Supercouples Sessions
Inside Bo & Hope’s ‘Days of our Lives’ Wedding 40 Years Later With Peter Reckell, Kristian Alfonso (VIDEO)
It’s a big week for fans of Days of our Lives‘ Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) and Hope Williams Brady (Kristian Alfonso): Not only is the couple back on the canvas after a two-year absence as Bo wakes up from his coma, but on May 23, the Bradys are celebrating 40 years since they said “I do” in a royal wedding of sorts in England.
“I’m glad I’m sitting down,” quips Alfonso about how much time has passed since the nuptials. “Wow, 40 years ago? It feels like we blinked, and here we are. I’m at a loss for words, shockingly. It’s incredible, it’s just incredible, that we are still involved with Days of our Lives and still a part of it.”
Alfonso reveals that Hope’s gown, which cost over $30,000 to make, along with all the wardrobe, was lost on the way across the pond! “Lee [Smith, then-costume designer] was panic-stricken,” she recalls to Swooon. “So, he started shopping at Harrods.” Fortunately, everything was found in time for the big shoot.
The exteriors of the wedding were shot in England, while the church ceremony was filmed in Los Angeles. Filming in the church was a bit stressful, Reckell reports. Not only were there fans in the pews, but Reckell’s Bo sang a tune to his bride. “For some reason, the two of us basically hung on each other because that was the only thing that was a safe place,” he chuckles. “There was so much pressure on that one moment.”
NBC / Everett Collection
Bo and Hope’s romance began in 1983 and quickly became a soap sensation. The actors credit the Days of our Lives team as a whole for the success of their pairing. “Good producers and writers, they lean into whatever you’re bringing,” Reckell reflects. “You look back on that time, and what they gave us was just incredible. The support they gave us, the writing they gave us, we were just so extremely fortunate to have this whole Days of our Lives holding us up.”
While their popularity was building with the audience, the duo didn’t have a sense of it until they went to Louisiana to shoot on location in 1984. “We were on the plane, we landed in New Orleans, and I heard music before deplaning, and I was like, ‘Pete, they’re playing our theme song… Can you believe it?'” Alfonso recalls. “When we got off the jetway, there were thousands, thousands of people…. There were more people than when The Beatles arrived [in New York City in 1964], if you can even believe that.”
After that, the connection between their characters continued to resonate with the viewers. “The love in that relationship was always there,” says Reckell. “No matter what was happening underneath, when we looked at each other—and lots of audience members say that—when we looked into each other’s eyes, you could see the love that was just ever-present.”
Now they’re back to continue Bo and Hope’s love story and tease that it will be an emotional set of shows. “As joyful as it was to return, it was painful in ways,” explains Alfonso, referring to the absence of Drake Hogestyn (John Black), who died on September 28, 2024, from pancreatic cancer. Reckell adds, “Even though I hadn’t seen him in a very long time, it’s like one of your best friends are gone. It takes a while. I haven’t gotten there yet. He is missed by everybody he touched.”
In this installment of Swooon’s Supercouples Sessions, Alfonso and Reckell look back on their DAYS experience, reveal how they surprised each other in scenes, preview what’s ahead in their storyline, and so much more. “We do pack a lot in the few shows we had,” notes Reckell. “The writers gave the audience some things they were looking forward to.”
Check out the full video above, and watch Days of our Lives on Peacock.
