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Pop superstar Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce have officially tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony officiated by comedian Adam Sandler.
The pair both donned Christian Dior, according to Swift’s longtime publicist, and elected to skip bridesmaids and groomsmen. Instead, Swift’s brother Austin Swift served as her Man of Honour and retired American footballer Jason Kelce was the groom’s Best Man.
The event at Madison Square Garden shuttered one of Manhattan’s busiest corridors and brought out Hollywood’s A-list for what was likely the bash of the century.
Actors Hugh Grant and Jason Sudeikis, singer Benson Boone and model Gigi Hadid were among those spotted.
Hoards of fans huddled outside throughout the day Friday, some singing Swift tunes and donning concert merch, while others climbed scaffolding hoping to catch a better view of the festivities.
The celebration at the arena kicked off on Thursday with a much smaller event, where a reported 100 people were thought to attend. A permit filed with New York City officials called the event a “pre-party”.
On Friday, a much larger event led to a tent being erected outside the arena that doubled in size from Thursday. A stream of blacked-out SUVs pulled through the structure, allowing many guests to shield their arrival while streets in Midtown Manhattan were closed to traffic. Crews at the sport arena set up curtains and gazebos for the massive event.
Swift’s longtime publicist Tree Paine confirmed to the BBC that the two wed on Friday in New York City and offered details from the ceremony. Around the same time, Madison Square Garden lit up massive signs around the complex reading “JUST&T MARRIED” – a nod to both Taylor and Travis’s names.
Paine said Swift and Kelce wore wedding ceremony looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, Creative Director of Dior Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections, in close collaboration with the bride and groom.
“This is the designer’s first couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity,” Paine said in a statement, adding that their shoes were custom made by Christian Louboutin and the bride wore Cartier jewelry.
Throughout the day, excitement filled the air, with a heavy police presence in the stifling heat. Temperatures reached 37C (98.6F).
Image source, EPAThe New York City Police (NYPD) closed the streets around the arena midday, closing them off completely to vehicles and pedestrian traffic, which were diverted by barriers.
Even with curtains and tents erected to shield guests from the barrage of news cameras and anxious fans, many captured celebrity guests leaving hotels and arriving to the venue. Model Gigi Hadid, in a pink sparkly dress, and actor boyfriend Bradley Cooper were spotted on the way to the ceremony. Singer Benson Boone and actress Dakota Johnson were also photographed.
Actors Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke, Jason Sudeikis and several members of Kelce’s football team were among those seen arriving to the wedding in plain view, while other A-list guests exited their vehicles under the enormous tent for privacy. Also spotted was TV presenter Graham Norton, who was famously invited to the ceremony when Swift appeared on BBC’s The Graham Norton Show.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesSwifties – the singer’s legion of fans – of all ages lined every block in the vicinity of the arena. As more blacked-out vehicles entered the area, the more excited the crowd grew, with several craning their necks to peek at the stars exiting their vehicles.
Some chanted lyrics to their favourite Swift songs or cheered “we love you Taylor!”, hoping the pop queen was somewhere within earshot. As the event begun, fans adorned in Swift memorabilia climbed city scaffolding and cheered for anyone who walked past.
On Thursday, a stream of black SUVs pulled up to the venue with guests dropped off under a white canopy tent. High-profile friends of the couple, from actress Lena Dunham to frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff were spotted in formal attire for the rumoured rehearsal dinner.
The two-day celebrations – featuring the takeover of part of America’s biggest city and a laundry list of A-list guests – has been dubbed the wedding of the century and has attracted attention globally that typically is reserved for royal weddings.
Image source, ReutersOn its own, taking over Madison Square Garden – an iconic fixture in NYC – is a feat requiring millions. Then the couple also closed down the area, which includes one of the city’s primary transit hubs. The spectacle showcased the power the couple holds, with Swift widely recognised as one of the globe’s most powerful and famous people.
Their two-day wedding celebrations led news broadcasts, lit up the Empire State Building in NYC and spurred millions in online betting markets as details of their nuptials left people speculating for weeks.
Pop culture critic Kristen Meinzer told the BBC that the couple is meaningful because Swift and Kelce are from two important worlds when it comes to pop culture and American identity.
“We worship at the throne of music and football, these are all the things we love in America married together,” she said.
New York City also has a long-standing ethos of treating celebrities as part of the fabric of everyday life rather than as spectacles too.
“We aren’t people who run up to our celebrities, we usually leave them alone,” Meinzer added.
The Pennsylvania-born singer has been based in New York since 2014 – when she bought two adjoining Tribeca penthouses for $20 million (£15 million) and combined them into one massive living space.
She fell in love with the city after discovering she could go shopping without being bothered, saying that she was “physically different since” moving there. The move also inspired her 1989 album track Welcome to New York.
Kelce, who is based in Kansas for his American football career, was introduced to the Big Apple when he started dating Swift in 2023.
The couple likely spent tens of tens of millions of dollars to rent out the iconic arena, planning experts told the BBC.
Ahead of the festivities, the billionaire singer and wealthy athlete donated $26m (approx. £19.5m) to more than 20 charities – though made no mention of a wedding.
To many, though, the 20,000-capacity arena – which hosts concerts and sports matches with beer-drinking fans – felt like an unusual choice for the couple, though the venue does boast an unusual level of privacy because of its lack of windows and underground access points. But many said if anyone could transform the arena into a wedding wonderland, it would be Swift.
“I thought it was going to be more gardens, more flowers, more tropical. Something more fancy, something more Taylor Swift,” Canadian teen Emily told the BBC outside the venue.
New York resident Rose said it was “sort of absurd” that the couple shut down the busy streets around the arena, but believes the ceremony would be beautiful “because it’s Taylor Swift”.
“I hope it’s a beautiful wedding…but I think they should do it somewhere that’s less inconveniencing to general populace of New York City,” she laughed.
Fans broke out into cheers outside Madison Square Garden when the just married signs lit up outside the arena.
Fan Tara Rosales was one of the many who were unconvinced the wedding would actually take place at the famed arena.
“I knew that she was going to get married in New York but I had no idea where. So I can’t believe it, I’m actually shook and I’m so excited,” she said.
“She’s never an inconvenience. Taylor can do whatever she wants.”
Image source, Getty ImagesRelated topics
