07/03/26 03:04:00
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07/03 15:02 CDT Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Madison Square Garden wedding
starts soon
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Madison Square Garden wedding starts soon
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Today is a fairytale.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding is fast approaching Friday at Madison
Square Garden, where the couple's closest friends and family --- and several
hundred more --- are attending the elaborate event inside the iconic New York
venue.
Guest arrivals are well underway and Swifties were amassed outside, where the
heat was harsh and the buzz was heavy. An Associated Press camera outside the
arena showed a line of black SUVs dropping off wedding-goers.
Heavy secrecy has left plenty of blank spaces that media outlets and fans are
seeking to fill in. A city permit obtained by the AP shows that Friday's
wedding event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and could last until 4 a.m.
Excited onlookers began gathering outside MSG on Friday. 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 ahead of World Cup matches and peered out
windows.
The wedding is the latest development in the superstar singer and football
player's relationship, which has continued to thrill and fascinate millions
around the world --- particularly the Swifties, the pop star's enormous and
ardent fan base --- for the past three years ever since the pair first started
dating.
Key questions remain over how Swift and Kelce have transformed MSG into a
wedding venue fit for a billionaire and the star tight end for the Kansas City
Chiefs, as well as who may perform and who will officiate. Trucks and crews
have been going in and out of the venue for days, setting up tents and whisking
massive materials inside, setting off more speculation about MSG's makeover.
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.
Perhaps the biggest puzzle surrounds the selection of MSG. Swifties,
commentators and the public have spent weeks debating the merits of the venue,
some convincing themselves that it must be a smoke screen for the wedding to
take place elsewhere. Others pointed to the arena's lack of windows and robust
security, which would provide a rare opportunity for privacy for one of the
most public couples in the world --- and crucially, add another layer of
protection.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch has repeatedly declined
to confirm that Swift and Kelce's wedding would take place Friday at MSG but
has said the department will have appropriate resources at each major event
over the weekend, including at the venue. Still, police tried to get in on the
fun Friday morning, posting a social media video of one of its chiefs standing
outside MSG with a bullhorn tossing out a handful of not-so-veiled references
to Swift tracks, at one point saying "this weather feels like a cruel summer,"
flicking at her song "Cruel Summer."
The wedding is taking place during a jam-packed weekend even by New York's
standards. It's the July Fourth weekend, where the city will be partake in
celebrating the nation's 250th birthday. Separately, a parade of dozens of tall
ships will take place on 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.
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