KIWI ACTRESS DEB'S CINEMATIC WEDDING

The star's romantic big day played out just like a film!

- Leena Tailor

She’s made movies with Haylie Duff , shot commercials with Isla Fisher and created an award-winning short film series, yet it was her picturesque Nelson wedding that felt like the ultimate movie set for Kiwi actress Deb Foster.

Walking down the aisle to Blink-182, the Auckland-born star and her US love Erik Smith then saluted 10 Things I Hate About You by sharing their first dance to Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, before pulling the ultimate rom-com move – dancing in the rain, then jumping in a swimming pool!

“It was totally like an American high-school movie!” says the Los Angeles-based star.

But just like the movies, there was also some heartache as Deb, 38, grappled with the absence of her late dad Kevin. In a fun gesture, guests were invited to remember him by taking a shot of Baileys at a bar set up in his honour.

Kevin instilled a can-do attitude in Deb from early on and, along with her mother Kieron and younger sister Janine, helped the actress build her dream life in LA with Erik, 40.

“I was always making Mum film me on the Handycam as a kid! I was drawn to acting and creating.”

While performing in school plays and Tip Top commercials, Deb studied photography and took acting classes, then got lucky in winning the US green card lottery. Relocating to New York at 24, she did theatre and films, appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

But the Big Apple acting scene was challenging and Deb eventually moved to LA, where she instantly felt an affinity with the city’s arts community. She has since appeared in such TV movies as The Neighbors Are Watching, directed by Disney darling Haylie, and commercials with Alec Baldwin and Isla, while also writing and shooting her own scripts.

However, it wasn’t just work that fell into place in LA. Upon arrival, Deb was promptly cast on a project with Nebraska-born Erik, who was smitten from their first work call.