grown closer during the tough time, it sounds like a difficult situation!