Taylor Swift’s big day: here’s her fairytale wedding at Madison Square Garden
Pop star Swift and her husband Travis Kelce paid around $3 million to hire the Arena for three days
On the evening of 2 July, a ceremony attended by close friends and family (one hundred guests) preceded one of the most eagerly awaited weddings of the year in the United States and beyond. Today, 3 July, the grand celebration took place at Madison Square Garden, transformed into a fairytale castle, in the presence of around a thousand people. The world’s biggest pop star right now, Taylor Swift, is marrying American football player Travis Kelce, and New York is in a celebratory mood. It is a love story that has continued to captivate millions of people around the world for the past three years, particularly the Swifties, the singer’s huge and fiercely loyal fanbase.
Few details have emerged so far. All that is known is that the party will start at 5 pm local time and continue until 4 am the following day. Many roads around the Arena have been closed, and the New York Post points out that the bride and groom have not provided any cooling facilities for fans, despite the sweltering temperatures expected in the city. For days now, lorries and teams of workers have been coming and going from the arena, transporting structures, marquees and large sets, fuelling speculation about the venue’s transformation. Over the years, fans have seen Taylor Swift wear wedding dresses in numerous music videos, but they are now eagerly awaiting to find out what look she will choose for her wedding.
Swift and Kelce paid around $3 million to hire Madison Square Garden for three days, according to the TMZ website. Fans, commentators and onlookers have been debating the choice of venue for weeks. Some are convinced that it is merely a red herring and that the wedding will take place elsewhere. Others point out that the arena’s lack of windows and high security measures offer a rare opportunity for privacy to one of the world’s most famous couples, whilst also providing an extra layer of protection.
No confirmation on her dresses – more than one, and at least one inspired by Elizabeth Taylor. Stevie Nicks will be on stage, as will Tim McGraw, to whom the 16-year-old Taylor dedicated her first song to reach the Billboard charts. She, worth over two billion dollars, is far wealthier than him, who is worth between 70 and 90 million; naturally, there is a prenuptial agreement. Guests received their first invitation back in April, with a request to sign a confidentiality agreement and leave their smartphones at home: the guest list, in addition to the Chiefs’ teammates, includes Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter, Karlie Kloss, Zoë Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Emma Stone, the Haim sisters – who accompanied Taylor Swift to Madison Square Garden for the Knicks’ last home game in the NBA Finals – Suki Waterhouse, Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez. Prince William and his wife Catherine were also reportedly among the invitees (he had taken their daughter Charlotte to a Taylor Swift concert), but the royal couple chose not to attend.
The wedding will take place over a weekend packed with events, even by New York standards. It is the 4 July weekend, when the city will be taking part in the celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. At the same time, a flotilla of dozens of large sailing ships will parade down the Hudson River, and a World Cup match is scheduled to take place in New Jersey.
