Here’s Why Jennifer Lopez Wore Not Just One, But Three Wedding Dresses

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck tied the knot for the second time this year on August 20, twenty years after their first engagement. Lopez and Affleck, who first tied the knot in a surprise Las Vegas chapel ceremony on July 16, exchanged vows again, this time in front of family and friends at Affleck’s lavish estate in Riceboro, Georgia, on the Hampton Island preserve outside of Savannah.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck had a larger, more elaborate wedding celebration than their previous, more low-key Las Vegas ceremony, complete with the singer wearing three stunning bridal outfits designed by Ralph Lauren and more than $2 million in diamonds.

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To Walk Down The Isle

While paparazzi photographs of Lopez’s wedding veil and train already existed, a new Ralph Lauren film and an updated issue of her fan newsletter, On the JLo, give an exclusive glimpse into the making of her three stunning bridal gowns.

Moreover, Vogue published the first official portrait of Jennifer Lopez in her wedding gown three days after Jen and Ben’s gorgeous wedding. Photos posted on Tuesday, August 23 by Vogue show that J.Lo and her new husband, Ben Affleck, engaged the services of Colin Cowie Lifestyle to make their wedding weekend vision a reality. A dinner rehearsal was held on Friday to kick off the weekend.

The fashion publication reported that Lopez’s wedding dress was a one-of-a-kind Ralph Lauren creation. As stated in the article, Ralph Lauren has long been one of Jennifer Lopez’s favorite designers. The singer’s bridal gown was a modern take on the designer’s timeless turtleneck column dress. According to Ralph Lauren’s press release, the voluminous, feminine skirt was made by hand from over 1,000 handkerchiefs, and 500 meters of cloth cut into ruffles and connected.

A ruffle cascaded down the back of the turtleneck and across the shoulder, embedded within the sleeve. The drama was upped many notches with the veil’s cathedral length. The bride accessorized her gown with approximately $100,000 worth of Mikimoto jewelry, including a pair of floral-shaped diamond earrings and matching pearl and diamond studs.

The 45-minute service was held on the lawn overlooking the North Newport River in a makeshift chapel constructed of white metal. Jenevieve Peralta Floral Design and Tulips & Twigs used delphiniums to adorn the building and delphinium arches to guide guests down the aisle.

To Drink And Dine At The Reception

Following the wedding, guests mingled at a cocktail reception at the house before adjourning to the barn for supper prepared by chef Bruce Moffett and served by Cru Catering.

Lopez, 53, changed into a gown symbolic of a chandelier and encrusted with thousands of pearls for the reception. A total of thirty skilled artisans invested 700 hours in hand-embroidering the garment with silk tulle micro-pleats, small pearl embellishments, and Swarovski crystals.

The Wedding Planner actress also switched out the Mikimoto pearl drop earrings she wore to the ceremony for a pair of $85,000 pearl and diamond studs.

To Dance The Night Away

Fireworks, a dance party hosted by DJ Dubz, and a cake baked by Minette Rushing Custom Cakes rounded off the evening. At the celebrations’ end, the singer changed into a chic mermaid-style gown with a keyhole decorated with Swarovski crystals and a full skirt topped with a hood-like organza overlay. For her ears, Lopez wore a set of $2 million diamond studs designed by Samer Halimeh that weighed a total of 27 carats.

Lopez wed Affleck, 50, in a low-key Las Vegas ceremony in July. She wore two dresses, one a lacey off-the-shoulder Zuhair Murad design “from an old movie,” and the other a sleeveless Alexander McQueen creation. The Alexander McQueen pieces included a jewel neckline, a corseted bodice, and a gathered long skirt made of textural flowery jacquard fabric.

According to a video posted to Lopez’s On the JLo email, she stated of her wedding dress, “I’ve had this dress for so many years and I’ve just been saving it, saving it, saving it, and now I’m wearing it on my wedding day.”

So, J.Lo wore a total of five bridal gowns when she wed Ben, including two for their hasty Las Vegas ceremony.

Related: Ben Affleck And Jennifer Lopez’s Over The Top Wedding And Other Celebrities Who Went All Out For Their Nuptials

The Groom, The Kids, And The Guests

The groom, like he was in the Little White Chapel when they were first married, wore a white Ralph Lauren Couture tuxedo jacket, black pants, and a black bow tie, while J.Lo’s twins and the groom’s three children also wore white Ralph Lauren Couture ensembles.

16-year-old Violet Affleck wore a beautiful ballgown, while her 13-year-old sister Seraphina and 10-year-old brother Samuel wore suits and tuxedos, like Lopez’s 14-year-old twins Max and Emme.

The A-listers who attended Bennifer’s party dressed all in white to match the Saturday wedding theme, which was the second of three events that weekend (the others being a welcome party on Friday and a BBQ on Sunday).