Taylor Swift's rumored wedding celebrations begin with star-studded New York event

NEW YORK — The first day of wedding celebrations for Taylor Swift and her fiancé Travis Kelce wrapped at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, but there’s still more to come on Friday.The big day, according to people familiar with the planning, will feature a cocktail hour, wedding celebration and then a reception.The pop music megastar and National Football League player Kelce are married, the New York Post reported on Thursday, citing multiple unnamed sources amid preparations for theexpected celebration at Madison ​Square Garden.The couple, both 36, exchanged vows in front of a “tiny group of loved ones,” the media 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, the city where she lived early in her career.An event believed to be the rehearsal dinner kicked off the couple’s multi-day nuptial festivities on Thursday. It’s unclear exactly what the expected celebrations could look like on the inside, but a parade of decor and supplies, including knobby tree branches and boxes of alcohol and lobster meat, were spotted being wheeled into the arena.Fans and reporters outside the storied venue waited to catch a glimpse of the wedding decor or famous guests at what some have called a “royal wedding.” But extensive security and privacy measures were put in place, making it nearly impossible.High-profile friends of the couple, from actress Lena Dunham to frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff were spotted Thursday evening in formal attire.Aerial footage showed a stream of black SUVs pulling up to the venue with guests dropped off under a white canopy tent. Media speculation has dubbed the event both a pre-party and possible rehearsal dinner.Around 100 people were expected at the event on Thursday, ahead of a much larger celebration on Friday boasting up to 1,000 guests at the arena.Throughout the day on Thursday, a small army of cops sweated it out in asphalt-curdling heat while camera crews tried to catch a glimpse of anything that would confirm what was happening inside the arena, which is home to multiple sports teams in the city.Celebrity gossip outlet TMZ fired up a live feed of what appeared to be one of the Garden’s loading bays, where for several hours one could watch stationary forklifts and the occasional event staffer sneaking a cigarette.Viewers who tuned in at approximately 18:00 ET (22:00 GMT) could see, in real time, as several men in cargo shorts hauled cardboard boxes from the back of a van.Reporters chronicled every metal barricade plunked down by police and each time people were told to move back from areas near the arena, to make way for the event and guests.Cameras spotted a large sign near an entrance that warned those going inside the venue from 29 June to 3 July would be consenting to video and photos being taken inside the arena for an “event”, suggesting there was perhaps filming happening inside during the preparations.A permit for the events on Thursday and Friday obtained by the Associated Press said about 100 guests would start arriving around 17:30 ET for a “pre-party night”, which would go until 22:30 ET.A large white canopy tent sitting outside the venue was to be used for guest arrivals, though VIPs like Swift and Kelce still planned to use underground entry to the arena for added privacy.”I’m here to see the alleged wedding,” said Swift fan Ryan Weng, “because I’ve been loving her for more than 15 years, so it’s going to be a very, very amazing and irreplaceable experience for me and my entire life.”Fellow fan Rusty Carbaug, a pilot in her 30s who dropped by the Garden to wish Swift well, donned a Kansas-themed T-shirt in honor of Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.”I feel like I grew in my music taste with her,” said Carbaug, adding: “The right man for her is whoever she chooses.”New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an astute student of both politics and pop culture, has coyly alluded to the wedding chatter during press conferences.City officials confirmed that somebody applied for street closure permits in the area, but did not reveal whom.But the city is not likely to have shut down Manhattan’s busiest corridor on a holiday weekend for just anybody. And this is not just any holiday weekend, it’s 4 July weekend marking America’s 250th birthday while the city also hosts the World Cup.Paparazzi captured images of Antonoff, Swift’s longtime producer, sporting a tux and a toothpick dangling out of his mouth, reportedly heading to Thursday’s event at the Garden.His sister Rachel Antonoff, a designer, followed closely behind in a bubblegum-pink dress.Famed American sports broadcaster Erin Andrews was also seen in a silver sparkly gown and Swift’s longtime publicist, Tree Paine, wore a light blue dress.US tabloid Page Six reported Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid, a longtime member of Swift’s friend circle, had also arrived at the venue.Pop star and actress Selena Gomez posted images of herself on Instagram wearing a black gown with gem earrings and heading to an unspecified event.People Magazine published a video of Dunham, who created the series Girls, being chauffeured through Manhattan in a black SUV.Though Madison Square Garden is a core piece of New York iconography, it is not exactly aesthetically pleasing. It is an imposing black puck of a building squatted over the most claustrophobic transit hub in America.For many who know New York and the sports arena, it was difficult to imagine an artist so careful with imagery tying the knot inside, where no amount of floral arrangements could disguise the fact that it is a six-decade-old sports venue whose floors are laminated with generations of sweat and beer.University of Mississippi students Elizabeth Maxey, 21 and Hayden Mason, 19, initially did not believe their favorite singer would actually choose the Garden.But when they heard about the street closures, they realised, “OK, this is gonna be something real. It’s gonna be happening”, Mason said.Even if the venue was unexpected, Swift’s loyal fans were prepared to celebrate regardless.Laura Bonne, a 20-year-old tourist visiting from Belgium who was waiting outside the Garden, praised Swift’s decision on the venue. “I think its nice because she’ll have a lot of privacy.”