* Exchanging of vows comes almost a decade on from Dame Jacinda Ardern’s first date with Clarke Gayford
* Exclusive winery to play host to what will be one of New Zealand’s biggest weddings of the year
* The wedding party has block-booked the rural Hawke’s Bay venue
* Ardern set to wear wedding dress created by leading Kiwi designer
* Locals say the location is the worst-kept secret in the area
* Tight security expected amid Ardern’s profile and the couple’s desire for privacy
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern and fiance Clarke Gayford are tying the knot today at an exclusive Hawke’s Bay winery.
Almost a decade on from their first date – and two years on from an earlier planned wedding which was scuttled by Covid-19 – the pair will exchange vows in front of family and close friends near Havelock North.
And as the countdown ticks down and Ross Ardern prepares to welcome a new son-in-law to his family, the former Prime Minister’s happy father told the Herald he was “excited” about the big day.
“We’re all sorted, kind of, but I haven’t got anything to say to the media,” Ross Ardern said.
The Herald understands Jacinda Ardern will be wearing a design created by Kiwi fashion guru Juliette Hogan; a personal friend of the former PM, and someone whose designs Ardern has regularly worn before.
Throughout her time in politics, Ardern was a strong supporter of several Kiwi fashion designers.
The couple began dating in 2014, the year after Gayford, 47, a keen fisherman and host of Fish of the Day and Moving Houses, contacted the then-Labour list MP in 2013 to discuss concerns over legislation going through Parliament.
The venue - described as the “most Instagramable vineyard in the world” - was block-booked by the happy couple from Friday, including exclusive use of the accommodation and award-winning restaurant.
Ardern, 43, made global headlines when she became the country’s youngest leader and then gave birth to the couple’s now 5-year-old daughter, Neve, while PM.
She was internationally applauded for her empathy during the Christchurch terrorist attack in 2019, the White Island volcano eruption and the Covid-19 pandemic.
But in the days leading up to her wedding to Gayford, she, her partner and close friends and family have remained tight-lipped.
The Herald was told by someone close to the couple the former Prime Minister and her longtime partner had been determined to keep it that way.
“They won’t be doing any media [before the wedding],” a source said.
“They don’t really want to make any comment in the week leading up to their special wedding.”
The New Zealand Woman’s Weekly has previously published glossy spreads on Ardern and Gayford. Editor Marilynn McLachlan declined to say if the magazine had purchased rights for the wedding.
Another person who previously worked with Ardern in Parliament said the former PM wanted to keep the build-up to her nuptials as “private” as possible.
But the date and location of the wedding venue has been the worst-kept secret in the area.
Several people who live on the winding country road where the vineyard is sited told the Herald they had been visited by security people in the weeks leading up to the wedding, who warned them to be wary of anyone who might try to disrupt the ceremony and the later celebrations.
It is understood security had also been checking venues, including the vineyard that was chosen, in mid-2023.
Some nearby residents had also decided to leave the area on the weekend of the wedding, with one saying he wanted to avoid “the circus”.
Preparations at the vineyard for the Ardern/Gayford wedding ramped up on Wednesday, with workers starting to erect a large marquee on a section of the location’s well-maintained gardens.
By Thursday morning, the white marquee – which was visible from the road, and from the summit of Te Mata Peak - had been completed.
A staff member from the venue told the Herald Friday was set to be a “big day” as grounds staff worked to ensure the setting was perfect.
Private accommodation at the venue can cater for up to 30 people.
A local claimed the vineyard was the obvious choice for the nuptials and that Ardern may be holed up at an exclusive retreat near the wedding venue.
“The winery is fully contained; it’s got gates and it’s easy to patrol and hard to access. If they are putting a marquee up, they will have more than 80 guests, they can’t fit any more. If it’s under 80 they put you in the restaurant, anything over you must be in a marquee,” the woman said.
Guests are expected to include numerous politicians Ardern previously worked with, plus people from the entertainment industry whom Gayford knows well.
The Herald has contacted former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, David Parker, Dame Annette King, Darren Hughes, Helen Clark, Kiri Allan and Sir Trevor Mallard.
Some declined to comment, and others didn’t respond.
Inside the marquee, multiple large tables had been set up for diners to enjoy the top-notch food and wine the vineyard is known for.
The vineyard’s restaurant has consistently earned two hats in the Cuisine Good Food Awards.
Its current summer menu features eight offerings, including venison tartare, roasted Hohepa halloumi, pan-fried local fish and glazed lamb shoulder. Wine to match is a further $85.
In the lead-up to their wedding, Ardern and Gayford holidayed at a family bach in Tairua, on the Coromandel peninsula, before travelling to Gisborne, where Ardern was seen last weekend.
The former Prime Minister then arrived in Hawke’s Bay.
On Wednesday, she was spotted with a group of about 12 other women at Hastings Distillers; a boutique bar that offers tastings of its award-winning gins and liqueurs.
The group was seen by an NZME source seated near the back of the venue behind long, navy-blue velvet curtains.
It’s second-time lucky for Ardern and Gayford.
After getting engaged in 2019, the pair were meant to get married in January 2022 at the exclusive farm homestead at Nick’s Head Station, 25km south of Gisborne.
Grammy Award-winning singer Lorde was understood to have been lined up to entertain the guests at the very private ceremony at the luxury rural estate owned by American hedge fund billionaire John Griffin.
British pop star Ed Sheeran has also previously expressed an interest in performing at Ardern’s wedding, but he has a gig in the Middle East on Monday.
The initial venue was going to be Gisborne’s Bushmere Arms. But it was ultimately passed up by the couple, with owner Robin Pierson claiming they walked away after celebrity chef Peter Gordon – who the pair wanted to cook for them – didn’t want his assistance in the kitchen. There was also a spat over Gordon’s planned menu, which was to include locally foraged wild venison and crayfish; Pierson rejected those plans for fear they would break strict permits and food hygiene rules.
Pierson told the Herald this week he was still waiting for the couple to pay a $5000 cancellation fee.
The rearranged wedding at Nick’s Head Station was ultimately scuppered by the arrival of Covid-19′s Omicron variant, with gatherings restricted to fewer than 100 at that stage on the traffic-light system.
Ardern said at the time: “Such is life. I am no different to, dare I say, thousands of other New Zealanders.”
She said there were no plans to delay their vows indefinitely.
That belief rang true when she announced her resignation as PM a year ago.
After explaining her retirement – including citing exhaustion – Ardern said she was looking forward to taking their daughter Neve to her first day of school, before adding: “And to Clarke, let’s finally get married.”
Auckland designer Juliette Hogan is understood to have designed Ardern’s wedding dress and is attending the wedding.
Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director of Viva and style editor for Canvas, both NZME magazines, said he expected Ardern to look stunning on her wedding day.
Ahwa – who has done style work with Ardern – said: “Jacinda’s fashion style is well documented, and she’s always been keen to support New Zealand designers.
“She knows what works best for her and has fostered 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, clean-cut and complementary too.”
A beauty therapist who didn’t want to be identified said she was helping Ardern with a “couple of things”, including spray tanning and makeup.
“Jacinda will go for the natural look. I am sure she will look stunning.”
Tane Tomoana, a star of TV reality show Glow Up NZ is understood to be doing Ardern’s hair on her wedding day.
They met when he was the creative lead at the Dry & Tea hair salons in New Zealand and Australia.
He has moved back to Hawke’s Bay and works at Morgan and Lane in Hastings. Previously, he styled Ardern for the cover of Time magazine.
The Herald understands the floral arrangements have been created by Field of Roses, a small flower and floral design studio in the Waingake Valley outside Gisborne.
Owner Sue Fields declined to comment, aside from saying: “It’s a private ceremony and it would be a privilege to be involved.”
However, another source confirmed the company was doing the wedding bouquet and flower arrangements.
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