Every Little Detail About Jen & Ben’s Amazing Wedding Weekend

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are married — again! After eloping in Las Vegas on July 17, 2022, the former “American Idol” judge and her Oscar-winning beau tied the knot again on the evening of August 20, as part of an extravagant three-day weekend with friends and family who were all dressed in white for the lavish wedding.

For days leading up to the event, reporters and paparazzi descended on the tiny town of Riceboro, Georgia, where Affleck owns an 87-acre compound on a small island. Heavy has been keeping tabs on all the developing details, from famous guests to entertainment to air-conditioned porta-potties. Here’s everything you need to know about the extravagant celebration.

Wedding Location: Affleck’s Renovated Georgia Property

It’s a good thing Affleck’s Georgia property, known as “The Big House” around Riceboro’s Hampton Island, didn’t sell when he put it on the market in 2018 with real estate brokers Engel & Volkers. According to Entertainment Tonight (ET), the actor purchased the 87-acre property in 2003, when he and Lopez first started dating and were even spotted driving around in a Chevy convertible used in the movie they filmed together, “Gigli.” Some say the couple had actually planned on marrying there during their first engagement.

Affleck held onto the secluded compound after they broke up in 2004 but after he found no buyers for it years later, he pulled it off the market in 2020, soon rekindled his romance with Lopez, and per ET, the couple renovated the plantation-style home and surrounding buildings.

Home & Gardens has shared gorgeous photographs inside the estate, which boasts 6,000 square feet of rustic elegance including pinewood flooring, massive arched fireplaces, and extra-high ceilings. A path leads from the main house’s rear veranda to the river, with a secluded “summer cottage” featuring another giant fireplace, and there’s also the “Oyster House,” which has three suites and five bedrooms featuring bunk beds salvaged from old ships.

According to Savannah news station WJCL, the property can only be accessed by boat, plane, or a secured entrance. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources received a marine event permit to provide waterway security all around Hampton Island to ensure privacy throughout the wedding weekend.

The Guest List: Who Attended & Who Didn’t

GettyAttendees of the Lopez-Affleck wedding weekend included officiant Jay Shetty, actor Matt Damon with wife Luciana Barroso, and wedding planner Colin Cowie

The Saturday evening wedding was officiated by celebrity life coach and podcaster Jay Shetty, according to Page Six. Lopez appeared on Shetty’s first episode of Coach Conversations in August 2021 to talk about purpose. During the interview, Lopez told him that she’s always striving for greatness.

“You have to try to be the greatest of all time,” she said. “You have to aim for that.”

So, it’s no surprise she hired Colin Cowie, whom Vogue considers to be one of the world’s greatest wedding planners, to coordinate and design much of the weekend’s festivities. On August 20, just hours before the ceremony, Cowie posted two photos to his Instagram Stories of over a dozen of his team members on-site, all dressed from head to toe in white.

“Nothing happens without this crew!” Cowie wrote. “Love this crew! Some of us have worked and collaborate for over 20 years!!!”

Celebrities who flew into Savannah for the special weekend, per People Magazine, included Affleck’s lifelong buddy Matt Damon with his wife Luciana Barroso, and Hollywood talent agent with his model/actress wife Pia Miller. Vanity Fair said Lopez’s longtime pal Leah Remini was also expected at the ceremony.

Prior to the ceremony, filmmaker Kevin Smith and his wife Jennifer posted a photo on Twitter with “Clerks” actor Jason Mewes and his wife Jordan, all dressed in white, and quipped, “This is as formal as I’ve been dressed since maybe my First Communion when I was 7.”

Most of the couple’s family was present, as well. In fact, Affleck’s mom was rushed by ambulance to the hospital on August 19, prior to the couple’s planned rehearsal dinner. The Daily Mail reported that the couple accompanied her after she fell off a dock at the home and needed stitches on her leg.

The couple’s kids were also part of the festivities. On August 18, E! Online reported that they were photographed with their parents shopping in Savannah. Lopez shares 14-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony, while Ben shares kids Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and 10-year-old Samuel with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner. Hollywood Life reported that Garner was invited to the nuptials and wished the couple well, but is hard at work on a project in Texas.

The one mystery that remained just prior to the ceremony was regarding Affleck’s brother, Casey, who had been expected to attend given their close relationship over the years. However, TMZ filmed the younger Affleck in Los Angeles the morning of the ceremony, unable to give a clear answer about why he wasn’t in Georgia. After the ceremony, People Magazine reported that his absence was due to “parental obligations; he shares sons Indiana, 18, and 14-year-old Atticus with ex-wife Summer Phoenix.

The All-Star Touches: Lopez & Affleck Took Good Care of Their Guests

GettyFireworks

The newlyweds pulled out all the stops to make sure their guests had a great time and felt well cared for during the wedding weekend. For instance, a source told Entertainment Tonight that as guests checked in at the Penny Lane Hotel, they received straw totes with the initials “JB” and goodies inside.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported that an air-conditioned porta-potty was placed at the wedding site, which looked like a white RV with stairs leading up to each door. White tents were set up nearby for handing out beverages and other necessities for guests.

Eyewitnesses told ET that guests gathered at Savannah’s Penny Lane Hotel, a luxury hotel in downtown Savannah, to be transported to the wedding in adorable white trolleys. Guests had to provide their IDs to board and again upon arriving at the wedding.

The ceremony took place in an outdoor chapel was created with greens and white flowers cascading over the beams of an open-air marquee, under which the guests were all seated in white chairs. A white grand piano was placed on a small stage by the altar.

To celebrate saying “I Do” for the second time, Page Six said the couple had a barge floating in the river just beyond the compound, loaded up with fireworks to go off after sunset. Live music was also planned, with tables and chairs set up under a waterside gazebo, including two plush, pink chairs for the bride and groom near the end of the dock. On Sunday, August 21, the couple planned to host a barbecue for guests to wrap up the luxurious wedding weekend.

No honeymoon plans have been released, but the couple did spend time in Europe with their children following their first wedding in July.