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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Celebrate First Anniversary After Vegas Wedding

  • By Ivy Griffith
  • Jul 16, 23

There’s nothing quite like tying the knot in Las Vegas. And it would seem that superstar duo Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck agree. Because one year ago, they finally did the thing their fans have been waiting for ever since Gigli; they got married in Vegas.

It may be unbelievable that a whole year has passed since the lovebirds said, “I do!” but they’re celebrating their one-year anniversary on July 16.  

In honor of their exciting one-year milestone, let’s take a look back at their relationship, and their picturesque wedding in the hub of love: Las Vegas. 

A Look Back At Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck’s Love: Timeline

Two decades ago, the love story for the ages that would be Bennifer was just in its infancy. Looking back at how their love evolved is like taking a walk through a romance novel, but in real life.

It all started in 2002. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck met on the set of Gigli, which hit theaters the following year. When they first met, Jennifer was married to her second husband, Cris Judd.

Jennifer and Cris divorced in 2003. Shortly after the divorce was finalized, Jennifer and Ben went public with their relationship. In 2016, J-Lo looked back on their relationship in a People interview and mused, “I really felt like when I met Ben, ‘Okay, this is it.’” The duo went from just starting out to the hottest thing in Hollywood nearly overnight. They were also the first couple to receive a hybrid couple name: Bennifer. 

A Tumultuous Journey

In November of 2002, Ben proposed to Jennifer and they were engaged for the first time. At the time, Jennifer called the proposal, “traditional” but in a “spectacular way.”  Jennifer said people doubted their love, but pointed out to haters that the two shared similar upbringings so they did have their histories in common.

2003 year became the year of the paparazzi frenzy for Bennifer. They were hounded everywhere they went. A retrospective Jennifer said in that 2016 interview that they never tried to have a public relationship. They happened to fall in love at the birth of the mega-tabloid era. 

Days before they were set to take to the altar in September 2003, Jennifer and Ben announced in a statement that they were postponing the wedding. They cited media furor for why they were pressing pause. The statement read in part, “Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date.” The couple added, “When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate ‘decoy brides’ at three different locations, we realized that something was awry.”

Unfortunately, the postponing of the wedding was just the beginning of the end. By January 2004, Bennifer was no more. The couple called it quits after an attempt to patch things up, and they placed much of the blame on media pressure. 

For the next sixteen years, the dynamic duo stayed friends. But in secret, they both nursed a flame for the other, a flame which would again be set alight in 2021.

From Back Together To ‘I Do’ 

In April 2021, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were officially linked to one another again. They were pictured out and about in Los Angeles, and spotted together in Montana. It was clear that the embers that had been burning low were catching fire again.

They went public officially with their rekindled relationship in July 2021. In honor of her 52nd birthday, Jennifer shared snaps of the two together. The last photo in the series showed the couple kissing, and it marked the first time they have ever personally posted about one another on social media. By September of that year, they were walking red carpets together and the world knew that the force that is Bennifer was back.

In April 2022, nearly twenty years after they were first engaged, Ben proposed to Jennifer again. Jennifer broke the news in her On The JLo newsletter, telling fans, “I have a really exciting and special story to share…” The Jenny From the Block singer then updated her Twitter bio with a diamond ring emoji. 

In July of 2022, they finally made it to the altar. It took twenty years and a long pause, but they finally made it to their happily ever after together. And it was a beautiful day.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Tie the Knot in Las Vegas

The couple’s fairytale wedding came together on July 16, 2022. They took a trip to Sin City to make it official. Jennifer referred to the wedding as “the best night ever” and said the couple’s children were “the best witnesses.”

In the next On The JLO newsletter, Jennifer shared news of their nuptials; “Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient. Exactly what we wanted. Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a license with four other couples, all making the same journey to the wedding capital of the world.”

The ceremony took place at the Little White Wedding Chapel just ahead of midnight. Jennifer explains that the venue was “gracious enough” to stay open for a few extra minutes to allow the last-minute lovers their midnight vow exchanges. 

For the wedding, J-Lo wore two dresses. On their way to the venue, Jennifer wore a vintage white, strapless boatneck gown with an A-line quilted skirt. It’s a dress she’s had “for so many years” and she always wanted to wear on her wedding day. For the ceremony, Jennifer changed into a Zuhair Murad Bridal Couture collection gown. This gown was a white, off-the-shoulder look with long sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, corset bodice and fanciful fishtail train. Ben wore a white tuxedo, to complement his wife-to-be’s simple palette. Their wedding bands are simple, thick silver bands with no frills. 

On social media, Jennifer described the wedding in flowery terms: “So with the best witnesses you could ever imagine, a dress from an old movie and a jacket from Ben’s closet, we read our own vows in the little chapel and gave one another the rings we’ll wear for the rest of our lives.” 

The chapel put music on the Bluetooth, they exchanged vows, and Bennifer became man and wife forever.

It was exactly the kind of Las Vegas wedding that dreams are made of.

A big happy first anniversary to the lovely couple, and best wishes for a long and happy marriage ahead!

Wedding Day

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