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Jennifer Garner Turns 45: All the Details on Her Birthday Party

Reese Witherspoon fêtes her famous friend at Little Beach House in Malibu

By Zach Johnson Apr 17, 2017 5:30 PMTags

It's good to be Jennifer Garner.

Just hours after attending an Easter church service with Ben Affleck and their three kids, the actress' friends threw her a 45th birthday party at Little Beach House in Malibu Sunday night.

"Jen arrived with a small group around 6:30 p.m., just as the sun was starting to set," a source tells E! News exclusively. "The ladies started out at the bar area, and once everyone arrived, they were moved to tables along the railing overlooking the ocean. The tables looked pretty with little votive candles, hydrangeas and roses." Not a single party detail was overlooked, the source adds: "A few of Jen's friends arrived before the party started to get everything set up."

Twenty of Garner's friends showed up, including Reese Witherspoon. "Some of the girls were mom friends from school," the source reveals. "Her manager and publicist were there as well."

The timing of the get-together couldn't have been better, as Garner filed for divorce last week. Though she and Affleck separated in June 2014 and had always intended to finalize their split, it took a while for the exes to put a pen to paper. "Jen looked so happy to be surrounded by the people closest to her. She had the best evening and was so gracious. She gave a little speech and thanked everyone for coming. Everyone went out of their way to make Jen feel special and be there for her," the source tells E! News. "Her friends adore her and think the world of her."

Garner didn't open gifts during the party, the source adds, "but she received presents from Barney's New York, Madison, Burberry and one of her favorite stores, Elyse Walker." After a few hours of fun, the actress got into a chauffeured car with four gal pals and drove to her multi-million dollar home. "Jen was in a great mood, smiling and chatting with her friends the whole time as she made her way to her car," a second insider says. "It looked like a great time."