Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Started Their Wedding Ceremony With a Mindfulness Practice

From their tree-lined ceremony to their firework send-off, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s second wedding in Georgia, which took place in August of 2022, was one for the books. In addition to their star-studded guest list, the celebrity couple even tapped lifestyle guru and former monk Jay Shetty to officiate their vow exchange, which took place a month after they eloped to Las Vegas. In an interview with Telegraph, the podcaster opened up about his role in the wedding. “That was one of the most surreal experiences of my entire life,” he tells the outlet. 

The On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast host also revealed the nontraditional way Lopez and Affleck began their ceremony. “The ceremony was mindfulness- and meditation-inspired,” he says. “It began with a mindfulness practice to help everybody be truly present and bring their best energy to the space to really celebrate love.”

In order to guide the ceremony in a way that truly captured the Shotgun Wedding actress and Deep Water actor’s relationship, the Think Link a Monk author spent weeks preparing for the big day to better understand the duo. “My approach was to really listen to the couple, to really understand what they want—what energy they want—to really understand their story,” he explains. “I mean through them, with them, in a deep and personal way. I kind of see myself connected to anyone [I’m officiating]. To me, this is usually weeks of meditation and preparation, not just for what I’m going to say, but the space I’m going to hold internally.”

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in September of 2022, Shetty shared how he graciously accepted the role as their officiant. “I can tell you it is an honor,” he expressed. “It was absolutely beautiful, and I’m gonna let them share more, but it was truly special. It’s beautiful to celebrate love.” After meeting a few years ago, Shetty and Lopez formed a connection that continued to develop. “She’s just been absolutely phenomenal," he gushes. "We’ve collaborated a bunch of times, and I got to meet Ben through the process, which has been wonderful."

The podcast host and the “I’m Real” singer also took part in a vulnerable conversation in 2021 for the debut episode of the exclusive YouTube series Coach Conversations, which later appeared as an episode on Shetty’s podcast. During the discussion, Lopez told Shetty that therapy has helped her discover her own purpose. “My calling is to empower, inspire, and entertain,” she revealed. “Those are the things that I do, and in entertaining, I hope I’m always empowering and inspiring people to be the best in whatever they want to do.”

The Afflecks’ ceremony wasn’t the only celebrity nuptials that the lifestyle coach conducted. He also officiated Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell’s wedding on September 4, 2021. “Words cannot explain how beautiful these two humans are,” Shetty posted on Instagram at the time. “They have the biggest and kindest hearts and bring so much joy to so many.” Like Lopez and Affleck, before trading vows, the Emily in Paris star and her film director husband also began their ceremony with a meditation. “They wanted to start with deep presence, alignment with nature, and grounding in the moment,” he continued in his caption. “This is just a little glimpse into these magical souls.”