In the end, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s marriage was announced to the world like something out of one of her music videos: Billboards outside of Madison Square Garden lit up in purple with the message “JUST&T MARRIED” announcing the news to those on the streets of Midtown Manhattan and the entire globe.
A few blocks over, the Empire State Building was lit up in blue in their honor, a nod to the age-old wedding rhyme. Then, a rainstorm began.
The milestone marks a new era for the couple, whose romance played out in the public eye, until they threw a wedding shrouded in secrecy thanks to what were said to be ironclad non-disclosure agreements and TSA-level security.
Leading up to the big day, which began Thursday evening with what was described as a rehearsal event for about 100 attendees, few guests would even confirm they were invited and even fewer confirmed they would be attending.
Watching the arrivals at Madison Square Garden, where Swift has performed eight times in her 20-year career, wasn’t just like any celebrity-packed red carpet. It was like watching the arrivals at the Grammys, Oscars and ESPY Awards combined. Everyone from Ed Sheeran to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell were spotted, as were several Kansas City Chiefs players, many of whom were captured loading into blacked out sprinter vans from a swanky hotel that media and some fans staked out.
