Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck marry for second time at sprawling Georgia estate

A guest list of stars dressed all in white, barbecued meats and spectacular fireworks — this is how Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez chose to celebrate their second wedding.

The nuptials took place during a three-day weekend of festivities, which are being held at Affleck's sprawling $8.9 million estate in the US state of Georgia.

Scroll through the gallery above to see photos of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez together over the years

British-Indian life coach Jay Shetty, a former Hindu monk, officiated at the ceremony, for which Lopez wore a custom couture Ralph Lauren dress.

Guests included director Kevin Smith, who posted a photo of himself at the event, as well as Affleck's long-time friend Matt Damon.

Brother Casey Affleck did not attend "unfortunately because of family, parental obligations at home" in Los Angeles, according to People magazine.

Affleck’s children, however — Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 10, who he co-parents with ex-wife Jennifer Garner — were there, alongside Lopez’s twins, Max and Emme, 14, who she shares with former husband Marc Anthony.

Security was tight on the day, with guards blocking the entrance to the enclave where Affleck’s estate is located, and a five-kilometre no-fly zone implemented by authorities, reported The Daily Mail. Security boats were also spotted patrolled a nearby river.

Celebrations have included a welcome dinner on Friday, the ceremony on Saturday and a barbecue picnic on Sunday, according to New York Post.

Photos of the event show guests milling around an outdoor seating area dressed all in white, with a white floor and white piano, as well as white flowers.

It has not been without drama. On Friday, festivities were paused after an ambulance was seen arriving and then transporting Affleck's mother to a Savannah-area hospital, the Liberty County Sheriff's Office told People.

Photos obtained by The Daily Mail show Affleck’s car following the emergency transport vehicle and others show his mother, Christopher Anne Boldt, exiting a south Georgia hospital in a wheelchair. It was reported that she cut her leg after falling off a boat dock and that her injuries were not serious.

She was later seen back at the estate on Saturday for the ceremony.

This comes one month after the happy couple married the first time spontaneously in Las Vegas.

The Jenny From The Block singer shared photos in a newsletter of herself wearing a white lace dress with a veil by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, while holding a bouquet. Affleck wore a white tuxedo. She shared the photos through her website onthejlo.com, captioning them: “We did it!”

She also changed into a second, high-neck, vintage sleeveless dress, which is thought to be “from an old movie”.

The pair, widely known as “Bennifer”, have married 20 years after they first started dating in 2002. They were engaged but broke up in 2004. In the years after, they both married other partners.

In May last year, they went public as a couple once again and announced their second engagement in April.

“Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient. Exactly what we wanted,” Lopez said in the newsletter.

The newsletter was signed “Mrs Jennifer Lynn Affleck".

Jennifer Lopez's style evolution in 64 photos, from Jenny from the Block to Mrs Affleck

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

US PGA Championship in numbers

1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck marry for second time at sprawling Georgia estate

A-list guests attend the party all in white, while British-Indian life coach Jay Shetty officiated

Jennifer Lopez's style evolution in 64 photos, from Jenny from the Block to Mrs Affleck

The specs

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

US PGA Championship in numbers

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Top 10 most polluted cities

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The specs

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck marry for second time at sprawling Georgia estate

A-list guests attend the party all in white, while British-Indian life coach Jay Shetty officiated

Jennifer Lopez's style evolution in 64 photos, from Jenny from the Block to Mrs Affleck

The specs

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

US PGA Championship in numbers

While you're here

How to get there

While you're here

Avatar: Fire and Ash

More from this package

While you're here

While you're here

GAC GS8 Specs

Groom and Two Brides

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

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Results

Top&nbsp;10&nbsp;most&nbsp;polluted&nbsp;cities

'The&nbsp;Batman'

The specs

Top 10 most polluted cities

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