Beauden Barrett and Hannah Laity tie the knot today. Photo / Instagram
Beauden Barrett and Hannah Laity tie the knot today. Photo / Instagram
6pm: Social media reacts
3 hours 39 minutes waiting online to buy tickets for #RWC2019 and I’m now 44,612 in line. Meanwhile #BeaudenBarrett is spending this afternoon getting married. Guess he doesn’t need to buy tickets for some reason.
3pm: Locals predict location of the exclusive wedding
A local who works part-time at a gift shop on Waiheke Island told the Herald that she had heard rumours of the wedding being held somewhere onthe Island and predicted Mudbrick Vineyard as the location.
Another local said if she could pick any place on the Island for her dream wedding, it would be in Orapiu.
"There's a lot of beautiful places here and I'd like it to be quite private, so probably out Orapiu way," she said.
12.40pm: All Black stars en route to Barrett wedding
All-star guests invited to the exclusive wedding are believed to now be on their way to Waiheke Island, where the ceremony will likely be held.
Close friend of the bride and groom, Makere Gibbons, posted a video en route to the highly-anticipated wedding with husband Kurt, after being snapped with All Black fullback Israel Dagg and his wife Daisy.
But getting ready for the wedding of the year wasn't smooth sailing for Gibbons, who posted an earlier photo where she held her hand over her shirt with the caption "yes that hand is hiding baby spew!"
Makere Gibbons posted the funny snap to her Instagram story. Photo / Instagram
Photo / Instagram
11.30am: WAGS get ready
Wedding guest Daisy Dagg posted a selfie to her Instagram story all glammed up with the caption "wedding ready" ahead of today's ceremony.
Daisy Dagg ready for the wedding. Photo / Instagram
Earlier, All Black Julian Savea's wife, Fatima Savea, posted a story to her Instagram account at Servilles in Takapuna getting her hair done.
Fatima Savea having her hair done before the wedding. Photo / Instagram
10:30am: All Blacks spotted en route
All Black Sam Whitelock was spotted at Franco's Panetteria in Ostend before heading off to the Waiheke Ostend Market.
Earlier, Sir Peter Leitch posted pictures on Instagram from a morning kayak around Waiheke with the wedding guest.
Sam Whitelock spotted at Franco's Panetteria on the morning of the Barrett wedding.
And after quite the lead-up, the wedding of the year is almost here.
All Black star Beauden Barrett is set to tie the knot with bride-to-be Hannah Laity in Auckland today after announcing their engagement last year.
It's been a busy few months for the famous couple who attended the wedding of Hurricanes' teammate Ben May to Kirstie Trolove, north of Wellington just before the new year.
They then jetted over to Fiji, where Barrett popped the question last January, to spend time with friends on Denarau Island.
Last week, the couple retreated to different parts of the North Island to enjoy their respective stag and hen's parties.
Chartered accountant Laity rounded up a party of 17 girlfriends to adventure to Waiheke Island's Tantalus Estate Vineyard - a possible venue for the wedding - while Barrett enjoyed a leisurely, low-key family affair at a lawn bowls club in Taranaki.
With 46,000 followers on Instagram, Laity is a growing influence on social media - and has gained over 10,000 followers since their engagement one year ago.
Website LinkedIn lists her as a senior associate with PwC New Zealand in Wellington, but since meeting Barrett she has become a influencer on her social media.
Beauden Barrett and Hannah Laity had very different bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Hannah Laity chose a glamorous white dress for her hens party on Waiheke Island today. Photo / Instagram
Last weekend, the couple attended the ASB Classic women's final where they were greeted by pre-wedding well-wishers in the lobby of the So Hotel after the Men's Players' Party at Rooftop bar.
The next day, along with fellow All Black Damian McKenzie, the couple were hosted in the Moet & Chandon Box at the tennis where they had some pouring practice against Spanish tennis star Pablo Carreno Busta in the Moet & Chandon Racquet Club.
As Barrett is a friend of the brand, there is no doubt he and his new wife's guests will be enjoying quite a generous supply of champagne tomorrow evening.
As the festivities continued yesterday, Barrett joined Kiwi US Open winner Michael Campbell and friends for a round of golf at the exclusive Kauri Cliffs golf course in the Bay of Islands.
The All Black first-five helicoptered to the course in the afternoon with Campbell, Wellington property developer Kurt Gibbons, and billionaire Graeme Hart's son Harry Hart before finishing off the day on Hart's superyacht.
Beauden Barrett and Kurt Gibbons at the Kauri Cliffs golf course. Photo / Instagram
Beauden Barrett with golfing mates from Kurt Gibbons, Harry Hart, Michael Campbell and Tim McGoldrick. Photo / Instagram
Laity also enjoyed a pre-wedding get-together with friends and family, posting photos to Instagram last night of her and close friends enjoying a glass of champagne.
"Last night my amazing godfather hosted some pre wedding drinks, it was a great opportunity for my parents to catch up with some of their friends who we weren't able to invite to the wedding and for guests to mingle before the big day!" she wrote.
Throughout the week Laity has been keeping up her fitness and beauty appointments and it looks like Barrett will be in peak physical shape too. Meanwhile, expected wedding guests Israel and Daisy Dagg arrived in Auckland yesterday afternoon.
