Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? It’s time for Swift and Kelce to tie the knot
Today’s the day, folks! After yesterday’s rehearsal dinner, it’s all but confirmed that Taylor Swift is taking her magnetic force of a man – Travis Kelce – to be her lawfully wedded lover from RIGHT NOW at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
According to the New York Times, today’s purported 1000-guest event has a no-phone policy for all vendors, security and guests.
Judging from the fact we got absolutely zero glimpse inside the 100-guest rehearsal dinner at the arena’s Infosys Theatre on Thursday (Friday AEST) – and from an Associated Press photo showing a check-in station with the instructions “HAVE IDENTIFICATION OUT” and “HAVE DEVICES READY” – it’s unlikely we’ll see anything from the couple’s nuptials that they don’t want us looking at.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t share anything with us, or that fans and reporters on the ground in The Big Apple won’t have updates from outside the venue.
Stay with us as we bring you rolling coverage of what Swifties are calling the wedding of the century, which is reportedly starting with a cocktail hour at 4pm local time (6am Saturday AEST).
Hugh Grant among A-listers arriving on foot at Madison Square Garden
Cheers from waiting crowds erupted as they clapped eyes on Hugh Grant, his wife Anna Eberstein, Ethan Hawke, and Jason Sudeikis, all casually strolling into Madison Square Garden like they aren’t some of the most recognisable faces in the world heading into America’s version of a royal wedding.
The low-key arrivals were a rare treat for onlookers, who so far have been standing behind barricades near the arena, for hours in a blistering heatwave, with nothing but SUVs with blacked-out windows to glimpse at.
Police have shutdown the streets near and around Madison Square Garden, allowing access only to those working the event or attending as guests. It’s believed about 500 vehicles, transporting most of the purported 1000 guests, will be allowed through the blockade.
The prenup clause one lawyer says Swift would want axed
As reported by The New York Times’ Aruni Soni, confidentiality is another unique issue that’s typical for celebrities to address in a prenup.
Confidentiality clauses prevent couples from talking about the details of their marriage or divorce. But Ziegler Law Group founding partner Vikki Ziegler said she would ask for a carve-out in that clause for Swift.
“I would probably do an exception tied to her work as a songwriter because, literally, her art is her business,” she said.
“That’s what makes her wealth,” Ziegler added. “She talks about love and about heartbreak. I would probably be excluding anything that she says about him in the confidentiality clause in the prenup.”
It’s a love story, baby just sign here: Inside the rumoured prenup
When Swift and Kelce say “I do”, they’re not just sealing a union between themselves with a kiss – they’re merging two enormous, lucrative brands.
Following her $US2 billion ($2.9 billion) box office blockbuster Eras Tour, Swift’s estimated net worth is $US2.1 billion ($3.04 billion). She also has an extensive property portfolio stretching from New York, to Tennessee, Rhode Island and California.
Kelce, meanwhile, has an estimated net worth of $US70 million ($101 million) to $US90 million ($130 million), amassed through his NFL contract, brand partnerships, New Heights podcast, and more.
It’s safe to say a lot is at stake. As reported by The New York Times writer Aruni Soni, a prenuptial agreement would clarify what would happen to their finances in the event of a divorce, helping them avoid a messy, public split.
Celebrities spotted en route to Madison Square Garden
As with the Met Gala, paparazzi are lying in wait outside nearby hotels, hoping to catch a glimpse of high-profilers who may be heading to the top secret nuptials.
Swift’s longtime best friend Abigail Anderson has been spotted leaving the Ritz-Carlton. Actors Bradley Cooper – who is dating Swift’s other longtime friend Gigi Hadid – and Dakota Johnson have also been snapped leaving their hotels, as has LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Meanwhile, on the Associated Press livestream, a crowd is singing Love Story outside Madison Square Garden and cheering as guests arrive on foot. At the time of writing, 5165 people are watching the livestream.
Trump jumps on Swift wedding fever
Longtime critic of Taylor Swift, US President Donald Trump, is facing a quandary. Why, oh why, is no one paying attention to his big beautiful celebrations of the United States of America’s 250th birthday? (Well, the type of attention he wants anyway. Trolls are having a field day with the way the trouble-plagued events are panning out).
We can think of a few reasons. Firstly, the FIFA World Cup (go Socceroos!). Secondly, Miss Americana herself – also known as the Shakespeare of pop – is tying the knot with one of the greatest NFL tight ends of all time. We’re a bit busy.
White House staffers clearly understand this memo, and took to X (formerly Twitter) to try and get in on the action.
“It’s been a long time coming…” read the caption of a post, which included an imitation of Swift’s Eras Tour poster, headlined by Trump with his fist raised and iconic moments from the USA’s history – including the moon landing – in the background. It was shared as Swift and Kelce’s rehearsal dinner was underway in New York City.
Will Swift turn to Elizabeth Taylor for her wedding ring?
When Taylor Swift attended a friend’s wedding in Brooklyn in May, she may have dropped a diamond-encrusted hint about her wedding jewellery.
At the wedding warm-up, Swift dazzled in a gold Maria Lucia Hohan Allar silk dress, but the real sparkles came courtesy of her heroine Elizabeth Taylor. On the arm of fiance Travis Kelce, Swift stepped out wearing a Darlene De Sedle 22-carat gold and opal diamond suite that once belonged to Taylor.
With their deep pockets, Kelce and Swift could easily have tracked down other Taylor pieces for their wedding day.
The real scene-stealer would be the 33-carat Krupp Diamond ring, later renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. The ring was a gift from Taylor’s husband from her fifth and sixth weddings, actor Richard Burton. Footage of the diamond appeared in Swift’s video for the song Elizabeth Taylor.
Police close streets around Madison Square Garden as SUVs converge
“Is that Seth Meyers?” “Wait… no.” “Blonde lady on the sidewalk… who’s that?”
Those interactions just about sum up what’s happening on the Associated Press′ livestream from outside Madison Square Garden, when the sound isn’t drowned out from law enforcement sirens. The New York Police Department has shut down several streets near and around the venue, including 33rd Street and the west side of 7th Avenue, which are closed to pedestrian traffic.
With most high-profilers rolling into a curtained marquee via SUVs with blacked-out windows, the most excitement so far has come from staff, security and media who bear a passing resemblance to any A-lister who has ever publicly interacted with Swift and Kelce in their decades-long careers, or anonymous guests they cavort with in private.
Let’s hope Selena Gomez feels generous enough to give us another behind-the-scenes glimpse on Instagram, but with the event’s no-phones policy, that’s unlikely.
Who will rock the microphone?
This is the wedding of one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Of course there will be singing.
As we’ve already mentioned, Stevie Nicks is practically a shoo-in to pick up the mic at some point. The best thing would be a Nicks-Swift duet of the Rhiannon and You Belong With Me medley, which they sang together at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
Elsewhere, it has been rumoured that Tim McGraw, who inspired Swift’s debut single, will perform, as well as the one and only Sir Paul McCartney. I mean, what a line-up.
And Swift herself has said just try keeping Sheeran away from the microphone. The two are incredibly close friends, with the latter appearing in her recent documentary, The End of an Era, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he serenaded the newlyweds with Thinking Out Loud or Perfect.
As for Swift, it’s difficult to envision her declining the opportunity to sing Paper Rings, Lover or Mary’s Song in her actual wedding gown. Cue many tears from the audience.
A friendship bracelet and a dream: How the Swift-Kelce union came to be
When Taylor Swift took the stage in Glendale, Arizona, for her first Eras Tour show on March 17, 2023, fans believed she was still with her partner of more than six years, British actor Joe Alwyn. By April 9, it was confirmed the former couple’s relationship had broken down.
What followed was a whirlwind few months, which saw Swift engage in a brief (and controversial) romance with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy while traversing the US to entertain her army of fans, night after night.
By the end of the 149-show, 51-city, two-year tour, Swift was dating her future husband.
Here’s how Swift and Kelce’s romance unfolded.
Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? It’s time for Swift and Kelce to tie the knot
Today’s the day, folks! After yesterday’s rehearsal dinner, it’s all but confirmed that Taylor Swift is taking her magnetic force of a man – Travis Kelce – to be her lawfully wedded lover from RIGHT NOW at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
According to the New York Times, today’s purported 1000-guest event has a no-phone policy for all vendors, security and guests.
Judging from the fact we got absolutely zero glimpse inside the 100-guest rehearsal dinner at the arena’s Infosys Theatre on Thursday (Friday AEST) – and from an Associated Press photo showing a check-in station with the instructions “HAVE IDENTIFICATION OUT” and “HAVE DEVICES READY” – it’s unlikely we’ll see anything from the couple’s nuptials that they don’t want us looking at.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t share anything with us, or that fans and reporters on the ground in The Big Apple won’t have updates from outside the venue.
Stay with us as we bring you rolling coverage of what Swifties are calling the wedding of the century, which is reportedly starting with a cocktail hour at 4pm local time (6am Saturday AEST).
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
