EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are officially hitched, and despite the incredibly tight security, details are leaking about their spectacular big day where no expense was spared
Taylor Swift and her musical idol Stevie Nicks, who sang at the reception(Image: WireImage)
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have tied the knot in a lavish and star-studded ceremony at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Celebrations continued into the early hours after the iconic arena was transformed into a romantic haven to the taste of the pop princess, complete with real trees and flowers for a blooming countryside theme. Insiders described the dreamy setting as “Alice in Wonderland meets Wizard of Oz” – an intimate garden within the Garden.
There were plenty of surprises from the happy couple, starting off with Hollywood actor Adam Sandler officiating the wedding.
Swift’s publicist, Tree Paine, confirmed there were no bridesmaids or groomsmen, despite the couple’s myriad of famous friends. Instead, NFL star Kelce, 36, had his brother and New Heights podcast co-host Jason as his best man, while Swift’s brother, Austin, served as her man of honour.
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Taylor, 36, had her four nieces, the daughters of Jason and Kylie Kelce, as her flower girls, scattering petals at her feet as she walked down the aisle.
Swift expert Anna Pointer, the author of biography Taylor in Love, revealed to the Mirror that it was ‘no surprise’ to see so many show-stopping moments from start to finish.
Fans were able to enjoy some of the action outside the arena(Image: LAURA BRETT/EPA/Shutterstock)
“It’s Taylor, so it’s no surprise there were lots of surprises. She does like to do things that people aren’t expecting. Having the four gorgeous Kelce daughters was so much more personal and intimate than the rumoured 13 bridesmaids. You don’t want to crowd out the bride on her big day. So it became all about Taylor, which it should be.
“Adam Sandler officiating was something that nobody saw coming. He’s really close to them both and got to know Travis really well on the set of Happy Gilmore 2. They have a bromance going on and a very similar sense of humour. Neither of them takes life too seriously.
“Adam kept things light at the wedding. The tone was humorous as well as touching. He’s also very close to Taylor as well and his daughters worship her.”
After a flood of designers sent their proposals, both the bride and groom wore outfits designed by Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Christian Dior. Taylor dazzled in a white floorlength haute couture gown with a dramatic train and custom-made Christian Louboutin shoes and Cartier jewellery.
Taylor Swift pulled favours and got Sir Paul McCartney to play a few hits at her wedding reception(Image: Getty Images)
“This is the designer’s first couture wedding dress for a world-renowned celebrity,” Taylor’s publicist added.
“While it was private, a lot of effort went into that dress and she won’t want to hide it away,” Pointer added, predicting Taylor will be sharing photos on social media imminently. “It was a big moment for the Dior team too. They will be wanting the whole world to see.”
A camera crew also followed the happy couple, filming every second of the day: “Taylor will want to share the experience with the fans who’ve supported her for years. It was a moment of complete happiness and bliss.”
Following the ceremony, billboards reading ’Just Married’ were displayed outside Madison Square Garden, where fans gathered to celebrate, singing songs and holding up posters to celebrate the union.
Meanwhile, the Empire State Building was lit up to be Taylor’s very extravagant ‘something blue.’
Hugh Grant and Anna Elisabet Eberstein arrive at Madison Square Garden(Image: Getty Images)
Although the public display was not to everyone’s taste.
There had been controversy over the streets surrounding Madison Square Garden being shut down and nearly 200 NYPD officers were deployed to keep security tight, over an already busy holiday weekend.
“It’s not the first time the Empire State Building has been lit up in Taylor’s honour. The great and good of New York obviously see her as one of her own and it was a proud moment for the city,” explained Pointer. “If there was any sense of residents being put out by the street closures, then the $26million Travis and Taylor donated to various charities really made a statement. It said, ‘Look we are giving back, we’ve given something to these worthwhile charities.’ Who could resent that when they are doing so much good?”
Model Karlie Kloss was one of those papped heading to the wedding(Image: GC Images)
Bradley Cooper is seen dressed up in the West Village (Image: GC Images)
Among the 1,000 guests, a number of famous faces were seen arriving through white tents stationed outside the venue, with some choosing to walk up to the arena.
“They had a tunnel of tents that the cars were supposed to pull into so we wouldn’t see anyone, but it was quite the opposite,” said Pointer. “A lot of people actually wanted to be seen. If you had an invite to that wedding, you’d want people to know. That’s why we saw so many celebrities leaving their hotels and even choosing to walk there on foot. People thought, ‘No, I’m not sitting in this queue of stretch limos. I want to be seen at the wedding of the century.’ There were some fabulous outfits too.”
Jay-Z, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Ed Sheeran and Hugh Grant were among those spotted heading into the iconic venue. Guests were required to sign confidentiality agreements to prevent leaks and protect the couple’s privacy. Mobile phones were also banned.
However, AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron revealed a number of details about the experience in a now-deleted social media post.
Aron, whose company partnered with Swift to distribute the record-breaking Eras Tour concert film, said the floors, walls and ceilings were draped in peach and white. He described the vows as “long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing explorations”, adding that Taylor and Travis sealed the ceremony with a sweeping kiss.
“Large, blown-up childhood photos of Taylor and Travis from age one to their late teens were prominently displayed,” revealed Aron. He also described Travis as looking “handsome” in a white tux and Taylor as “jaw-dropping” in a stunning white wedding dress.
Following the ceremony, the couple’s wedding reception had a line-up to rival most festivals with Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw all performing. After walking down the aisle to one of her own songs, Taylor is also understood to have performed later in the evening as the party continued late into the night.
According to Pointer, the music performances would have been a key part of the day for the singer.
Steven Spielberg departs Madison Square Garden(Image: REUTERS)
“It’s her passion in life. Sir Paul McCartney probably played a couple of songs and Taylor’s a massive Stevie Nicks fan so that would have been a dream come true for her. She was heard doing a soundcheck with Stevie so it’s likely gusts were treated to a duet from them.
“The attendees are used to the high life but this was the party of their lives. A lot of money was spent, and it would have been truly epic. There will be a few sore heads today. It’s incredible Taylor and Travis managed to pull this off with such secrecy until the final minute.”
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One person that wasn’t joining in the celebrations was Taylor’s former bestie Blake Lively. Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds were noticeable no-shows. The pop superstar and the actress, once inseparable at NFL games and industry events, have reportedly grown apart in recent months.
Insiders say Taylor was left furious at being dragged into Blake’s ugly legal row with former It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni. Instead of attending the July 3 ceremony, Blake was spotted supporting her daughter Betty at a horse show in upstate New York.
It’s a huge snub as Taylor is godmother to all of Blake’s children and even wrote about her daughters in the song Betty from her Folklore album.
Joining the British stars who were in attendance, was Radio 1’s Greg James who audibly gasped when Taylor invited him live on air last year. The morning after Greg joked he had the worst hangover of his life as he tucked into a slice of New York pizza.
“Oh my God what an unbelievably brilliant night. I’m off for a nap,” he told his Instagram followers.
Travis and Taylor began dating in 2023 after the Kansas City Chiefs star revealed on his New Heights podcast that he had hoped to give the singer a friendship bracelet and his phone number at one of her Eras Tour concerts.
They announced their engagement last August via a joint Instagram post that joked: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”