Entertainment
Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford Set to Tie the Knot After a Long Wait
After a nearly five-year engagement and a postponement due to the global pandemic, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford are finally getting married. The wedding ceremony is set to take place at a venue in Hawke’s Bay on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
Although specific details about the wedding are being kept under wraps, it is expected to be an intimate affair with close family, a few friends, and some politicians in attendance. The preparations for the big day are well underway, with staff setting up a large tent in the vineyard where the reception will likely be held.
The wedding venue gates have been closed to the public, and security guards have been posted on the grounds to ensure privacy. Excited onlookers have been stopping outside the venue to catch a glimpse of the preparations, which include long wooden tables and chairs being arranged.
Several notable figures are expected to be present at the wedding, including former New Zealand finance minister Grant Robertson, former Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard, and Ardern’s successor and former prime minister Chris Hipkins.
The weather is cooperating for the special occasion, with temperatures expected to reach nearly 30 degrees Celsius. This wedding has been a long time coming for Ardern and Gayford, as their previous plans were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ardern and Gayford first met in 2012 at an awards event where Ardern was a guest of New Zealand model and TV personality Colin Mathura-Jeffree. Ardern announced her pregnancy shortly after becoming prime minister in 2017, and she gave birth to their daughter, Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, in 2018.
The couple got engaged in May 2019, and their wedding plans were initially set for the summer of 2022. However, due to gathering restrictions imposed by the government in response to the Omicron variant, they had to postpone their wedding.
Ardern, who was also the prime minister at the time, gracefully accepted the disruption and expressed empathy for others who faced similar challenges during the pandemic. She emphasized the resilience of the New Zealand people and the importance of protecting one another.
