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Ardern, 43, and Gayford, 47, got engaged in May 2019 and were
meant to be married in early 2022, but the ceremony was
cancelled due to her “go hard, go early” approach to the
pandemic, which allowed New Zealand to keep deaths from the
virus low.
She became a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in
leadership as prime minister from 2017 to January last year.
Ardern, one of just two women to have a baby as national
leaders, took her daughter to a United Nations meeting.
The wedding took place in Hawke's Bay at Craggy Range Winery on
the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, about 310 km (190
miles) north of the capital Wellington, an Ardern spokesperson
said by email.
Official photos showed a smiling Ardern wearing a white halter
neck dress, while Gayford wore a black suit. They tied the knot
in front of some 50 to 75 guests, news site Stuff reported.
Among the guests was Ardern's successor as prime minister Chris
Hipkins, the current opposition leader, the New Zealand Herald
said.
Hawke’s Bay is home to a number of internationally known
wineries and is an important horticultural area.
Ardern for the past six month has been undertaking three
fellowships at Harvard University.
She is a trustee of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize and a
special envoy for the Christchurch Call - a network seeking to
"eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online". It
was set up after a massacre targeting Muslims, for which
Ardern's sympathetic response won applause.
In her final speech in parliament, Ardern told Gayford, a New
Zealand television presenter, "Let’s finally get married.” The
couple's daughter Neve, is five years old.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington and Sam McKeith in
Sydney; Editing by William Mallard)
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