Swift and Kelce Kick Off MSG Wedding with Rehearsal Dinner
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce began their highly anticipated wedding weekend on Thursday evening with an intimate rehearsal dinner at Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater in New York City, kicking off a multi-day celebration that culminates in Friday’s main ceremony at the iconic arena. The event, attended by approximately 100 close family and friends, marks the first of two major celebrations for the power couple, who got engaged in August 2025 after two years of dating.
The Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner, held from 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM ET on July 2, took place at the Infosys Theater inside MSG, according to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News. The intimate gathering featured family-style catering from Sartianos, a New York City restaurant favored by the couple. The menu included burrata with pea salsa verde, steak tartare, wagyu ragu fusilli, bucatini with Maine lobster, and veal chop parmigiana.
Celebrity guests spotted in New York City ahead of the festivities included Selena Gomez, who attended the rehearsal dinner in an Oscar de la Renta gown, Sabrina Carpenter, and Travis’s mother Donna Kelce, as reported by Page Six. Other expected guests include Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, Ed Sheeran, Zoë Kravitz, and the Haim sisters.
The Main Event
Friday’s main wedding ceremony is set to be a spectacular affair. According to a source with knowledge of the event who spoke to Fox News, approximately 1,000 guests are expected. The schedule includes doors opening at 3:30 PM, a cocktail hour on the sixth-floor concourse at 4:00 PM, the ceremony on the arena floor at 5:30 PM, and a reception running from 6:30 PM until 2:00 AM.
The dress code is black-tie, with guests expected to arrive via approximately 500 vehicles. A special VIP entrance with a tent has been set up to shield arrivals from public view. The couple has reportedly built a massive set inside the arena for the event, with equipment trucks bearing labels reading “Garden Party” spotted unloading throughout the week.
Security and Logistics
The NYPD is providing approximately 135 officers for the wedding events, with about 25% of hours expected to be billed as overtime at roughly $90 to $100 per hour per officer, according to law enforcement sources. West 31st Street between 7th and 8th Avenues has been closed for the day. The couple has also hired private security.
Retired NYPD Assistant Chief John Hart told CBS News that while the confined space of MSG will help security teams keep the couple and guests safe, “it will be swarmed by media of all types and fans hoping to catch a glimpse.” He added that “paparazzi chasing cars with guests and swarming hotels will be a side issue that will fall to NYPD as well.”
Performers and Charity
Musical performances are expected from Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks and country artist Tim McGraw, according to multiple reports. Ahead of the wedding, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to 20 local and national charities, including $2 million to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books to children from birth to age five.
Already Married?
Multiple sources told Page Six that the couple may have already had a legal marriage ceremony in Tennessee before the MSG celebration, suggesting the New York event may serve as a larger ceremonial celebration rather than the legal wedding. An insider based in Nashville told the outlet that the couple “already got legally married” in front of a small group of people.
A Weekend of Significance
The wedding coincides with America’s 250th birthday on July 4, with massive celebrations planned in Times Square, just 10 blocks north of MSG. The timing has added an extra layer of significance to what is already being described as one of the most anticipated celebrity weddings in recent memory, drawing comparisons to royal weddings in terms of media attention and public interest.