Bride’s runaway ride

Unlike Harper, actress Ria Vandervis loves a good wedding – and she’s been to a lot.

Happily married in real life, Vandervis shares the joy by also working as a marriage celebrant.

“When couples come to me wanting to get married they are usually in a pretty happy place,” she says, acknowledging this is not the case for her character.

Harper has already had one unsuccessful attempt to make it down the aisle. Her wedding to fellow doctor Boyd Rolleston (Sam Bunkall) never happened after a gunman opened fire at the ceremony, but Vandervis doesn’t believe that is what is holding her character back this time with Drew.

“It’s not that marriage and children and those things aren’t wonderful. I think she’s just struggling to work out if that’s what she really wants and I think lots of people can relate to that – being unsure. “She’s a really modern woman and doesn’t necessarily see the point in it. She doesn’t see why you need to be defined by a piece of paper or by being connected to another person.” Nevertheless, Harper agrees to the wedding but, on the day, her doubts resurface. She becomes angry, storms out of the house and takes off on her motorbike – in her wedding dress. Vandervis’ own wedding day was far calmer. “And I was a lot surer. It’s quite exhausting playing Harper because she changes her mind so often; but the dress was so beautiful. I loved this dress a lot more than my Boyd wedding dress.”