The sound of wedding bells is currently being drowned out by the noise of paparazzi and chauffeured cars pulling up outside Madison Square Garden, as celebrations are in full swing for the marriage of popstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
On Thursday, blacked-out SUVs believed to be carrying the happy couple arrived at the venue around 4pm EST for the rumoured rehearsal dinner, before their close friends, including Bradley Cooper, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, Abigail Anderson, Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff, were spotted making their way to the venue.
We’ve now arrived at the big day, where a cocktail hour will be held before the wedding ceremony at 5.30 p.m. A reception is expected to conclude proceedings, with up to 1,000 guests anticipated to attend and dance the night away, celebrating Swift and Kelce’s “Love Story” until the early hours.
There has been speculation that the couple may be “already married” after exchanging vows in front of what the publication calls a “tiny group of loved ones,” according to the New York Post.
Meanwhile, Travis and his brother Jason surprised fans by revealing that Prince William will be their guest on a special pre-recorded episode of their podcast New Heights, out today at 12pm EST, just hours before guests begin to arrive at Travis and Taylor’s wedding.
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Taylor Swift's wedding at Madison Square Garden - key points
- What is the schedule for Taylor and Travis's wedding today?
- Dolly Parton sends sweet thank you message to Taylor and Travis
- Prince William to appear on New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce
- Are they already married?
- Who's the mastermind behind Taylor and Travis's wedding of the decade?
NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani reveals his favourite Taylor Swift songs
16:01 , Roisin O'ConnorAhead of Taylor and Travis’s wedding at MSG, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has been enjoying the media circus surrounding his city on 4 July weekend.
He’s now told the New York Times about his favourite Taylor Swift songs, revealing that “Only the Young” caught his attention in 2020 when he was running for office for the first time, for a state assembly seat in Queens.
According to his office spokesperson, he then found himself listening to 11 other of Swift’s songs the following year, when he met his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, on the dating app Hinge.
These are:
“Love Story”
“my tears ricochet”
“I Forgot That You Existed”
“Dress”
“Cruel Summer”
“Delicate”
“I Know Places,”
“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”
“I Think He Knows”
“London Boy”
“August”
Meet the rumoured mastermind who helped plan Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce
16:01 , Roisin O'ConnorIt’s only the best for Taylor and Travis, and that will certainly apply to the person planning this huge wedding of theirs.
US media are reporting that the mastermind behind the wedding of the decade is none other than Mark Seed, enigmatic planner of unions between some of the world’s biggest celebrities.
Seed is known for avoiding the spotlight, avoiding interviews and social media and rarely discusses his clients. So it makes sense that he’s a go-to favourite for anyone wanting to maintain a level of privacy. “He is renowned for never, ever talking about his clients,” Page Six reports. NBC also reported that guests were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of the invitation process and were informed of the wedding’s no-phones policy.
Among the weddings Seed has planned are, People reports, Jennifer Lawrence’s Rhode Island wedding in 2019, Billie Lourd’s Mexico nuptials in 2022, and, most tellingly, the wedding of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley in New Jersey in 2023, which Swift attended.
One client of Seed’s, actor and producer Sam Ressler, called him a “genius” in an interview with Vogue in 2022, after he planned her wedding to real estate developer Jason Borg: “He made everything so easy, fun and seamless,” she said. “He’s basically a genius and has the chillest energy. He’s also incapable of panic. He can right-size any problem and can put things in perspective. He really gets that this should just be a celebration of love and a fun experience to plan.”
After eyebrows were raised over Swift’s chosen venue, Madison Square Garden (a smelly basketball court?!), many pointed out that the pop megastar’s deep pockets would certainly help transform any venue into her dream wedding location. Aided by Seed, you can throw away any notions of guests sitting on a sticky arena floor: “He can build something spectacular out of nothing,” a source told Page Six.
How much are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce paying for their MSG wedding extravaganza? Here’s what experts say
15:46 , Roisin O'ConnorTaylor Swift is getting protection befitting a head of state for her epic July 4 weekend wedding to Travis Kelce — in New York City's Madison Square Garden — with beefed-up private security and a phalanx of police on hand, experts say.
The reigning princess of pop and her future NFL Hall-of-Fame fiancé will likely spend between $3 million and $5 million just to safeguard their two-day, celebrity-studded celebrations, former Secret Service agent Bill Gage told The Independent.
The couple hosted as many as 100 guests in the Garden on Thursday, and expects 1,000 on Friday, and the cost would cover weeks of advance work, as well as pairing up Swift's personal security team with every MSG security worker and staffing a remote operations center to monitor potential threats, he said.
Experts explain the sobering costs of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s MSG wedding
'Why wouldn’t Taylor Swift get married in the heart of New York City, it’s a rich person’s playground after all'
15:33 , Roisin O'ConnorNew York is now a rich person's playground dressed up as a liveable city. Of course, Swift, Travis Kelce and their wealthy friends want to have a wedding party right in the middle of it over the major America 250 holiday. But the happy couple are the symptom rather than the disease, writes Holly Baxter
Why wouldn’t Taylor Swift get married in NYC, it’s a rich person’s playground
Dolly Parton sends sweet thank you message to Taylor and Travis
15:30 , Roisin O'ConnorDolly Parton has shared a message of thanks to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after their generous donation of $2m to her Imagination Library, which promotes literacy for children.
It was revealed days ahead of what is being dubbed the wedding of the decade that Swift and Kelce had donated a total of around $26m to a number of different charities, many of them based in cities close to either or both of them.
Parton posted the message to her Instagram account, saying she was “blown away and overjoyed” at their gift.
She also seemed to jokingly suggest the couple give Parton their firstborn child, “as that is gonna be one special baby!”
“You know, the mission of the Dollywood Foundation is to dream more, care more, learn more and be more, and thank you again for your very generous gift, and we’ll continue that mission in even bigger ways now, with your money. And know that I will always love you,” she added, singing the last part to the tune of her hit song.
Taylor Swift is worth around $1.9 billion more than Travis Kelce — here’s what their prenup might look like
15:15 , Roisin O'ConnorLegal experts tell Ellie Muirthat ‘one of the most sophisticated prenuptial documents ever drafted’ is likely ahead of Swift’s rumored wedding to the NFL star at Madison Square Garden today
Here’s what Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s prenup might look like
VIDEO: Taylor Swift reveals Travis' 'favourite' track on her album 'The Life of a Showgirl'
15:03 , Roisin O'ConnorTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce donate $26 million to 20 charities ahead of MSG wedding
14:33 , Roisin O'ConnorThe A-list couple donated to food banks, children’s hospitals and after-school programs
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce donate $26 million to 20 charities ahead of MSG wedding
Prince William is surprise guest on Travis Kelce’s podcast ahead of Taylor Swift wedding
14:27 , Roisin O'ConnorThe Prince of Wales is set to feature on the popular New Heights podcast, co-hosted by American football star Travis Kelce, just as Kelce prepares to marry pop sensation Taylor Swift.
William will chat with the American football player, who is expected to tie the knot with the pop superstar later on Friday at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Travis co-hosts the podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, a retired American football player, who introduced William to their listeners as a "six-foot-three prince from London, England".
Prince William is surprise guest on Travis Kelce’s podcast on wedding day
Food and props carried into Madison Square Garden
14:14 , Roisin O'ConnorVendors have been sighted carrying in more items for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s expected wedding festivities today, with New York City’s 31st Street blocked off towards Madison Square Garden.
CNN reports that a team carried flour, pizza sauce and tomatoes into the venue, along with portable air conditioning units that arrived this morning, and large bunches of bushy green foliage.
Taylor Swift expert offers predictions on Travis Kelce wedding and explains why MSG is a great venue choice
14:02 , Roisin O'ConnorA leading expert on Taylor Swift and her music has rejected the suggestion from some critics that marriage will negatively affect her songwriting, as the pop megastar prepares to wed her NFL star partner Travis Kelce.
Professor Stephanie Burt, who made headlines in 2024 when she launched a seminar on Swift at Harvard University, also published a book last year titled Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift.
Speaking to The Independent, Professor Burt said Swift was too “inventive” to let being happily in love deprive her of inspiration.
More here:
Taylor Swift expert gives her predictions on the wedding of the decade
Is Prince William going to recreate his Bon Jovi moment at Taylor Swift's wedding?
14:01 , Roisin O'ConnorMaybe I’m putting 2 + 2 together and coming up with 13, but music cases have been spotted being wheeled into Madison Square Garden bearing Bon Jovi’s stamp... and Prince William is a special guest on today’s episode (they usually air on Wednesdays... huh!) of New Heights with Travis and Jason Kelce.
Prince William and Swift famously joined Bon Jovi onstage to serenade the audience with “Living on a Prayer” during a charity ball in 2013. Swift also snapped a selfie with the heir to the British throne and his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, backstage during her one of her Eras Tour shows in London at Wembley Stadium in 2024.
So... while Prince William has only joked, not confirmed, about attending Swift and Kelce’s wedding, could there be plans to reunite them onstage together at a raucous karaoke session with Bon Jovi?
VIDEO: Taylor Swift belts out 'Love Story' with Travis Kelce and teammates
13:34 , Roisin O'ConnorWill being married change Taylor Swift's songwriting?
13:15 , Roisin O'ConnorWhen Taylor first got engaged, I saw a few tedious predictions that this would negatively affect her songwriting, so I asked Professor Stephanie Burt, a Swift expert who teaches a course on the pop star at Harvard University, what she thought.
“I think that having the time and space to write the next album on her own terms will positively affect her songwriting – last time she thought she was happily in love, she wrote Lover!, which was a mixed bag but had some great songs, including both love songs and triple helpings of angst,” she pointed out, adding that Swift is too “inventive” to let being happily in love affect her songwriting prowess.
“I worry about many things, but not about a decline in her powers. I do think she'd benefit from finding new collaborators and co-writers – finding Aaron Dessner helped so much [on Swift’s albums Folklore and Evermore]. Space and time are what she needs.”
The schedule for Taylor and Travis's wedding today
13:01 , Roisin O'ConnorVia the Associated Press, citing the city permit granted for the events at Madison Square Garden:
July 3
12:01 a.m. – 11:59 p.m EST Full street closure: W. 31st St between 7th ave / 8th ave
12:01 a.m. – 12 p.m.Cabaret tent box trucks arrive & build starts / ends for main (2nd tent) 25ft x 180ft drive through tent – see site plan
2 p.m.Crew call
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.Doors open / Guests arrive
5 p.m. – 12 a.m.Event
July 4
12:01 a.m. – 4 a.m.Event cont.
4 a.m. – 12 p.m.Tent strike & load out, full closure still in effect
12 p.m. – 7 p.m.Load out continues / ends
Inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s ultimate love story as wedding preparations ramp up
12:30 , Roisin O'ConnorA timeline of the couple’s romance ahead of the wedding of the decade:
Inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s ultimate love story as wedding prep ramps up
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds spotted hundreds of miles away from Taylor and Travis wedding
12:17 , Roisin O'ConnorTaylor Swift’s former bestie Blake Lively has been spotted with husband Ryan Reynolds a couple of hundred miles away from where the wedding is taking place, no doubt fuelling speculation that they won’t be attending the pop star’s big day.
TMZ shared photos showing Lively and Reynolds cheering on their daughter, Betty, as she competed in a horse show on Thursday in Lake Placid, New York, while Travis and Taylor held their rehearsal dinner with 100 close friends and family - including Lena Dunham, Jack Antonoff, Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid.
Swift and Lively were rumoured to have grown distant amid Lively’s headline-generating legal battle with Justin Baldoni, as Swift is believed to have been frustrated when her name was dragged into the row over the film It Ends With Us.
Just in: Prince William to appear on New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce
12:09 , Roisin O'ConnorOK, so this is quite the turn of events... Prince William is a special guest on Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast.
The news was revealed just now on the show’s official Instagram account, complete with a wild introduction from Jason Kelce.
“Our guest today is the 6ft 3 prince from London, England,” Jason began, “that’s right, the president of the English Football Association, the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Cornwall, the Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Earl of Chester and the Prince of Wales... please welcome his royal highness Prince William!”
“That is quite an intro guys, amazing,” Prince William said.
“We had to do it big, had to,” Jason responded.
The full episode will be released at 12pm EST or 5pm BST.
Inside Swift’s forgotten English chapter and how she left her ‘quiet’ London era behind
12:01 , Roisin O'Connor
Inside Swift’s forgotten English chapter and how her ‘quiet’ era ended
'I'm glad Taylor Swift isn't doing a destination wedding'
11:42 , Roisin O'ConnorProfessor Stephanie Burt, a Harvard professor who teaches a course on Taylor Swift, admitted she was surprised to learn the wedding was being held at Madison Square Garden until she learned about “how good the facilities are at MSG for practical things like crowd control, tunnels, security, and getting people and things in and out of the building without getting mobbed by paparazzi and irrational fans”.
“Given the initial decision to do a big ceremony, MSG seems like a good choice,” she said. “Also a lot of her friends live in NYC: imagine the carbon footprint if 100 of her pals decided to fly to a remote location. I’m glad she’s not doing a destination wedding!”
'Taylor Swift is engaged to the all-American Travis Kelce, and it makes so much sense
11:29 , Roisin O'ConnorThe world’s biggest pop star is marrying ‘the guy on the Chiefs’ in what feels like a Hollywood ending for one of our most incurable romantics. Back when Swift and Kelce announced their engagement, I wrote this piece about why, for all the ‘London boys’ of her past, it was inevitable that Kelce would be the one to deliver Swift’s John Hughes moment.
Why Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s all-American romance makes so much sense
Ellie Goulding and boyfriend Beau Minniear spotted at Heathrow
11:12 , Roisin O'ConnorUK pop singer Ellie Goulding was spotted flying out of Heathrow with her boyfriend, actor Beau Minniear, seemingly en route to Taylor Swift’s wedding.
Swift and Goulding are longtime friends, having performed live together during Swift’s Red tour, when Goulding surprised fans by appearing for duets of “Anything Could Happen” and “Burn”.
Who's the mastermind behind Taylor and Travis's wedding of the decade?
11:01 , Roisin O'ConnorIt’s only the best for Taylor and Travis, and that will certainly apply to the person planning this huge wedding of theirs.
US media are reporting that the mastermind behind the wedding of the decade is none other than Mark Seed, enigmatic planner of unions between some of the world’s biggest celebrities.
Seed is known for avoiding the spotlight, avoiding interviews and social media and rarely discusses his clients. So it makes sense that he’s a go-to favourite for anyone wanting to maintain a level of privacy. “He is renowned for never, ever talking about his clients,” Page Six reports. NBC also reported that guests were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of the invitation process and were informed of the wedding’s no-phones policy.
Among the weddings Seed has planned are, People reports, Jennifer Lawrence’s Rhode Island wedding in 2019, Billie Lourd’s Mexico nuptials in 2022, and, most tellingly, the wedding of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley in New Jersey in 2023, which Swift attended.
One client of Seed’s, actor and producer Sam Ressler, called him a “genius” in an interview with Vogue in 2022, after he planned her wedding to real estate developer Jason Borg: “He made everything so easy, fun and seamless,” she said. “He’s basically a genius and has the chillest energy. He’s also incapable of panic. He can right-size any problem and can put things in perspective. He really gets that this should just be a celebration of love and a fun experience to plan.”
After eyebrows were raised over Swift’s chosen venue, Madison Square Garden (a smelly basketball court?!), many pointed out that the pop megastar’s deep pockets would certainly help transform any venue into her dream wedding location. Aided by Seed, you can throw away any notions of guests sitting on a sticky arena floor: “He can build something spectacular out of nothing,” a source told Page Six.
Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid and Jack Antonoff among stars spotted at Swift-Kelce rehearsal dinner
10:32 , Roisin O'ConnorTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce kicked off their wedding celebrations on Thursday evening, with celebrity guests including Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, and Jack Antonoff spotted arriving at Madison Square Garden in New York for the couple’s rehearsal dinner.
The dinner, held inside Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater, was scheduled to run from 6pm to 10.30pm and host about 100 guests, according to CBS News, citing two law enforcement sources familiar with security planning.
Friday’s main celebration is expected to draw around 1,000 guests, with about 135 New York police officers assigned across both days and roughly 500 vehicles due to transport guests to the venue.
Selena Gomez and Jack Antonoff among stars spotted at Swift-Kelce rehearsal dinner
