Melissa Joan Hart shares sweet throwback photo from the night she met husband Mark Wilkerson 22 years earlier: ‘I knew he was my forever!’

Melissa Joan Hart shared a sweet throwback to the night she first crossed paths with her husband Mark Wilkerson at the Kentucky Derby 22 years earlier.

The Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress, 48 ​​– who recently broke her silence during the shocking Quiet On Set docuseries – notably married the musician in 2003.

In the image, the star was seen flashing a small smile as she wore a pink, satin top with a plunging neckline as she stood next to the musician, 47.

Hart captioned the last post with: ’22 years ago now… I saw this tall man with a shaved head walking across a stage and after a shot of vodka (don’t ask) and this photo being taken I knew he was my for always! #KentuckyDerby #GettinLuckyinKentucky.”

Melissa’s photo comes as the 2024 Kentucky Derby officially kicked off Saturday.

Hart and Wilkerson are also parents to three children – all sons – named Mason, 18, Braydon, 16, and also Tucker, 11.

In 2018, the former Nickelodeon star had reminisced about the special day she met her husband in Kentucky.

She also uploaded a post to her main Instagram page, recalling, “In 2002, a girl from New York told her mother that she met a boy from Alabama at the Kentucky Derby and that she was getting married.”

“They married 14 months later in Italy, and within five years had two beautiful baby boys while living a blessed life in Los Angeles.”

Mark’s sister, Sally, opened up about the day her brother met the Drive Me Crazy actress during a previous interview with People.

“He tried to play it all cool, but he knew who she was. I screamed and told my friends, ‘My brother just met Melissa Joan Hart and she asked for his number,'” she told the outlet.

Just seven months after the couple started dating, Wilkerson popped the big question and the lovebirds got engaged over the holidays.

In July 2003, Melissa and Mark said “I do” during a romantic ceremony in Florence, Italy.

Last March, Melissa talked about her long-term marriage to the musician during a conversation We weekly.

“You know, it’s a lot of work,” she told the outlet, adding, “[Officially] 20 years this summer and it doesn’t get any easier.’

Referring to Russian-born author Leo Tolstoy, she said: “It’s not really about… whether you fight or not, it’s about [about] how you fight. Those kind of things.’

‘I’m paraphrasing a lot. But I think that’s the key. [You have to] ride through the low times because the high times are so much better.”

The Hollywood star continued, “And it’s really about sticking with it, working through it and remembering where you came from.”

Hart explained that the couple is “doing a lot of work in our marriage,” while stating that they have also been “in and out of couples therapy…”

‘We really like that, because it allows us to understand each other better, even after twenty years. We do it every now and then.’

“We kind of go in and out of it a little bit, but I just find it so helpful because it really helps us have a safe space. And that helps a lot. But we continue to work [our relationship] a lot of.’

“We just remember that we love each other and try to be kind to each other,” Melissa continued.

She talked about how she and Mark “make sure they find that common ground” and also “have the same goals” [for how] we want to raise our children and base everything on love.”

‘It’s not easy, though. I mean, I make it sound easy, but it’s not easy.”

Hart — who currently lives in Nashville with her husband and children — further commented on parenting with Wilkerson and talked about how their sons have grown up so quickly.

“Everyone prepares you for the first one[s]but no one prepares you for the latter[s]. So I’m kind of focusing on the latter now. I’m going to cry just thinking about it…”

During an interview with People in 2018, the actress also spoke about keeping her marriage to Mark strong.

“We do day dates, we have lunch, we work out together a lot,” she explained, humorously adding that they also send each other “dirty gifs.”