“Thanks for all the tea in bed, fresh fish and endless love and support xxx.”
Friends of the couple, including other high-profile New Zealanders, shared their congratulations by commenting on the post.
“Now that is just delightful! Dynamic duo,” wrote Jason Gunn.
“JOYFUL!” Dame Miranda Harcourt commented, while another follower wrote, “Happy anniversary - you two deserve all the joy and love in the world.
“Thanks for sharing your lives with us so generously.”
Gayford and Ardern first met at the Metro Restaurant Awards in 2012, and started dating a couple of years later after he approached the then-MP over a constituency issue.
In 2017, Ardern was elected leader of the Labour Party and became Prime Minister in October that year. Gayford became known as New Zealand’s “First Bloke” and soon after the election, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together.
They’re parents to daughter Neve Aroha Ardern-Gayford, who turns 5 this year.
The pair have been engaged since 2019 but their wedding plans have been delayed repeatedly by Covid-19 restrictions. However, when Ardern announced her resignation as Prime Minister in January this year, she hinted that a wedding was high on the couple’s priority list.
In her speech announcing her departure, she said she was looking forward to being there when her daughter Neve starts school, and to Gayford she said: “Let’s get married”.
Gayford later spoke out about the “most incredible outpouring of thanks and respect” he has ever witnessed since his partner resigned.
Gayford said he witnessed “spontaneous tears of strangers in airports” and staffers received an “unprecedented number of positive emails”.
“I’m still not sure how I managed to hitch a front row seat in all of this but I remain as always; in awe, in love, relieved, exhausted and so incredibly proud of Neve’s mum’s superhuman efforts,” Gayford said.
“First Bloke out.”
