A couple who found themselves waiting in line for a marriage licence next to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have opened up about the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Airika and Demetrius Visaya, from California, told KABC-TV that they began their Saturday celebrating their two-year-old son’s birthday with a Batman-themed party attended by 20 or 30 family members. However, during the celebration, the couple decided to get married, so they set out on a three-hour trip from Victorville to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Once the couple and their family members arrived, Airika and Demetrius went to the licensing bureau to obtain a marriage licence, where they told the outlet they were joined by Lopez and Affleck, who also tied the knot in Las Vegas on Saturday.
“Airika turned around and looked at the door and she was like ‘Oh my God. That’s Ben Affleck and JLo,’” Demetrius told KABC, while Airika added that her soon-to-be husband hadn’t believed her at first. “He didn’t believe me. I knew instantly when I saw JLo. Like that’s JLo!” she said.
According to the couple, they were not allowed to take photos during the surprise encounter, however, they told the outlet that they did spend 10 minutes talking with the celebrity couple as they waited in line for their marriage licences.
The meeting stuck with Lopez as well, as the singer acknowledged the couple in her On the JLo newsletter while sharing the news of her wedding to Affleck.
“Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a licence with four other couples, all making the same journey to the wedding capital of the world,” Lopez wrote in her newsletter. “Behind us two men held hands and held each other. In front of us, a young couple who made the three hour drive from Victorville … all of us wanting the same thing - for the world to recognise us as partners and to declare our love to the world through the ancient and nearly universal symbol of marriage.”
According to Airika, the opportunity to speak with Lopez and Affleck, and share a wedding anniversary, made her and Demetrius’s wedding even more special.
“Most people want to have a huge wedding, but the way our story turned out was 100 times better than any wedding we could’ve spent thousands of dollars on,” she told the outlet.
The bride also shared her joy over the experience in a post on Facebook, where she described her nuptials as the “wedding of a LIFETIME” and said she and her family would “cherish these moments forever”.
“The wedding of a LIFETIME!! On July 16th 2022 I married the love of my life alongside @jlo and Ben Affleck!! Such a spontaneous and amazing story for our family! All thanks to my husband and his amazing family for this crazy unforgettable idea!” she wrote. “Our family will cherish these moments forever.”
Airika then shared a “big thanks” to Lopez for mentioning the couple in her newsletter, with the newlywed adding: “And a big thanks to @jlo for mentioning us in her announcement to the world! We will always think of you two on our anniversaries and are so happy to share it with you!!!”
The post has been met with congratulatory messages from Airika’s followers and loved ones, with many sharing their own excitement over the chance encounter.
“Omg, what a day to remember and tell your kids [about] forever!” one person wrote, while another commented: “What a memorable experience.”
Lopez and Affleck, who were engaged in the early 2000s before breaking up, tied the knot at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas after rekindling their relationship in July 2021. For the occasion, Lopez wore two dresses, with the singer first wearing a white Alexander McQueen floor-length gown from “an old movie” before changing into a lacy, off-the-shoulder gown by Zuhair Murad, which featured a fishtail train, sweetheart neckline, corset bodice and long sleeves.
