Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s lavish wedding festivities at Madison Square Garden reportedly came with a price tag topping $15 million, according to industry estimates.
The couple is expected to return to the famed New York venue for a second night of celebrations after hosting about 100 close friends and family members at what was described as a “rehearsal dinner” on Thursday.
Experts said the multi-day celebration for the 36-year-old pop superstar and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end likely exceeded $15 million in total costs, with more than $1 million reportedly covered by taxpayers for public safety and related services.
One source told The New York Times that reserving Madison Square Garden for two days alone would likely run between $1.2 million and $1.6 million.
Insurance for an event of that scale would add more than $10,000, Erica Maurer, a partner at EMRG Media, told the outlet.
Other major expenses — including lighting, audio, catering, floral arrangements, décor and staffing — could total between $10 million and $12 million, according to The Times, which noted that its estimate was likely on the conservative side.
City permit fees for the two-day event would probably reach at least $132,000, based on rates from New York’s permitting office.
The security operation is also expected to come at a significant public cost, with taxpayers potentially spending more than $1 million for hundreds of police officers assigned to patrol and secure the area around Madison Square Garden.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s extravagant Madison Square Garden wedding celebration cost over $15 million
One insider told The New York Times it would cost between $1.2 million and $1.6 million to book out Madison Square Garden for two days
Ahead of their celebration, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to 20 charities. The unusually specific number has sparked speculation that it matches the actual cost of their wedding celebrations.
The bride arrived at Thursday’s event two hours before its start time in a blacked-out silver Chevrolet Suburban with an extended roof and communication antennas.
She was later seen returning home well after midnight, having spent more than eight hours partying at what was said to be her first-night bash.
There are unconfirmed reports that Swift and Kelce are already legally married, but will have a second celebration with all of their guests today.
READ MORE: Where Is Jude Bellingham Originally From?
Famous guests including Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, as well as the singer’s childhood friend Abigail Anderson, were seen heading inside on Thursday, while Taylor was spotted being swept into the back.
As we previously reported, the dress code for Thursday’s event was ‘cocktail attire’, a source said, with only family members and close friends invited.
Outsiders were given a few rare glimpses of how the pop singer and the Chiefs tight end transformed the venue into the wedding celebration of their wildest dreams.
Pink, orange and yellow roses were photographed woven into foliage at the top of an escalator on Thursday night.
Lighting, sound, catering, flowers, decorations and labor could cost between $10 million and $12 million. Pictured: Roses inside the venue on Thursday night
It would also cost taxpayers over $1 million to have hundreds of police officers providing security and patrolling MSG
The venue was lit up with lights and adorned with dusty pink curtains.
It’s been said that Swift built a custom ‘castle’ inside MSG and has supposedly bought every available calla lily in the city.
Guests descended upon the theatre to the most exclusive invite in town in stunning ensembles.
Sports commentator Erin Andrews, former football player Ross Travis and NFL WAG Claire Kittle were all among the famous faces to flaunt their fashion credentials.
The stars brought traffic to a halt with police banning the press from assembling near the venue and even threatening to arrest those who don’t comply.
They hung curtains on the arena’s large windows and erected an arrivals tent which blocked the public’s view of who was there.
A sign at a security checkpoint outside the venue instructed guests to ‘have identification out, have devices ready’, suggesting attendees were forced to give up their phones before entering.
