American popstar Taylor Swift and NFL tight end Travis Kelce have gotten married, a spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
“Taylor & Travis did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, her brother Austin Swift served as Taylor’s Man of Honor and Jason Kelce was Travis’ Best Man,” the spokesperson said.
“The ceremony joined both families together and was officiated by friend Adam Sandler.”
Celebrity crowd
Celebrity guests in tuxedos and gowns arrived at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Friday for what was widely expected to be a glitzy wedding celebration for pop music megastar Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce, the couple that has enchanted fans around the world with a three-year love story.
Jennifer Lopez, Ed Sheeran, Ethan Hawke, Abby Wambach, Jimmy Fallon and other luminaries were spotted entering the venue on a sweltering day when temperatures topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
Black sport utility vehicles snarled traffic as they drove into the facility, stopping when workers asked occupants to show electronic tickets for verification.
“Watch your toes!” yelled a person at the checkpoint to the crowd while guests’ cars passed a few feet away. Dozens of onlookers stood behind barriers outside the event dubbed “America’s royal wedding.” One showed off a pink-and-white friendship bracelet that read “Team Bride.” Another held a handmade sign that put a spin on a Swift lyric. “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight to MSG,” it said.
Jane Lowry, a 15-year-old high school student from Texas who came to New York on vacation, climbed scaffolding across the street from the Garden to catch a glimpse of arriving celebrities.
“I wanted to see Taylor Swift because I do really like her music,” Lowry said, adding that she had spotted only two football players from her vantage point.
Swift has documented her romances and breakups in her music, and Lowry said she looked forward to the singer’s album releases during her marriage. “I think she’ll write some cute songs about it,” she said. While neither Swift nor Kelce has confirmed plans publicly, the New York Post’s Page Six reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that the two had already wed. Reuters was unable to confirm that report.
Days of setup
Workers spent days this week unloading food and scenery for a major event into the iconic Manhattan arena. Lights atop the Empire State Building were set to turn light blue on Friday evening, a nod to the adage that “something blue” at a wedding brings good luck, according to a social media account for the landmark. U.S. media have reported the pair plan a cocktail hour for 1,000 people at the start of a long holiday weekend when the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from British rule. The couple through a publicist on Thursday said they had donated $26 million to several charities in the city and elsewhere this week.
Country music star Dolly Parton thanked Swift and Kelce on social media on Friday for a $2 million donation to her charity, which sends free books to children. While she made no mention of a wedding, Parton’s post included a playful nod to any children the couple may have in the future.
“It’s evident that you two have made giving back a key part of your life. So, hey, when you have the firstborn, can I have it? Because that is going to be one special baby,” Parton said.
Public courtship
The couple’s love story began in 2023 when Kelce tried unsuccessfully to meet Swift backstage at one of her concerts, but succeeded in capturing her attention and warming her heart by recounting his disappointment on a podcast. Both are 36 years old. As the relationship grew, they appeared publicly together at her concerts, his Kansas City Chiefs games and on “Saturday Night Live,” leading to an August 2025 engagement announcement on Instagram that read “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
One of the most successful musicians of all time, the writer of “Love Story” and “Shake It Off” has won 14 Grammy Awards and shattered records with a global concert tour that made her a billionaire.
Kelce, among the National Football League’s best-known players, helped the Kansas City Chiefs win three Super Bowls alongside star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He also co-hosts the popular sports and pop culture podcast “New Heights.”
‘Very proud moment’
Kelce first tried to meet Swift after she performed at Kansas City, Missouri’s Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs, as part of her Eras Tour, a retrospective of her two-decade career. He failed to make it through security and said on his podcast that he was “a little butthurt” he did not get the chance to meet Swift and give her a friendship bracelet bearing his phone number.
Swift was charmed, recounting on a later “New Heights” episode that the gesture reminded her of “an ’80s John Hughes movie, and he was just like, standing outside of my window with a boombox and being like, ‘I want to date you.'”
She said she thought, “If this guy isn’t crazy, which is a big if, this is sort of what I’ve been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager.”