By Kelsey Wilkie for Nca Newswire

Published: 02:17 EST, January 15, 2024 | Updated: 05:41 EST, January 15, 2024

EXCLUSIVE

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has tied the knot with her longtime fiancé Clarke Gayford in a lavish wedding surrounded by friends, family and politicians.

The wedding took place on Saturday afternoon at the Craggy Range vineyard in Havelock North, in the heart of New Zealand's Hawkes Bay.

Ardern, 42, dressed in a white halterneck dress, wore a full-length sheer white veil – remarkably similar to the one her mother Laurell wore when she married her father Ross Ardern 47 years ago.

Ms Ardern arrived from her neighboring accommodation in a 4WD vehicle before walking through the vineyards, shaded from the sun by an entourage of parasols.

The wedding took place under a large tree next to the vineyard, with the former politician standing in the shade of a bridesmaid who held an umbrella to keep her cool during the ceremony in high temperatures.

The star-studded soirée was a Who's Who of New Zealand society, including Dame Annette King, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia; celebrity chef Peter Gordon; and Labor Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins and his partner Toni Grace.

Guests began arriving at the sprawling estate from 2 p.m., some arriving by luxury vehicle and others in a coach with blacked-out windows.

Each guest was required to provide security with their full name and photo ID before being allowed through the venue gates.

There was a heavy police presence due to several protesters carrying signs reading 'This s*** is bananas', with many still blaming Ms Ardern for vaccine-related illnesses and lockdowns during the Covid era.

Hours before guests were due to arrive, a male protester carrying a sign reading “Lest we forget the jab mandate” was seen patrolling the edge of the lavish property.

Another protester was seen waving “death signs” with photos of New Zealanders who allegedly died from vaccine side effects due to mandates.

A marked police car was seen driving up and down the country road where the vineyard is located.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia from nearby Te Mata Peak, a local mother of three, who did not want to be named, said she was shocked there were not more protesters scrutinizing the former prime minister's wedding .

“She is not the person the world media has made her out to be,” she began.

'In New Zealand she is called 'JABcinda' with her vaccination and lockdown agenda.'

A female protester was later seen at Craggy Range holding a sign reading 'This s*** is bananas' while playing anti-mandate propaganda on a large boombox.

The flow of demonstrators comes as no surprise to locals, who say demonstrations have become increasingly common in the final year of Ardern's premiership.

The demonstrations included violent mass protests against vaccine mandates, which culminated in a standoff outside Parliament House, and a wave of death threats against the former prime minister.

“I wouldn't be surprised if someone puts a sign up at the top of Te Mata Peak (overlooking Craggy Range) to protest Jacinda's big day,” said one Māori resident.

A marked police car was seen parked at the top of Te Mata Peak.

Several private security vehicles have also been seen coming and going from the picturesque location.

The vineyard's electric gates are closed and a security guard stands nearby, letting in suppliers and staff.

The ceremony comes almost a decade after their first date – and two years after a previously planned wedding was derailed by Covid-19.

The venue – described as the 'world's most Instagrammable vineyard' – features parasols next to an outdoor bar and a large white tepee-style tent where post-wedding dinner and fine wines will be served.

Craggy Range was fully booked by the happy couple as of Friday, including exclusive use of the accommodation and award-winning restaurant.

The guest list includes many of Ardern's former colleagues in the now-opposition Labor Party, including party leader and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his wife Jade, who were staying at a nearby motel.

It's understood that Grammy Award-winning singer Lorde will entertain those in attendance.

British singer Ed Sheeran had previously expressed interest in performing at the wedding, but was unable to do so due to a scheduling conflict.

The wedding day comes after the intimate wedding rehearsal on Friday in a neighboring building.

The couple and their friends and family have remained extremely tight-lipped about the details of the wedding, with the venue considered the 'worst kept secret' in New Zealand.

Preparations for the star-studded wedding accelerated on Wednesday as workers arrived to erect the marquee opposite the vineyard's manicured gardens.

On Thursday, the marquee was fully erect with large tables where guests could enjoy the winery's famous food, which has earned two hats at the Cuisine Good Food Awards.

The venue's current summer menu includes deer tartare, roasted Hohepa halloumi, fried local fish and glazed lamb shoulder.

It is understood Ardern traveled to Hawke's Day earlier this week. She was spotted with twelve other women at nearby Hastings Distillers on Wednesday.

Top Kiwi designer and personal friend of Ardern Juliette Hogan is rumored to be responsible for the former Prime Minister's wedding dress.

It is believed Ms Hogan will also attend the ceremony as a guest.

Reality TV star and celebrity hairstylist Tane Tomoana is believed to be styling Ardern's hair on the all-important day.

He previously styled Ardern's hair for her appearance on the cover of Time Magazine.

Dan Awha, creative and fashion director at Viva and style editor at Canvas, said he has high hopes for Ardern's bridal ensemble.

“Jacinda's fashion style is well documented and she has always been keen to support New Zealand designers,” he told the NZ Herald.

“She knows what works best for her and has built some special relationships with the best in our industry, including Kiri Nathan, Juliette Hogan and Kate Sylvester.

'Her style is contemporary and minimalist at heart, so her wedding dress will reflect this. I'm sure Clarke will also be wearing something smart, sleek and complementary.”

Flowers for the event were created by Field of Roses, a small floral design studio in the Waingake Valley, outside Gisborne.

Jacinda Ardern’s wedding preparations have officially kicked off in a predictably Covid-safe manner.

The former New Zealand Prime Minister spent Friday morning preparing and ironing out her highly anticipated wedding to TV fisherman fiancee Clarke Gayford at Craggy Range Winery tomorrow.

Jacinda, 43, was joined by her mother Laurrell Ardern and friends at Sen Nails & Beauty in the heart of Havelock North, in Hawke’s Bay on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.

She did her best to disguise herself during her manicure – she wore a straw hat and a surgical face mask.

“Jacinda and her mother were the only two people in the entire salon wearing masks,” said a witness who saw the couple.

“It’s clear the pandemic isn’t over for the queen of lockdowns.”

Dressed in a casual black flowing dress, Ardern was later spied being escorted to a back exit from the salon before making a mad dash to a waiting vehicle.

On Wednesday, Ardern reportedly held her bachelorette party with a dozen girlfriends at nearby Hastings Distillers, a boutique bar known for its “organic, artisanal spirits and liqueurs.”

The former Labor Party leader will tie the knot on Saturday at the $25,000-a-night venue.

She was forced to postpone her 2022 wedding as her government introduced Covid-19 restrictions, reducing the size of gatherings to 100.

In a bizarre twist, Ardern’s long-time friend and fellow Labor Party MP Kieran McAnulty has also booked this weekend to marry his fiancée Gia Garrick, former press secretary to Prime Ministers Ardern and Chris Hipkins.

According to a source, many mutual friends have since accepted invitations to Ardern and Mr Clarke’s big day, despite McAnulty having set the date of his wedding months in advance.

Mr McAnulty and Mrs Garrick will say on Saturday that I will do so at the Orua Sea Grotto overlooking Hot Water Beach in The Coromandel.

Ardern, 42, has long been a fan of the Craggy Range Winery.

In 2020, she was pictured alongside the team of Michelin-starred chefs at the winery’s Two Hats restaurant.

“Honoured that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had dinner with us last night,” the audience said in a photo caption.

‘Thank you for coming and supporting Hawke’s Bay!’

The globally renowned winery is nestled between the beautiful Te ​​Mata Peak and the Tukituki River and was named the world’s most Instagrammable vineyard in 2021.

The picturesque location offers on-site accommodation for up to 30 guests which must be booked for hosting weddings.

Nestled among vineyards, Craggy Range offers an impressive wedding package for couples, including an intimate sit-down function in the winery’s restaurant for 70 people.

Alternatively, they offer a marquee for large events, with a minimum spend of $25,000.

Ardern, 43, and Mr Gayford, 47, first met at an awards ceremony in 2012 but did not start dating until 2014 when Mr Gayford contacted the then Labor politician about proposed legislation in 2013.

Before dating Ardern, Mr Gayford was famous in New Zealand, with various roles in the media as a radio host, DJ and broadcaster.

Mr. Gayford is the current host of “Fish of the Day,” a series dedicated to Pacific fishing, and “Moving Houses,” a show that revolves around the process of moving houses.

The couple share a daughter together, Neve, who was born in 2018 while Ardern was in office.

New Zealand was swept up in ‘Jacidamania’ when Ms Adern was elected Prime Minister in October 20117 – the world’s youngest leader was regularly harassed for selfies wherever she went.

Two years later, the country was rocked by the worst terrorist attack it had ever seen, when a white supremacist gunman stormed two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 people.

Ardern won praise around the world for her response, donning a hijab to meet survivors and relatives of victims and tightening New Zealand’s gun laws.

She won global admiration for her response to Covid – summed up by her mantra ‘go hard and go early’ – when she closed New Zealand’s borders after just a hundred cases.

It meant that seven weeks later the country was able to achieve a level of freedom that was the envy of other countries around the world and also helped deliver a landslide victory for the Labor Party in October 2020.

But her decision to implement repeated lockdowns in the second half of the pandemic was widely seen to have hurt small business owners and hurt the Kiwi economy.

Her push for more progressive reforms, in the areas of water, the health care system, resource management and Maori rights, has provoked wave after wave of domestic opposition in recent years.

By the time she announced her shock resignation last January, her popularity had plummeted.

After her resignation, she claimed that she “no longer had enough left in the tank” after her five-year term.

She then made light of the wedding debacle and gave a special shout-out to her partner in the speech, telling him, “And to Clarke, let’s finally get married.”

‘I am a human. Politicians are people. We give everything we can, while we can – and then it’s time. And for me it’s time. I know what this job costs,” she said at the time.

Jacinda Ardern will marry her longtime partner Clarke Gayford at a luxury venue in New Zealand on Saturday after several years of delays and cancellations.

The couple is yet to tie the knot as the former New Zealand Prime Minister faced a series of tragedies, including the horror attack in Christchurch, the White Island volcanic eruption and the coronavirus pandemic.

Just a year after the couple got engaged at Easter in 2019, Covid-19 restrictions were introduced by Ardern’s government, reducing gatherings to 100 people.

As a result, they were forced to cancel their plans to get married in the summer of 2022 at the luxury Nick’s Head Station estate, 16 miles south of Gisborne.

“That’s life,” the former prime minister said of their decision to call off the wedding.

“My wedding is cancelled, but I simply join many other New Zealanders who have had such an experience as a result of the pandemic.

“I’m no different to, dare I say, thousands of other New Zealanders.”

Local media have reported that the rescheduled ceremony will take place on January 13 at a vineyard 200km away from the original location in Hawke’s Bay.

Ms Ardern, 43, and Mr Gayford, 47, first met at an awards ceremony in 2012, but they only started dating in 2014 after Mr Gayford contacted the then Labor politician in 2013 about proposed legislation .

She arranged a meeting with Clarke to discuss the matter over coffee.

It didn’t take long for the pair to realize they had a lot in common, including a shared love of music and previous experience spinning tables as a DJ. They became friends, before their relationship began to blossom into something more.

In an interview with Woman’s Weekly, Clarke revealed he took the politician on a fishing trip on their first date so he could share his greatest passion with her – and realized he had met his match when she caught a 12lb snapper brought in.

He said: ‘The sea was glassy and we had a huge pod of dolphins with us. It was literally Jacinda’s first cast and she was like, ‘Ooh! Something’s pulling!’

“She reeled in a 12-pound snapper. And she said, ‘Is that okay?’ And I thought, ‘That’s really good!’

The couple grew closer as they bonded over fishing and seafood, with Clarke revealing he wooed her by coming to her house with crayfish.

They had their daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford in 2018.

Before dating Ms Ardern, Mr Gayford was famous in New Zealand, with various roles in the media as a radio host, DJ and broadcaster.

Mr. Gayford is the current host of “Fish of the Day,” a series dedicated to Pacific fishing, and “Moving Houses,” a show that revolves around the process of moving houses.

He has continued to work in the media throughout his relationship with Ms Ardern.

Mr Gayford was there last January to support Ms Ardern when she announced she would not stand for re-election, citing exhaustion.

She made light of the wedding debacle and gave a special shout-out to her partner in the speech, telling him, “And to Clarke, let’s finally get married.”

In January 2023, Ms Ardern shocked the world when she announced she would not seek re-election as Prime Minister after five years in office.

She was elected on October 26, 2017 and, at the age of 37, was New Zealand’s youngest ever Prime Minister. Before that, she was the youngest sitting MP in 2008, at the age of 28.

Ms Ardern told a news conference that she hoped to find the energy and heart to stay in her job over the Christmas holidays, “but I haven’t been able to do that.”

“Once I realized this wasn’t the case, I knew there wasn’t much choice but to hand it over now, unfortunately,” she told a Labor meeting.

‘I am a human. Politicians are people. We give everything we can, while we can – and then it’s time. And for me it’s time. I know what this job costs.

When asked what she would do next, Ms Ardern said she was looking forward to spending time with her young daughter and eventually marrying her fiancé.

She also admitted that she did not expect to become prime minister.

Ms Ardern joined Ivy League institution Harvard University in late 2023 in three fellowship roles in leadership and countering online extremism.

She will spend a semester at the Harvard Kennedy School as the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow and as a Hauser Leader in the school’s Center for Public Leadership, engaging with students about “principled leadership.”

Ms Ardern has also signed with Penguin Random House to write a book on how to ‘be your own kind of leader and still make a difference’.

The former leader is said to have received a $1.5 million advance for the book.