After months of speculation and predictions, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married as they celebrated their wedding with hundreds of guests Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
A representative for Swift confirmed in a statement provided to CBS News that the two were married in a ceremony officiated by comedian Adam Sandler.
The couple had no bridesmaids or groomsmen. Swift’s brother, Austin Swift, served as her “Man of Honor,” the representative said, while Kelce’s brother, retired NFL offensive lineman Jason Kelce, served as Kelce’s best man.
According to Swift’s representative, her wedding dress was created by Christian Dior Haute Couture.
The couple welcomed around 1,000 guests at Madison Square Garden to celebrate their marriage, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the security planning. It was not immediately clear if the wedding ceremony occurred at Madison Square Garden, or at some point before.
Large black SUVs were seen starting to arrive at the famous venue shortly after 3 p.m. ET, pulling into white tents set up outside. The plans included a cocktail hour, ceremony and then a reception, with the celebration expected to stretch into the early hours Saturday, the sources told CBS News.
A large crowd of onlookers and fans lined the streets near the arena, donning signs of support and hoping to catch a glimpse of those attending the wedding. Some of the guests spotted arriving included actors Hugh Grant, Jason Sudeikis and Ethan Hawke, soccer star Abby Wambach, sports broadcaster Joe Buck, musician Benson Boone, NFL star Cooper Kupp, and Paulina Gretzky, daughter of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
A rehearsal dinner was held at MSG Thursday, with about 100 family and friends on the guest list. Some of Swift’s friends, including Lena Dunham and her childhood friend, Abigail Anderson Berard, were spotted arriving for the dinner, USA Today Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West told “CBS Mornings” Friday.
Both private security and the New York City Police Department were in place at Madison Square Garden. There are 135 officers assigned around the venue Friday, law enforcement sources said.
Streets directly around MSG were closed, and there were police barricades blocking pedestrians from camping out on the sidewalks nearby.
The event featured musical entertainment, and crews built a massive set inside the arena for the occasion.
“This is going to be an absolute, spectacular blowout,” People magazine editor-in-chief Charlotte Triggs told “CBS Mornings.” “According to a source, it doesn’t look at all the same inside. They’ve completely transformed it.”
Details from inside the venue were hard to come by. But reporters had been watching for days as a parade of 18-wheelers delivered and unloaded supplies, mostly under wraps.
It was safe to assume the famed basketball arena and concert venue was decked out for a one-of-a-kind celebration, celebrity event planners told CBS News, with one comparing the process to producing a “blockbuster movie.”
West predicted there would be a bucolic garden theme. Watching as things were unloaded, West said he saw a bar stretcher labeled “trees.”
“So I’m picturing kind of like a forest or a garden,” he said.
Triggs said Swift’s familiarity with Madison Square Garden made it an appealing option for the couple.
“I think for most people, this seems like the weirdest choice in the world, but for her, this is spot-on. It has total security. Also keep in mind, she’s very familiar with it. She performed there multiple times,” Triggs said.
The extravagant affair came three years after Kelce attended one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Kansas City — and called her out on his podcast after he didn’t get to meet her.
