Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern married partner Clarke Gayford in a ceremony at Craggy Range in Hawke's Bay.
Video / NZHerald
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins is due to begin the year in opposition hot on the heels of attending his predecessor’s lavish wedding over the weekend.
Hipkins was among the many famous faces at Dame Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford’s Hawke’s Bay wedding over the weekend.
The former Prime Minister spoke to Newstalk ZB this morning, saying the wedding was “lovely”.
Chris Hipkins and Toni Grace seen leaving their motel the day after Jacinda Ardern's wedding. Photo / George Heard
“Aside from a few hiccups along the way, they got the opportunity to enjoy their wedding in relative peace and privacy and I think that’s a lovely thing,” Hipkins said.
A car doing a burnout across the river from the wedding venue was photographed by a Hawke’s Bay Today photographer at the time the vows were being exchanged and a small group of anti-vax protesters were spoken to by police earlier in the day.
A burnout was pulled over the other side of the Tukituki River from Craggy Range, just as Dame Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford wed. Photo / Connull Lang
Ardern and her TV host partner of almost 10 years began married life at the exclusive Craggy Range winery on the outskirts of Havelock North, where they exchanged vows before a reception full of laughter, cheering and dancing.
Hipkins looked relaxed and tanned, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and sunglasses, as he was leaving the Village Motel in Havelock North with partner Toni Grace.
He earlier told the Herald that the event was “lovely” and that he had also taken advantage of the opportunity to indulge in more than a few of his beloved sausage rolls - paua and snapper this time - while at the wedding.
Paua and snapper sausage roll on the menu at Ardern and Gayford's wedding. Photo / Instagram, Tane Tomoana
Ardern gave a five-minute wedding speech, including nods to friends, close colleagues and family, some of whom had twice travelled great distances to be there for the occassion.
She gave a special shout-out to Craggy Range and head chef Casey McDonald, who was just about to serve up the main course, before spending roughly a minute talking about her “best friend” and now husband.
The wedding was officiated by the couple’s friend and former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson.
The couple are now heading away on a family holiday.
The former PM also wore a long tulle veil, which was clipped into a chignon up-do, created by hairdresser Tane Tomoana who has previously worked on looks for Ardern.
Two buses - including one featuring Hipkins and Grace, former speaker of the House and ex-veteran MP Sir Trevor Mallard and former minister Megan Woods - took some guests to the wedding.
Musicians Marlon Williams, Hollie Smith (Gayford’s ex-partner) and MC Tali were also spotted among guests.
Other political guests included former minister Kelvin Davis, former MP Dame Annette King and fellow former MP Darren Hughes. Ardern’s former press secretary Andrew Campbell also attended.
