Ava Sambora Marries Tyler Farrar in Montecito

Ava Sambora is a married woman. The 28-year-old daughter of Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora tied the knot with longtime love Tyler Farrar on Saturday, May 16, at a sun-drenched outdoor ceremony in Montecito, California — and her famous parents were right there together to witness every moment.

Photos obtained by Page Six show Heather, 64, and Richie, 66, walking alongside Ava across the lawn before Richie did the honors of walking his daughter down the aisle. The exes — who were married from 1994 until their divorce was finalized in 2007 — then sat side by side in the same row as the ceremony unfolded. Heather’s boyfriend, actor Lorenzo Lamas, was seated with her as well.

Heather didn’t hold back on Instagram afterward. “Second best day of my life. First was the day she was born. Sweetest couple ever. Congratulations,” she wrote alongside a photo from the celebration.

Seven Years in the Making

Ava and Tyler’s love story has been quietly unfolding for years. Tyler actually shared a photo of Ava as early as 2018, but the couple made their public debut on her social media in March 2019 — a St. Patrick’s Day post where Ava sat on Tyler’s lap in green, captioning it “My lucky charm 🍀.” Then in February 2024, he popped the question beneath a white rose-festooned arch surrounded by candles. “Hard launch!” the two wrote together on a joint post of sunset photos.

Earlier this month, Ava celebrated with a floral-themed bridal shower that she called “the most beautiful bridal shower” on social media. Heather hosted, and the photos showed the mother-daughter duo looking so alike they could’ve passed for sisters. “Thank you to all the amazing women who hosted, organized, and attended this special day,” Ava wrote. “I am beyond grateful for each of them, especially my mama, God mother Juliet, future mother in law Mary, and sister Monica.”

Richie, the former Bon Jovi guitarist, made no secret of how he feels about his new son-in-law. During a November 2024 appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, he opened up about the bond he’d built with Tyler. “It’s like, you know, my speech [at the engagement party] was they’re really in love. I love the kid,” Richie said. “I mean I’ve taken him on vacation. I like to put him right in the limelight so I get to know him, I get to see him, we get to talk.”

Tyler, per his LinkedIn, works as an investment associate at Pacific Partners Real Estate in Los Angeles. Ava, meanwhile, has built an impressive life of her own — she’s a model and actress who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Loyola Marymount University and went on to get a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from USC. The couple also share a Golden Retriever, who made an appearance in bridal shower portraits.

“Second best day of my life” is a hard bar to clear — but from the looks of it, Saturday came pretty close.