New York (AFP) – The first act of pop sensation Taylor Swift’s wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce kicked off Thursday, with a rehearsal dinner for 100 guests ahead of a star-studded extravaganza at the famed Madison Square Garden. The billionaire singer and three-time Super Bowl champion, both 36, have kept fans guessing, but media reports describe an over-the-top celebration befitting one of the world’s most famous couples.
The A-list festivities kicked off Thursday evening with an exclusive dinner for 100 invitees at the Garden, the storied sports arena in the heart of Manhattan. An AFP correspondent saw a succession of SUVs, believed to be carrying guests, arriving into a privacy tent outside the Garden while fans buzzed around nearby for a peek at the action. “She is the biggest thing in America — like she is our royalty, she is our queen, she is everything,” said Alyssa Heinen, 24, from Manhattan. “We are just so happy that she found the love of her life and he happens to also be such a big deal that it feels like a royal wedding to us.”
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The wedding itself will reportedly take place Friday with around 1,000 guests, including models Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, singer Selena Gomez and actress Zoe Kravitz — all known to be close Swift pals. Kelce’s teammates from the Kansas City Chiefs are also expected to be on hand. Rumor has it that Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw, both close to Swift, will perform. British artists Ed Sheeran — another Swift pal — and Paul McCartney may also go on stage. Guests are said to have signed confidentiality agreements and will not be allowed to have their phones during the ceremony, which is expected to begin with mid-afternoon cocktails before a reception going into the night.
On Wednesday, a worker unloading a truck near the Garden was seen wearing a Taylor Swift T-shirt, while on Thursday a police officer was photographed by an eagle-eyed photographer holding documents marked “Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding.”
The nuptials come as New York and its police are stretched to the limit on a holiday weekend that will include July Fourth celebrations and a World Cup match, both taking place in the middle of a sizzling heat wave. Swifties, as the megastar’s fans are known, flocked to Big Apple locations mentioned in their idol’s lyrics ahead of the nuptials. Among the hotspots Thursday were the “Bus Stop Cafe” in the West Village, which Swift is known to have visited, and nearby Cornelia Street which lends its name to the hit song.
Rumors have been rampant for weeks over the couple’s wedding, with no official confirmation, but clues have multiplied around Madison Square Garden. A procession of trucks and forklifts has been outside the arena for several days, while police and National Guard troops have a visibly increased presence at the landmark. Several surrounding streets are closed. The couple, who announced their engagement last August, appear to already be in New York. Swift’s private jet landed nearby on Tuesday and her car was seen in the city. Meanwhile, Kelce was photographed jogging in Manhattan.
Madison Square Garden includes both an arena and a smaller theater traditionally used for concerts and meetings. It is perhaps not a traditional wedding venue, but Swift would not be the first musician to marry there. Sly Stone, who died last year, was married there in June 1974 to actress Kathy Silva during a concert by his band, Sly and the Family Stone.
Ahead of any wedding festivities, the couple announced they were donating $26 million to various charities across the United States, including animal aid groups as well as organizations in Nashville, Tennessee, and Kansas City. Swift, a 14-time Grammy winner, is coming off a banner year with the success of her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a new song on the “Toy Story 5” soundtrack. Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has signed on to play for a 14th season in the National Football League. He starred on three Super Bowl-winning teams with the Chiefs and is also a co-host of the popular “New Heights” podcast alongside his brother Jason.
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