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TAYLOR SWIFT AND NFL star Travis Kelce officially married on Friday in a what is described as America’s royal wedding.
Excitement has swirled around the star-studded event, which happened on the United States’ 250th birthday weekend amid a record-breaking heat wave, a near-total news blackout and a security lockdown.
The anticipation was even greater as Swift and Kelce made no public announcements about their wedding plans at storied Madison Square Garden – and reportedly insisted guests sign non-disclosure agreements.
But the singer’s longstanding publicist Tree Paine broke the silence late last night as she detailed a luxurious and intimate ceremony – without saying exactly when the pair wed.
“Taylor and Travis did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, her brother Austin Swift served as Taylor’s Man of Honor and Jason Kelce was Travis’s Best Man,” she said in a statement.
“The ceremony joined both families together and was officiated by friend Adam Sandler,” Paine added.
She said the couple’s wedding looks were created by Christian Dior Haute Couture, while their shoes were custom-made by Christian Louboutin – the designer of her iconic Eras Tour red bottoms. Swift wore Cartier jewellery.
Shortly before the announcement, a giant screen outside the Garden showed the message “JUST&T MARRIED!” – T&T for Taylor and Travis.
Ahead of Friday’s bumper event, a crowd of Swifties – as the megastar’s fans are known – cheered and sang her songs outside the arena as a line of black SUVs dropped off guests.
“She is the biggest thing in America – like she is our royalty, she is our queen, she is everything,” said Alyssa Heinen (24), from Manhattan.
“We are just so happy that she found the love of her life and he happens to also be such a big deal. It feels like a royal wedding to us.”
But heavy rain and a severe thunderstorm warning for Friday night sent home many of the fans waiting outside Madison Square Garden for a glimpse of the glitterati, CNN reported.
Some 1,000 guests, reportedly banned from carrying phones, were expected to attend the secretive wedding.
Stars heading to the venue included Ed Sheeran, model Gigi Hadid, actors Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper and Dakota Johnson, and pop figures Benson Boone and Camila Cabello.
Swift’s childhood best friend Abigail was also seen on her way in.
The Empire State Building said it would have a “light blue sparkle” to celebrate the wedding.
The main event was to begin at 5pm local time, and go on until 4am (9am Irish time) on Saturday morning.
The couple have asked guests not to bring any gifts, according to NFL player George Kittle, who is attending.
Ahead of the wedding, the pair donated $26 million (€22.71 million) to 20 charities including nine food banks, an animal cruelty organisation, seven educational programmes, and three children’s hospitals. This has fuelled the belief that the wedding cost an equal amount, and the billionaire was trying to offset the lavish affair and inconvenience caused.
Swift is known for donating to local charities in the cities she visits. When she played sold-out shows in Dublin in 2024, she donated to Crosscare’s food poverty services.
Two Irish pubs near Madison Square Garden reportedly couldn’t open on Friday, as their streets were closed off.
Rumour has it that Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, both close to Swift, will perform. British artists Ed Sheeran – another Swift pal – and Paul McCartney may also go on stage.
The New York Times reported that Nicks had done a soundcheck with Swift earlier in the day, indicating the pair may duet.
Newstalk’s Henry McKean is over in New York soaking up the excitement and the sun.
Temperatures in the city have reached the high 30s in recent days, which no doubt has been tougher on reporters standing around Midtwon Manhattan than the celebs enjoying air-conditioning inside the windowless venue.
McKean told The Journal yesterday that it was “total lockdown” in the area, but most New Yorkers “don’t seem to mind”.
“There’s a lot of joy in the air,” he said.
“I’ve never seen such tight security in my life, even more so than when King Charles became king.”
He said reporters are fighting for any scrap of detail they can get about the wedding, with some even offering money to caterers in return for information.
With reporting by AFP
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