14 DAY TRIAL // Jessica Simpson and longtime fiancé Eric Johnson, with whom she also has two children, said “I Do” in a beautiful ceremony that took place at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. Video from the wedding has been released – you can see it in full below.
Jessica agreed to grant People magazine access to the wedding, with a full pictorial and all the details running in the latest print issue. Don’t be naïve to assume that she did it for free but, these days, many celebrities find that an exclusive deal with a celebrity magazine helps them control the media frenzy around this special day in their life.
It also puts a hefty amount of money in their pocket, but at least they get exposure on their own terms.
People magazine just released the video below, which offers a very good look at the arrangements in the venue where the reception took place, the decorations, and the seating. It also takes the viewer inside the party: we see Jessica and Eric right after they exchanged vows, with her father, who officiated the wedding, pronouncing them Mr. and Mrs. Eric Johnson.
We also get a better look at Jessica’s sparkly, strapless Carolina Herrera gown, but also get confirmation of what she’d already told People about how guests had the time of their life at the party. At one point, the dancefloor was packed to the maximum with people dancing to the live music by the band.
Speaking of guests, there were about 275 of them. Celebrities included Jessica’s sister Ashlee, who was also maid of honor with their mom Tina, Ashlee’s fiancé Evan Ross (son of icon Diana Ross), actress Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren, and actors CaCee Cobb and Donald Faison.
The entire wedding weekend set Jessica back about $1.4 million (€1.02 million) according to some of the estimates making the rounds online. The reception was planned by celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss, who received instructions directly from Jessica to give it a “Great Expectations” feel.
“She really wanted to have that feeling in the movie when they're dancing,” Weiss tells People magazine. The film in question is the one with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke, a modern take on the classic story, which came out in 1998.
“There were so many flowers,” Weiss continues. “There was green amaranthus just hanging from branches that were over the tables. It looked like a beautiful ballroom in the middle of a forest.”
You get a glimpse at all those flower arrangements in the video as well. Everything looked like right out of a fairy tale.