A top-secret, multimillion-dollar celebration at one of New York’s most iconic venues. More than a thousand guests – many of them celebrities – forced to sign “ironclad” non-disclosure agreements, and performers tipped to include Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks.
And let’s not forget the massive fake castle, “ginormous” mirror ball, artificial trees, street closures and FBI-level security.
To mere mortals, it may all sound a tad over-the-top, but this is the fairytale wedding of a showgirl – even if she hasn’t actually confirmed any of the above rumoured details herself.
The escalating buzz about Taylor Swift’s reported plans to tie the knot with her footballer fiance Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden over America’s Independence Day weekend has reached fever pitch this week.
US media showed food and other supplies being delivered to the venue, Page Six revealed the “wedding schedule”, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a cheeky reference on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) to the secret/not-so-secret celebration.
“My recommendation to all New Yorkers is to stay inside and stay cool,” he said, when asked about traffic disruptions as a result of the rumoured nuptials, which are said to be taking place as the city faces an historic heatwave.
“If you happen to be getting married at Madison Square Garden, you will be staying inside and you will be staying cool,” he joked.
Mamdani also alluded to the Swift wedding in a social media post, saying he was advising people what they should know about the predicted extreme heat – “especially if you’re (hypothetically) having your wedding at MSG this weekend”.
Although there had still been no official confirmation from the couple at the time of going to press, Associated Press cited a law enforcement official who said they had been briefed on the security plans. Other outlets have reported that a permit was requested for a large event at the MSG this weekend.
Given that Swift and Kelce’s engagement announcement on Instagram last year attracted more than 37 million likes, many of them within hours of being posted, it’s not surprising that Swifties are going ga-ga over all the wedding details.
It was equally predictable that the couple’s efforts to keep such a large-scale production under wraps would have the opposite effect.
“The idea of the world’s biggest music star having a top-secret wedding with more than 1000 guests at a sports arena in the biggest city in the country is inherently absurd,” commented US entertainment website The Hollywood Reporter this week.
It cited reports that claimed some guests have become frustrated over the secrecy, and that one worker was even fired for trying to take a photo of a fairytale castle being constructed at Madison Square Garden.
An NBC News journalist who reported that she had spoken to one of the guests said they told her they had received an electronic invitation that was “very vague”.
“It said be in New York July 2nd through the 4th – so this coming weekend – no cell phones and nothing about the venue. Nothing about where it was going to be.
“There were also NDAs that you had to sign to click through … there were a lot of them.”
According to the Page Six report, 100 guests are expected at a rehearsal dinner at a theatre inside MSG on July 2 (July 3 AEST).
It said 1000 people were set to attend the full wedding ceremony, scheduled to take place between 3.30pm and 2am the following day, where performers will include Stevie Nicks and country singer Tim McGraw.
Early speculation that the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, would be among the guests has since been denied. However, other frequently mentioned names include pop star Selena Gomez, actors Emma Stone and Adrien Brody, model Gigi Hadid, and singers Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter – both of whom were seen in New York this week.
The rent for Madison Square Garden is said to be around $US3 million ($A4.35 million), and some reports have claimed the total cost of the wedding could hit $US20 million ($A29 million).
Celebrity gossip columnist and self-described “OG Swifty” Perez Hilton is among those who have been breathlessly covering all the buzz surrounding the wedding, including a rumour that the FBI “will be keeping everybody safe”.
“Vendors have begun loading in all that needs to be assembled for the wedding and celebration – and that includes a giant castle that is being built… yes – a giant castle!” Perez said this week.
“And there will also be a garden and a ginormous mirror ball, because remember, there’s going to be some performances.”
Although the hype has had everyone’s eyes firmly focussed on Madison Square Garden, some Swift watchers suggest the couple may quietly exchange vows in private.
One “insider” told Page Six earlier this week that they might even already be married.
“I think it’s possible it’s already happened,” they said.
–with AAP
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