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SINCE THEIR ENGAGEMENT last August, rumours have been swirling about the details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding.
It is now all but confirmed that Madison Square Garden will play host, and the festivities will begin on Thursday.
Swift was very open about her engagement to the American football player, sharing details on social media and on chat shows.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show last October, the pop star invited Norton to the wedding, and hinted at a long guest list.
She said the wedding was going to be “fun to plan” and she was “so excited” about it.
“I think the only stressful weddings are the ones where you have a small amount [of people] … and you have to evaluate or assess your relationship with them,” she said.
“I’m not going to do that.”
She joked that she’s inviting “anyone I’ve ever talked to”.
If that’s the case, she’ll certainly need a sizeable venue, and there are few that would have the necessary privacy and security.
The New York Times says an intimate gathering of around 100 people is planned at Madisaon Square Garden – colloquially known as MSG – for Thursday. A larger celebration will be held on Friday, involving upwards of 1,000 guests.
The date of the wedding was initially rumoured to be 4 July, as it’s Swift’s favourite holiday. However, she may have thought it inconsiderate to expect guests to change plans with family and friends to attend her wedding, especially on the United States’s 250th anniversary.
It was also thought that she’d hold the wedding on a private estate – like her friends Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco did in Santa Barbara last year – or on her own expansive property on Rhode Island (mentioned in her song The Last Great American Dynasty).
However, the Welcome To New York singer is apparently opting for a city wedding – a more practical location for her hundreds of international guests, no doubt.
Dubbed “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” the 20,000-seat venue is where sporting history meets music legends.
It’s the home of the New York Knicks, the most recent NBA champions, as well as the New York Rangers ice hockey team.
It’s also a frequent and lively concert venue, hosting all the big names from the Rolling Stones to Madonna to Billy Joel. Swift herself has played there eight times.
Security is expected to be tight for the New York nuptials.
Guests will reportedly be required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Each invitation had was watermarked with the name of the recipient to deter photos being leaked.
National Guard troops have been spotted near Madison Square Garden in recent days.
The New York Times reported that several of Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs teammates have booked hotel rooms in Times Square for this week, and a permit was filed with the city to close the streets around MSG from 2 July to 4 July.
We don’t yet have any clues about what the dress may look like, but fans speculate it’ll be traditional, evoking the fairytale-like romance Swift often writes about. No doubt a big-name designer has been recruited.
A lifelong romantic and performer, Swift appears to have found a suitable match in Kelce.
Her seven-year relationship with English actor Joe Alwayn ended in early 2023 and was defined by an almost-reclusive level of privacy, which she romanticised in her discography.
In contrast, Kelce is loud and proud about his love for Swift.
He even joined her on stage during the record-breaking Eras Tour, seemingly ecstatic to be a set piece in Swift’s elaborate production.
With reporting by AFP
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