{"id":41339,"date":"2026-04-04T23:01:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T23:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41339"},"modified":"2026-04-04T23:01:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T23:01:35","slug":"hugh-hefners-widow-crystal-harris-marries-james-ward-in-romantic-island-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=41339","title":{"rendered":"Hugh Hefner\u2019s widow, Crystal Harris, marries James Ward in romantic island ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Congratulations are in order for Crystal Harris and her now-husband, James Ward. <\/p>\n<p>The former Playboy model, 39 \u2014 who was previously <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/01\/24\/celebrity-news\/hugh-hefner-was-bad-in-bed-widow-crystal-says-teenage-boys-are-savvy\/\">married to Hugh Hefner for five years<\/a> until his 2017 death \u2014 eloped with Ward, 42, on Thursday in a romantic island ceremony held on Aitutaki, one of the Cook Islands. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe chose the Cook Islands because of how remote it is,\u201d Harris <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/hugh-hefner-widow-crystal-harris-marries-james-ward-wedding-exclusive-11934442\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told People Magazine<\/a> in an interview posted on Saturday.  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Crystal Harris and James Ward, both pictured above, tied the knot on April 2 after two years of dating.  <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The couple married in a romantic island ceremony on Aitutaki, one of the Cook Islands. <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThere are no big chain hotels, which makes it feel incredibly peaceful and authentic. It\u2019s also home to one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world. Since James and I both love the ocean and nature it felt like the perfect place for us to start this chapter of our lives,\u201d she continued. <\/p>\n<p>The couple worked with wedding coordinator Sandi Brown, who helped them plan their \u201creally peaceful\u201d ceremony that was \u201csimple, elegant, and ocean-inspired.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause the wedding is small, it allowed us to focus on the meaningful details rather than managing a large event,\u201d Harris added. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t want a huge production. We wanted something quiet and personal where we could really be present with each other and the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cWe didn\u2019t want a huge production. We wanted something quiet and personal,\u201d Harris, pictured above with Ward, said of the ceremony.  <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>She wore a white fitted long-sleeved lace dress decorated with over 5,400 Swarovski crystals for the ceremony.  <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Page Six Daily\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The model walked down the aisle in the \u201cMargo\u201d gown by Oksana Mukha. The white fitted long-sleeved lace dress featured over 5,400 Swarovski crystals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey had sent me a message and when I saw the dress I instantly fell in love with it,\u201d Harris told the outlet. \u201cIt reminded me of a Disney princess dress \u2014 romantic, timeless, and very feminine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ward couldn\u2019t help but gush over his new bride as he told the outlet all of the things he loved about Harris. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCrystal\u2019s heart, specifically for me and all non-human living things, is a thing to behold. All creatures, great and small are bestowed a generosity and kindness, the likes of which I\u2019ve never seen. She\u2019s the classiest, brainiest, most adventure-seeking partner I could have ever hoped to find. My life is now better in every way, and I feel like the luckiest guy alive that I get to spend my life with her,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>\u201cThey had sent me a message and when I saw the dress I instantly fell in love with it,\u201d Harris said of the gown.  <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ward raved over his new bride saying he fell in love with her \u201cheart.\u201d  <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ward <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2025\/05\/02\/celebrity-news\/hugh-hefners-widow-crystal-hefner-engaged-to-james-ward\/\">asked for Harris\u2019 hand in marriage<\/a> in April 2025 after a year of dating with an impressive six-carat, mine-cut diamond set at her Hawaii home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt truly feels like a full-circle moment. James completely surprised me. He had a hidden staircase and a winding trail cleared to reveal a handcrafted deck perched above a dramatic cliffside overlooking the ocean,\u201d Harris told Us Weekly of the engagement at the time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the exact spot where we\u2019d had a quiet picnic together a year ago \u2014 a place that became \u2018ours.\u2019 I had no idea he was secretly turning it into something permanent and symbolic,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The couple became engaged in April 2025 after one year of dating.  <span class=\"credit\">Instagram\/Crystal Harris<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Harris was previously married to Hugh Hefner (seen above at the Playboy Mansion\u2019s Annual Halloween Bash in Oct. 2014) for five years until his death in 2017.  <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for Playboy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The couple was first introduced by mutual friends. In September 2024, Harris <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/09\/18\/celebrity-news\/hugh-hefner-widow-crystal-gushes-over-new-boyfriend\/\">raved over her partner<\/a>, claiming her feelings are \u201cvalued\u201d and \u201cvalidated\u201d with Ward, unlike in previous relationships. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m nurturing the real me, my adventurous spirit, my inner child,\u201d she said of her current romance. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve become the person I always needed when I was growing up. I feel accepted and more myself than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/04\/04\/celebrity-news\/hugh-hefners-widow-crystal-harris-marries-james-ward-in-romantic-island-ceremony\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Congratulations are in order for Crystal Harris and her now-husband, James Ward. The former Playboy model, 39 \u2014 who was previously married to Hugh Hefner for&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interests"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}