07/03/26 09:12:00
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07/03 18:48 CDT Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married in elaborate Madison
Square Garden ceremony
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married in elaborate Madison Square Garden
ceremony
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and ANDREW DALTON
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married. Swift's publicist
confirmed the marriage took place Friday evening inside Madison Square Garden
at a star-packed ceremony.
The couple did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead opting for Swift's
brother to serve as her man of honor and Kelce's brother Jason serving as his
best man.
The wedding between the superstar singer and football player took place as fans
and spectators gathered outside MSG in the blistering heat, eager to be part of
the occasion, even though the event was almost entirely hidden away from the
public.
Very few details were disclosed in the buildup to the wedding weekend. Yet a
permit obtained by The Associated Press this week and other sources helped
confirm that the high-profile event would indeed take place at MSG over the
July Fourth weekend, packed with its own set of festivities amid a massive
heatwave.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below.
NEW YORK (AP) ---
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Madison Square Garden wedding has arrived, and
guests in formalwear have headed into the arena amid high heat, humming buzz
and tented secrecy in Midtown Manhattan.
The long anticipated union of sports and song has brought hype to new heights
at a venue made more for historic NBA games and bucket-list concerts. It was
expected to begin at 5 p.m., with the close friends and family of the Kansas
City Chiefs tight end and the pop superstar celebrating along with several
hundred other luminaries.
Singer Camila Cabello, actors Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke and Jason Sudeikis, and
model Karlie Kloss were among those arriving minutes before the expected start
time. Running back Kareem Hunt was among Kelce's Chiefs teammates in
attendance. Seattle Seahawks receiver and recent Super Bowl champ Cooper Kupp,
New York Giants receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, NFL announcer Joe Buck and Jenny
Han, author of the "The Summer I Turned Pretty" series, also entered the arena.
In a culture obsessed with famous couplings it may be the apex celebrity
wedding, with perhaps only royal unions getting more attention. Holding such a
ceremony in a huge, iconic space that sits at the center of the U.S. media
universe while keeping all the details secret made for a surreal scene, but it
was a mix of hype and hush that is not out of character for Swift.
An Associated Press camera outside the arena showed a long line of black SUVs
dropping off wedding-goers in tuxedos and evening gowns, surrounded by New
Yorkers in shorts and Swifties amassing for the occasion. By 5:30 p.m. the
arrivals appeared to be essentially over.
Celebrities, athletes and friends were posting on social media about getting
ready or about to leave for a black-tie event, including Brandon Borders,
producer of the New Heights podcast starring Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce;
Beau Allen, retired defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles; and Jessica
Chastain.
There was a notable lack of social media posts from guests once they had
entered the arena, after reports that phones would not be allowed.
The secrecy has left many blank spaces that media outlets and fans are seeking
to fill in. A city permit obtained by the AP shows that the ceremony and its
celebration could last until 4 a.m. Guests appeared as though they were coming
to a big awards show, but their arrivals were obscured by tents and gazebos.
There is a decent chance of rain hitting the area before the night is over.
Weddings have been a constant subject in Swift's songs since she was a
teenager, and her actually walking the aisle for the first time at age 36 adds
to the drama. It would also be a first marriage for the 36-year-old three-time
Super Bowl champ Kelce, who could have been one of the jock characters in
Swift's early hits.
Outside the arena, some frazzled tourists joked that it was a bad weekend to
visit as they navigated strict road and sidewalk closures, but others appeared
happy to sneak a peak at the spectacle. Police cut off most access where guests
were being dropped off, but a few patrons gathered in nearby businesses and
peered out windows.
Diana Warshavsky, who lives in New York, decided to head over to MSG on Friday
to celebrate Swift and Kelce's wedding with fellow Swifties and "send her good
vibes."
"We're relatively the same age, I'm a year older than her and I just got
married this year as well," Warshavsky said. "I'm just so happy for her."
The relationship of the pop star and the football player has continued to
thrill and fascinate millions around the world --- particularly the Swifties,
the pop star's enormous and ardent fan base --- ever since the pair first
started dating in 2023.
Key lingering questions include who will officiate or perform, and how Swift
and Kelce have made over MSG into a wedding venue. Trucks and crews have been
in and out for days, setting up tents and whisking massive materials inside.
And while fans have seen Swift wear wedding dresses in plenty of music videos
over the years, many also remain eager to see what looks she will unveil at the
wedding.
The weekend is jam-packed even by New York's standards. The city is celebrating
the nation's 250th birthday, a parade of dozens of tall ships will sail the
Hudson River, and a World Cup game is scheduled in New Jersey.
Earlier this week, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to 20 local and national
charities across the U.S. Many of the organizations were located in areas where
the couple has deep ties, including Nashville, Tennessee; Los Angeles; Kansas
City, Missouri; and New York.
___
Dalton reported from Los Angeles. AP Sportswriter Stephen Whyno contributed
from New York.
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