A stream of black SUVs pulled up to New York's Madison Square Garden under a white canopy tent on Friday, as the first guests arrived for what is expected to be the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce this weekend.
The couple, who announced their engagement in an Instagram post last August, have said almost nothing about the ceremony, but, as one music correspondent put it, 'you can't book New York's biggest indoor concert venue for an entire weekend without causing a few whispers.'
“Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding weekend kicks off as black SUVs arrive at Madison Square Garden under a white canopy.”
The nuptials represent more than two celebrities tying the knot. They'll become one of the most powerful married couples in America, with a combined wealth of almost $2.2bn (£1.6bn), and huge sway across the music, sport, film, podcast, publishing and television industries.
Their relationship began after Kelce attended Swift's Eras Tour at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on 8 July 2023. He watched from a private box but was seen meeting fans and trading friendship bracelets. Later, on his New Heights podcast, he admitted he'd tried to give Swift a bracelet with his phone number but was rejected because she was protecting her voice.
'I was a little butt-hurt I didn't get to hand her one,' he said. The clip went viral. Swift later recalled feeling like 'he was standing outside of my apartment, holding a boom box saying, "I want to go on a date with you".'
After the podcast, Swift said she had 'a lot of people whispering in my ear' encouraging her to hook up with him. She caved in over the summer. The couple went public on 24 September, when Swift cheered on Kelce's team, the Kansas City Chiefs, alongside his mother Donna. When Kelce scored a touchdown, cameras caught Swift celebrating with an enthusiastic, 'Let's ****ing go!'.
Not everyone is charmed by the spectacle. The couple have been labelled 'tacky' for hosting the wedding at Madison Square Garden, with critics accusing them of seizing the moment to promote Kelce's podcast and even make new content. Writing in the New Statesman, one commentator described the wedding as 'the real American love story: a blonde popstar beleaguered by love burned and broken and lost, meeting the champion footballer.'
For Swift's fans, however, this is the culmination of a two-decade fairytale. As one source put it, 'for Swifties, this is the culmination of a two-decade fairytale.'