At Jacinda Ardern’s wedding venue, a $25,000-a-night winery, where she will marry ‘First Bloke’ Clarke Gayford… the same weekend her longtime girlfriend is also tying the knot, leaving partners with a VERY tough decision to stand

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and fiancée Clarke Gayford will tie the knot this Saturday in a top-secret ceremony at a picturesque winery.

Daily Mail Australia understands Craggy Range winery in Havelock North, in the heart of the Hawke’s Bay region, will host the couple’s wedding after years of delays and cancellations.

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

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

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

Craggy Range is said to be working around the clock to prevent Ms Ardern’s site from leaking.

But an employee confirmed that the restaurant door and cellar will not be available to the public on Saturday, when the wedding will take place.

Ms Ardern, 42, has long been a fan of the vineyard and was photographed with the team of Michelin-star chefs at the winery’s Two Hats restaurant in 2020.

“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.

The couple faced a series of setbacks while planning the wedding, which was first scheduled to take place in 2022.

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

This meant they canceled plans to get married in the summer of 2022 at the luxury Nick’s Head Station estate, 15 miles south of Gisborne.

“That’s life,” Ms Ardern said when they decided 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 from the original location in Hawke’s Bay.

Ms 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 over proposed legislation in 2013 .

In an interview with Woman’s Weekly, Mr Gayford 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 met a 5-year-old snapper. collected 4 kg.

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 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.

Mr Gayford was there last January to support Ms Ardern when she announced she would not seek re-election after five years in the role, 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.”

‘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.