Source : the age
It’s been a long time coming… but finally, finally, we can write the sentence many fans have dreamed of seeing for 20 years: Hello and welcome to our live blog of Taylor Swift’s (reported) wedding weekend!
The 14-time Grammy winner is tying the knot with NFL tight end Travis Kelce, of the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s the extent of what we know for sure.
Are they getting married in New York City? Seems so. This weekend? All signs point to yes. Could the “mastermind” (prepare yourself for many Swift puns) actually be fooling us with an elaborate Madison Square Garden ruse? That’s also likely.
Stick with us as we bring you rolling updates on what is sure to be an enchanting affair, reportedly starting with a 100-person rehearsal dinner on July 2 (Friday, July 3 AEST).
Are you ready for it?
Look. I have something to confess. I… wish this wedding was happening anywhere other than (reportedly) Madison Square Garden. Why, you ask? To that, I say three words: Stinky! Sports! Arena!
OK, maybe that is a bit harsh. It was a lovely venue when I was there for one of Billy Joel’s final residency shows a few years back. But Forbes declared one Taylor Alison Swift the richest female musician in history in June, and in the month since, her net worth has increased by a further $US100 million ($145 million) to $US2.1 billion ($3.045 billion).
Point is, she can afford something like the 2024 Ambani wedding – a six-day, 2,500-dish, at least $US600 million ($870 million) extravaganza for the son of Asia’s richest man and Radhika Merchant – thrice over. Why a windowless pit that has been her place of work eight times? Well, allow me to show you this video:
Hundreds of chanting fans – and paparazzi – crashed the wedding of musician and producer Jack Antonoff and actress Margaret Qualley in August 2023 just to catch a glimpse of Swift, who was a guest at the New Jersey nuptials. Now, imagine that but with Swift as the bride. To say it would be chaos would be an understatement.
As my colleague Nell Geraets wrote, security is paramount (according to The Hollywood Reporter, the couple has called in the FBI to keep them safe). As strange as Madison Square Garden may seem for what’s meant to be the most romantic day of the Shakespeare of pop’s life, it’s incredibly fortified.
It has no exterior windows and highly secure infrastructure. This also means the chances of paparazzi getting a clear shot of Swift – and distribute it before she or whoever has bought them are ready to release the official photos – are extremely slim.
Pop music megastar Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce are married, the New York Post’s Page Six reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources as preparations for an expected celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York were under way.
The pair exchanged vows in front of a “tiny group of loved ones,” the outlet said. It did not say when or where the nuptials took place, though it noted Swift’s private jet recently spent time in Nashville.
Swift’s publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As workers scrambled to prepare Madison Square Garden on Thursday for what was expected to be a lavish celebration for the megastars, the pair gave their clearest hint yet of what their plans might be.
AP
Police set up barriers around the venue on Thursday, closing streets and blocking pedestrian walkways. New York City already was abuzz with major happenings over the US Independence Day weekend. Tall ships will sail into New York Harbor to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, and a World Cup soccer match is set for Sunday in nearby New Jersey.
On Wednesday, onlookers stopped to watch a couple of Russian daredevils who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner urging world peace.
The big events coincide with high temperatures that prompted city officials to declare a heat emergency. When asked about a potential Swift wedding, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani used the moment to urge people to stay indoors to protect themselves from the extreme weather.
“If you happen to be getting married at MSG, you will be staying inside and staying cool, and I think it’s a good example to set for the city at large,” he told reporters earlier this week. Reuters confirmed that an event planning company had applied for a permit to close the streets around the arena from Thursday through midday Saturday. Fencing was being erected around the venue’s entrances this week. The venue sits above a major commuter hub, and some commuters and tourists said the preparations and street closures were a hassle for people trying to get around New York.
That was not the case for Swift fan and Utah resident Tara Rosales, who said she felt “1,000 per cent excitement” for the event. “She’s never an inconvenience. Taylor can do whatever she wants,” Rosales said.
AP
Photos from Getty Images that have just landed show a grey SUV thought to be carrying Taylor Swift pulling up at Madison Square Garden – the location of her rumoured wedding.
Thursday night (Friday morning AEST) is Swift’s and soon-to-be-husband footballer Travis Kelce’s rumoured rehearsal dinner.
Outlets such as the New York Times have reported that public permits and records are tied to a large-scale event in New York over the Fourth of July weekend. Other media reports state one permit is for 1000 people on July 3 (US time), and another for 100 people on July 2.
If true, this suggests two celebrations at Madison Square Garden – perhaps one for a smaller rehearsal dinner before the big bash, or for a more intimate wedding (if 100 guests can be called intimate) before the reception to end all wedding receptions.
It’s been a long time coming… but finally, finally, we can write the sentence many fans have dreamed of seeing for 20 years: Hello and welcome to our live blog of Taylor Swift’s (reported) wedding weekend!
The 14-time Grammy winner is tying the knot with NFL tight end Travis Kelce, of the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s the extent of what we know for sure.
Are they getting married in New York City? Seems so. This weekend? All signs point to yes. Could the “mastermind” (prepare yourself for many Swift puns) actually be fooling us with an elaborate Madison Square Garden ruse? That’s also likely.
Stick with us as we bring you rolling updates on what is sure to be an enchanting affair, reportedly starting with a 100-person rehearsal dinner on July 2 (Friday, July 3 AEST).
Are you ready for it?
