By Ryan Anderson
Hawke’s Bay, NZ: Former New Zealand prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford are now married, following an intimate ceremony at Hawke’s Bay, on the east coast of the country’s North Island.
After almost five years of engagement, and a cancellation due to the pandemic, the pair said “I do” in front of 50 to 75 guests under a tree canopy at Craggy Range Winery on Saturday.
Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford on Saturday.Credit: Felicity Jean Photography
Cheers rang out across the venue as the newlyweds made their way from the ceremony to the reception area.
Ardern wore a white halterneck dress, custom-made by designer Juliette Hogan, while Gayford wore a black suit, custom-made by Zambesi, with a white shirt and black tie.
Their five-year-old daughter, Neve, walked down the aisle with her father, wearing a dress made with fabric from her grandmother Laurell Ardern’s wedding dress. The wedding rings were designed by Zoe and Morgan.
The marriage was officiated by close friend and former deputy prime minister Grant Robertson.
Just wed: The couple were meant to marry in 2022, but their plans were scuppered by the pandemicCredit: Felicity Jean Photography
The couple were tight-lipped about the big day. The ceremony was small, with mostly family, very close friends and a few politicians. They released their first official wedding photos shortly after.
The day at the vineyard began with a large tent with long tables and chairs being set up. Flowers arrived and umbrellas were unfurled as the temperature edged towards 30 degrees.
As the afternoon approached, guests arrived, including former prime minister Chris Hipkins and partner Toni Grace.
Other guests spotted included fashion designer Hogan, chef Peter Gordon, former deputy leader of the Labour Party Kelvin Davis and NZ high commissioner to Australia Annette King.
Wedding guests make their way from the ceremony area to the reception.Credit: Stuff
With accommodation on-site, many guests stayed overnight, while others stayed in nearby townships.
Guests were greeted by a security guard who let them through the venue’s gates. Once at the main building, they could walk or take a golf cart to the back of the venue, where the ceremony was held.
The intimate event took place in the grounds of Craggy Range Winery.Credit: Stuff
At least three distinct sections were set up for the wedding: a bar-like area hidden in the shade of a tree line, a dining area, and an area for guests to gather on arrival.
Members of the public stopped outside the venue regularly to try to see the high-profile couple, while a media helicopter circled overhead about 3pm.
Long road
The ceremony marked a happy end to a long road for the couple, with the COVID-19 pandemic putting a stop to their previous plans.
A date was set for summer 2022, but the government – led by Ardern – tightened gathering rules due to the coronavirus Omicron variant, forcing a cancellation.
The then-prime minister said “such is life”, adding that many people had suffered far worse effects from the pandemic.
“My wedding will not be going ahead, but I just join many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic,” Ardern said.
“And to anyone who’s caught up in that scenario, I’m so sorry, but we’re all so resilient, and I know we understand that we’re doing this for one another.”
Ardern and Gayford met at an awards event in 2012, with Ardern attending as a guest of NZ model and TV personality Colin Mathura-Jeffree, who had featured on the cover of that month’s Metro magazine.
Shortly after taking office in 2017, Ardern announced she was pregnant. She gave birth to daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford in 2018.
The couple got engaged in May 2019, after an Easter weekend trip to Mahia, a beach settlement on the North Island’s east coast, near Gayford’s hometown of Gisborne.
Ardern was spotted with a diamond ring at a ceremony in Pike River just a few weeks later.
Stuff.co.nz
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