It was a grand evening fit for a queen on Saturday night -- especially when that queen was Jennifer Lopez, who celebrated her 40th birthday with a big party at New York's Edison Ballroom.
Greeted by screaming fans waiting behind barricades, the star and her hubby, Marc Anthony, arrived at the party around 9:15 p.m. Signs that read "An Evening for Lola" (Jennifer's nickname) and two large bouquets of white and pink flowers marked the entrance to the ballroom.
An insider tells Life & Style that a shocked Jennifer, accompanied by Marc, looked ravishing in a white backless gown. "The couple kissed several times," says the insider. "Jennifer looked very emotional and excited. It was a magical moment to see her glow and how touched she was by [Marc's] surprise."
Ricky Martin, Liza Minnelli, Alicia Keys, Lance Bass, Carlos Beltran, Gayle King and Jennifer's family and friends helped fete the birthday girl. In all, about 300 to 400 people were at the party, which took place on two levels of the ballroom. No one brought presents as that would be done privately.
The night's theme, Latin Samba, exuded both dark and cool colors -- the napkins and tablecloths were black, and there were lots of gold details, according to an eyewitness. Still, no expense or detail was spared at the party, which included blown-up pictures of Jennifer on the walls, a Latino band, and performances of Broadway show tunes. The equally lavish menu featured shrimp on skewers, Thai chicken rolls, grilled halibut, roasted duck and caviar. Jennifer was seen drinking champagne all night.
Marc serenaded his wife with "Happy Birthday." Then came the surprise: a 5-foot tall birthday cake. "[Jennifer] tried to blow out the candles," the eyewitness tells Life & Style, "but they were so high and so huge, she couldn't do it. So Marc -- who was standing by her side -- had to blow them out!"
Jennifer also had at least two wardrobe changes during the party: arriving in a white Grecian goddess gown with massive chandelier earrings and finished the evening in a sexy thigh-high sequin mini.
By all accounts, Jennifer, who was dancing it up on the floor with friends, looked fabulous. "Her skin, body, hair -- everything looked perfect," says the eyewitness. "Her skin and body are in amazing condition. She looked so fit and toned. You could see every muscle."
Jennifer and Marc were totally into each other during the fete. Says the insider, "It was really cute and sweet. He didn't leave her side. As things heated up later in the night, he went on to show his love for her when he sang her a few songs in Spanish."
A happy J.Lo then gave a speech to the crowd expressing her appreciation for the party, which ended around 3 a.m. She also thanked her husband and said that she'd never felt so overwhelmed in her life. "[Jennifer] said she loved her party," says the insider. "Her voice was cracking, and she was really touched."
Photo Credit: Landov
