Candace Cameron Bure has been taking Hollywood by storm since she was a kid — and her husband, Valeri Bure, has been by her side for more than three decades of that success.
Candace was already a household name when she and Valeri first crossed paths in 1994, having starred on Full House as D.J. Tanner from 1987 to 1995.
The couple met at a charity hockey match with a little help from Candace’s costar Dave Coulier, who introduced the pair after Candace told him she thought Valeri was cute. Fast-forward 30 years, and Candace and Valeri are still finding ways to keep their romance alive.
“The kids are going to get mad at me. I put great restaurant, wine, walk, sex,” Candace exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2024, revealing her ideal date with Valeri.
Valeri jokingly protested, telling Us, “She cannot say that. Certain things you don’t tell your kids!”
Scroll down to learn more about Candace’s husband, Valeri, and their life together:
Valeri Bure Is From Russia
Valeri Bure was born in Moscow, Russia, along with brother Pavel Bure. Both of the Bure brothers traveled to the United States to pursue careers in hockey at a young age.
Valeri moved to America with his family — landing in Los Angeles — when he was 17 as Pavel prepared to sign with the Vancouver Canucks, Sports Illustrated reported in 2012. Prior to their move from Russia, their father, Vladimir Bure, won four medals for the country as an Olympic swimmer. Vladimir coached both his sons before their careers took off.
Valeri Bure Was a Professional Hockey Player
Like his brother, Pavel Bure, Valeri Bure was a professional hockey player after he moved to the U.S. Valeri began by playing on a junior hockey team, Washington’s Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League, where he became the first Russian player in the league’s history.
Valeri was a second-round pick, 33rd overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Montreal Canadiens. He turned professional during the 1994-1995 NHL season, where he played for the Canadiens as a right wing.
Throughout his 10 seasons in the league, Valeri also played for the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars. Valeri was also a two-time Olympic medalist, winning a silver in 1998 and a bronze in 2002 while representing Russia. He retired from the sport in 2005.
Valeri Bure and Candace Cameron Bure met in 1994 at a charity hockey game in Los Angeles, where her Full House costar Dave Coulier introduced them.
The pair started dating long-distance — going on their first real date in June 1994 — before getting engaged in June 1995 in Paris. Valeri and Candace tied the knot the following summer.
“I always kind of wanted to move fast with everything that we did. I always wanted a family,” Valeri exclusively told Us in November 2024 of his and Candace’s love story. “It was not right off the bat, we got to know each other over the phone. We talked on the phone for I think three or four months before we saw each other again. But I remember I had that special feeling in my heart that I do want to say that I love you [first]. And I did.”
Candace Cameron Bure and Valeri Bure Share 3 Children
Candace Cameron Bure welcomed her first child, daughter Natasha, with Valeri Bure in August 1998. The couple’s eldest son, Lev, was born in February 2000, followed by son Maksim “Maks” in January 2002.
Natasha, who has acted alongside her mother for Great American Family, got married in September 2025 to actor Bradley Steven Perry. Lev tied the knot one year prior, marrying Elliott Dunham in January 2024.
After retiring from hockey, Valeri Bure teamed up with wife Candace Cameron Bure for a new business venture: wine. The couple founded Bure Family Wines in 2006. Their middle child, son Lev, is now part of the business, which is located in the Napa Valley area in California just north of St. Helena.
“I’m sitting on our property, normally by myself, and I’m drinking a glass of our wine. I look down and there’s a vineyard below. Our vineyard. And I can’t believe this little kid from Russia, having all of this,” Valeri told the Calgary Flames in an interview published in October 2016. “It is … unbelievable. It just does not get any better. Being out there on the patio is one of those moments when you just stop, take it all in and go, ‘Wow.’ Super, super cool.”
