Hide's exciting new coalition

Rodney Hide and Louise Crome on their wedding day. Photo / Herald on Sunday.

For Rodney Hide, it was the year's least complicated coalition. "I'm not nervous - I'm really excited," said the Act leader, shortly before marrying former squash player Louise Crome.

The couple were wed on the beach at Pauanui, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, with son Zach as best man and New Zealand's grumpiest man - Graham Henry - looking on. Henry smiled. Briefly.

The wedding brought to a close a difficult year for Hide, who has faced challenges to his leadership of the Act Party while overseeing the creation of the Auckland Supercity. And it is the latest step in a remarkable transformation that followed his appearance on Dancing With The Stars. The dancing led to weight loss, swimming and weightlifting.

The next step is fatherhood - again. For one of Parliament's most bullet-headed men, yesterday was a shotgun wedding. The emerging bump couldn't be missed. The couple are expecting a baby girl in March.

Wedding guests stayed in a series of Pauanui homes this weekend. Hide and Crome will honeymoon in Bali in the New Year.