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Ryan Stokes and his groomsmen board a boat for his wedding on Garden Island.Credit:Janie Barrett

Those blistering temperatures ensured Stokes and his groomsmen –including as best man his"good friend",Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg – maintained the pre-wedding tradition of a good sweat under their white bow ties as they waited for the bridal party to arrive.

But the wait was worth it. Stokes'stunning bride appeared ethereal and incongruously cool,calm and collected in her traditional,couture wedding gown.

Claire Campbell and Seven Group Holdings chief Ryan Stokes.

The pair became engaged on a West Australian beach in June after Campbell was reportedly"given the stamp of approval"by Stokes'father. The engagement came six months after the pair first went public with their relationship by appearing at the Prime Minister's Christmas drinks party on the lawns of Kirribilli last December.

Stokes had previously dated bikini model Laura Weston for four years,and made headlines before that when his relationship to the actorJodi Gordon came to an abrupt and very public end after she went"missing"for a night in Kings Cross in 2009,turning up in the company of Sydney underworld figure Mark Judge.

But those relationships were far from Stokes'mind yesterday as he and his groomsmen left his multi-million-dollar Dawes Point apartment at around 1.45pm aboard a luxury cruiser that ferried them across a busy harbour to Garden Island amid a flotilla of Christmas party boats and tourists whizzing about aboard jet craft.

A larger chartered boat carried the 200 wedding guests. The mini-cruise ship,festooned in white balloons,also had a bag piper playing as the rear deck of the vessel as it carved its way across the choppy harbour waters to the working naval base,which had been closed to the public for the wedding.

Ryan Stokes and his groomsmen leave his apartment in Walsh Bay to board a boat for his wedding.Credit:Janie Barrett

Over the past week workers had feverishly built a marquee,erected adjacent to Garden Island's Heritage Centre,which had been filled with crystal chandeliers and huge vases filled with fresh flowers. A stage had been erected for a band to perform following the late afternoon service inside the nearby historic Naval Chapel as the afternoon sun streamed though its magnificent stained glass windows.

Ryan Stokes,who recently turned 40,is the heir apparent to Kerry Stokes'vast media and industrial empire,which includes the Seven Media Group. He has a younger brother Bryant. It is unclear if his half-siblings – two older children named Russell and Raelene whom Kerry Stokes fathered during his first marriage in the 1960s,but who have long been estranged from the billionaire – attended the wedding.

On Saturday,part two of the wedding extravaganza is set to take place at Stokes senior's historic Sydney home Glanworth,which is arguably one of the best harbourfront homes in the city,affording unrivalled views across the harbour and lavished with a multi-million-dollar renovation and expansion program under Stokes'watchful eye.

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