Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, has married her long-term partner Clarke Gayford in a small private ceremony in Hawke’s Bay.
Following a nearly five-year engagement, the wedding had been a long time coming as the couple had originally planned to marry in 2022 but postponed it due to the country’s Covid restrictions at the time.
“13.01.24 ❤️ Worth the wait. 📷”, Ardern wrote on Instagram, next to a stunning wedding photo of herself and Gayford at Craggy Range vineyard.
Ardern wore a fitted ivory sleeveless, cowl-neck halter gown with a high neckline and low back by New Zealand fashion designer, Juliette Hogan – who is reportedly a close friend of Ardern. Her shoes were from Mount Maunganui designer Chaos and Harmony, the New Zealand Herald reports.
The couple’s daughter, Neve, walked down the aisle with her father, wearing a dress made from Ardern’s mother’s wedding dress.
Details of the event were kept private, but it’s believed only family and close friends, as well as a handful of Ardern’s former political colleagues were invited. Among them were Ardern’s successor and former prime minister Chris Hipkins.
During her emotional remarks to reports when she resigned as prime minister in January 2023, she had said, “To Clarke, let’s finally get married”.
Ardern’s resignation shocked many as she stepped down after five-and-a-half years as prime minister, citing burnout by saying she did not have “enough in the tank”.
“It’s about knowing when you’ve got what it takes and what is needed to lead, but also have the courage to know when you don’t,” she said.
During her time as PM, her leadership style earned international recognition for navigating the country through a number of crises, including the Covid-pandemic, a horrific mass shooting in Christchurch and the White Island volcano eruption.
One year since departing politics
After stepping down from Prime Minister, a job she called ‘the greatest role of my life’, Ardern has been continuing her advocacy work and enjoying more family time.
In April 2023, she was appointed a trustee of the Prince of Wales’ environment award, the Earthshot Prize, which was created by Prince William to fund projects that aim to save the planet.
Ardern said since Earthshot’s creation she had believed in the prize’s “power to encourage and spread not only the innovation we desperately need, but also optimism”.
Since resigning as PM, she’s also temporarily joined Harvard University after being appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. And she’s taken an unpaid role in combating online extremism.
In June 2023, Ardern was made a Dame Grand Companion for her leadership through a mass shooting and pandemic. This title is one of NZ’s highest honours.
That same month, Ardern also announced she’d be writing a book on being ‘your own kind of leader’. There’s much anticipation for the book as she’s promised to expand on her unique style of leadership.
Since departing parliament, Ardern has kept a low profile on political matters but has shared a bit of her life on social media, noting her precious time spent with family.
In an adorable birthday post on Instagram last July, she wrote: “Can’t remember the last time I had a birthday that was quite as normal as this one. Tea and toast in bed, work, and dinner with my loves. Feeling very lucky today…and just a little older. ❤️❤️❤️”