Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck celebrated their marriage on Saturday, August 20, in front of family and friends at their home in Riceboro, Georgia, on the Hampton Island preserve outside of Savannah. Jennifer had a very specific vision for all of the events throughout the course of their wedding weekend, and to help bring it to life, the two enlisted Colin Cowie of Colin Cowie Lifestyle to oversee all the details. The weekend kicked off with a rehearsal dinner on Friday night.
The bride wore custom Ralph Lauren Collection to walk down the aisle. Ralph Lauren has always been a go-to designer for the Marry Me actor. The wedding gown she wore during the ceremony was the first of three Ralph Lauren dresses that comprised her lineup of looks for the evening. More than 1,000 handkerchiefs and 500 meters of fabric were cut into ruffles to make an ethereal version of Ralph Lauren’s classic turtleneck column dress. The ruffles were then attached by hand, creating a voluminous, romantic skirt. The sleeve was inset with a cascading ruffle, draped from the back of the turtleneck to the shoulder. A cathedral-length veil added an additional layer of drama.
The groom complemented his bride’s look in a classic Ralph Lauren Couture white tuxedo jacket, black trousers, and a black bow tie. All five children were also in Ralph Lauren looks.
The 45-minute ceremony took place under the white metal framework of a church, created specifically for the occasion in the back garden overlooking the North Newport River. The structure was decorated with delphiniums, and arches of the same flower—created by Jenevieve Peralta Floral Design and Tulips & Twigs—anchored the walkway down the aisle.
Life coach and author Jay Shetty presided over the ceremony. (He also officiated actor Lily Collins and director Charlie McDowell’s nuptials last year.)
After the ceremony, family and friends—all wearing white—gathered for a cocktail reception at the home before making their way to the barn for the dinner, which was overseen by chef Bruce Moffett and Cru Catering. The night’s festivities were topped off with cake by Minette Rushing Custom Cakes, a dance party led by DJ Dubz, and a fireworks display. Jennifer later wore two additional dresses by Ralph Lauren, one featuring cascading strings of pearls and the other with a mermaid silhouette and Swarovski-crystal-embellished keyhole neckline.
Following the ceremony on Saturday, guests returned on Sunday to toast the newlyweds at a brunch.
The couple’s wedding marks the culmination of a love story that spans more than 20 years. The two met in 2001 while filming the movie Gigli. In November of 2002, Ben proposed with a 6.1-carat pink solitaire diamond from Harry Winston. But the day before the September 2003 ceremony, the couple announced they had decided to postpone their wedding due to the excessive media attention. “When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized something was awry,” the couple said in a joint statement at the time. “We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families, and our friends.”
The two officially separated in January of 2004. Jennifer went on to wed Marc Anthony and have twins, Max and Emme, and Ben married Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children. When those relationships ended, they went on to date others—but eventually they returned to each other in April of 2021.
A year later, after she was seen wearing a rare bright green square-shaped natural diamond flanked by white trapezoid diamonds, Jennifer confirmed that she was engaged to Ben for a second time, and the two surprised fans yet again when they tied the knot at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas in June.
“Stick around long enough and maybe you’ll find the best moment of your life in a drive though in Las Vegas at twelve thirty in the morning in the tunnel of love drive through, with your kids and the one you’ll spend forever with,” Jennifer wrote in her On the JLo newsletter. “Love is a great thing, maybe the best of things—and worth waiting for.”
To see more of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s wedding—including a look at the bride’s two additional Ralph Lauren dresses—go to onthejlo.com.
This story was originally published on Vogue.com.
