Three months have passed since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce exchanged vows, yet Swifties are still eagerly awaiting even a single glimpse of what has been described as the celebrity wedding of the century.
For the first time, Our News Outlet can reveal exclusive images offering a detailed look at how the design team planned to transform Madison Square Garden from a New York City sports arena into an enchanting woodland setting.
The ambitious plans featured a two-level carousel, a purpose-built pond beneath the altar and scores of real and artificial trees threaded with twinkling lights. The redesigned venue echoed the whimsical garden theme of the couple’s August 2025 proposal.
The previously unseen designs come after our exclusive first look inside Swift and Kelce’s wedding, published earlier this year. That report showed a coral-carpeted entrance decorated with intimate photographs of the couple, along with the headline-making appearance of their first dog together.
Leaked video also offered a brief preview of the room where Swift, 36, walked down the aisle. But how was the elaborate wedding production brought to life?
The Daily Mail has spoken exclusively with an insider who revealed the difficult choices Swift faced during the planning process as she worked to create her dream wedding.
The Daily Mail has exclusively obtained renderings showing the designs created for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding
The rendering obtained by Our News Outlet illustrates how the concept was brought to life with rows of trees and dense greenery. “I wouldn’t have changed that part at all,” Guérard said of the scenery shown in the design, although she expressed stronger views about the seating arrangement
Swift and Kelce became engaged in August 2025 in the NFL star’s backyard, which had been transformed into a romantic garden filled with pink and white flowers
The couple began dating in 2023 and married three years later at Madison Square Garden
“When you’re talking about a billionaire having a billionaire wedding, you would think they could make anything you wanted happen. But there were many elements they ultimately had to scale back,” the source said.
The Daily Mail has learned that preparations began in November 2025, three months after Kelce proposed and eight months before the wedding.
Dozens of Zoom meetings were held with workers sworn to secrecy as planners carefully mapped out every detail of the A-list couple’s vision.
The design documents obtained by Our News Outlet sought to incorporate all of Swift and Kelce’s ideas, although some elements shown in the renderings did not make it to the final wedding.
The wedding was led by Los Angeles-based celebrity planner Mark Seed and remained tightly guarded for months while multiple teams worked to turn Swift’s ideas into reality for one of the most important days of her life.
The top-secret project was given the codename “Eventica.”
Exclusive photographs obtained by Our News Outlet showed staff at a West Coast workshop building the bespoke wedding set, including a large T&T emblem representing the couple’s first initials.
The equipment was delivered to New York in the run-up to the ceremony using 11 semi-trucks.
Before reaching the Big Apple, the complete set was taken to Rock Lititz, a production campus in Pennsylvania known for its rehearsal studios, where many major recording artists have prepared for concert tours.
Exclusive images obtained by Our News Outlet also revealed several models built to test the wedding design, including the couple’s T and T logo
An insider exclusively told Our News Outlet that some of the structures, like the one seen above, were created to mimic Colosseum-like walls for the altar decor
The designs were overseen by renowned planner Mark Seed and built on the West Coast
The project, which as the photo documents was assembled from pieces, was secretly dubbed ‘Eventica,’ according to Our News Outlet’s source
We were told the entire set was transported across the country in 11 semi-trucks
Swift herself worked on her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour there, and worked on the sound for the Eras Tour at Clair Global, also located on the Rock Lititz campus.
‘We did do a bunch of test builds and walk-throughs there,’ the source said of the wedding prep, explaining that Rock Lititz was chosen because its space was similar to Madison Square Garden (MSG), where Swift and Kelce eventually tied the knot.
We’re told it was Swift’s idea to marry at MSG because of her love of New York City, its accessibility to family and close friends who lived nearby and due to privacy and safety protocols, as she had a guest list of more than a thousand guests that she and Kelce, 37, couldn’t bear to whittle down.
The week of the wedding, semi-trucks were seen pulling up to the Manhattan venue.
Paparazzi then captured dozens of workers dressed in baseball caps, T-shirts and jeans unloading the secret decor, which was concealed at times with black coverings so as to not give away the theme to the fans hoping for a peek outside.
We hear the final concept was Swift’s – with some input from Kelce, of course.
‘The plants, the lushness was definitely spearheaded by [Swift],’ the insider said.
The altar itself was adorned with foliage and vines instead of the floral arch that was featured in the original design plans exclusively obtained by Our News Outlet.
Tomorrow: We reveal the inside story of what really happened after the wedding and, later this week, we’ll be sharing the first look at Taylor’s wedding dress, as imagined by AI… Sign up to get the stories delivered straight to your inbox
The entire wedding process reportedly took place from November 2025 through July 2026. Guérard told Our News Outlet that despite some of her critiques about the design choices made, as depicted in the renderings, a good planner’s job is to bring out the ‘style of the bride and grooms at all times’
The Daily Mail’s source said the front rows closest to the altar in the ceremony room, as shown in the rendering above, were reserved for family and close friends, but there was no other assigned seating. Guérard told Our News Outlet that the seating, as depicted in the renderings, could have had more ‘comfortable’ options like sofas
The design rendering above is an overhead shot of what the final result looked like when Swift and Kelce held their ceremony inside of MSG. The center ramp shows where Swift walked down the aisle. Guérard criticized the choice to use actual stadium seating, as indicated in the photo of the rendering
Guérard said instead of the cream-colored coverings, seen in the rendering photo above, she would have opted for black or green so that the seating would better ‘disappear’ into the room
Celebrity wedding planner and event producer Tara Guérard – who did not work on Swift and Kelce’s wedding but has been in the industry for more than 30 years and worked with high-profile clients, including Swift’s former friend Blake Lively for her wedding – told us in an exclusive interview that she ‘loved’ that Swift chose to not go the traditional flower route, as shown in the renderings.
‘If your idea is to try to create a whimsical, beautiful forest, then I totally love the leaves and trees and making it feel like a forest I think is dreamy. I wouldn’t have changed that part at all,’ she said.
However, the Tara Guérard Soiree founder – who did not see Swift and Kelce’s wedding designs in person – felt that the seating for the ceremony should have been done in ‘browns and green, so they all kind of disappear, not white or cream’.
She was also not impressed by the choice shown in the rendering to use cream-colored coverings that went over the stadium seating.
‘I probably would’ve tried for more comfortable seating assignments,’ she explained. ‘The ceremony was over an hour long, and when you ask people to sit down for that long of a time, you really need to make sure they’re really well cushioned.’
Guérard told us she would have brought sofas that could fit about four people.
‘I know it’s a lot of people, but damn, I think I have the budget to bring in custom seating for everybody,’ Guérard joked, referencing the 1,200-person guest list.
The Daily Mail’s source shared that other elements of the ceremony space included Colosseum-like panels, which are also visible in our exclusive photos, and printed graphics that were ‘supposed to make the entire space look like trees’.
Even the speakers and musicians were hidden behind the greenery and architecture.
The original design plans, seen here, showed a man-made pond was going to be underneath Swift’s aisle. However, Our News Outlet learned the idea was scrapped due to safety concerns because guests were at risk of falling into the water. Guérard said that was the right call
Leaked video Our News Outlet exclusively obtained from inside the actual wedding day showed the alternative option that Swift, Kelce and the designers opted for instead of a pond, which was more greenery and luscious shrubs to fit the forest theme
The Daily Mail’s source also said speakers and musicians were strategically hidden behind the greenery of the ceremony room, seen above in a screenshot of our exclusive video
The Daily Mail’s source said that Swift oversaw every decision, as she ‘didn’t want to just be handed a wedding.’
But even with a bountiful budget, not everything went exactly to plan.
For instance, the original design plans, which Our News Outlet obtained, showed a pond was to go underneath the altar where Swift and Kelce exchanged vows.
However, the idea was scrapped by the team because it would ‘require too much engineering’ and presented a hazard risk, according to our source.
‘The edges weren’t tall enough and it would be really easy to fall over,’ the insider explained. Instead, the pond was replaced by more greenery, which is visible in the exclusive video Daily Mail obtained back in July.
‘I mean, I’ve built some ponds pretty easily,’ Guérard said of the initial idea, ‘but being inside a building and filling something with water and then figuring out how to get the water out, it’s kind of a pain.’
Once the ceremony concluded, guests – and even the bride and groom – exited via two large gates that led to ‘Juliet-style’ balconies which looked over the transformed arena-space, according to our source.
The above graphic shows the full layout of what Swift and Kelce’s reception area inside of MSG was meant to look like – before some ideas, like a carousel, had to be nixed. Guérard said of the carousel, ‘They’re not ten years old, and your guests aren’t ten years old, and it’s not a children’s party. I personally just don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate for a wedding’
The ‘whimsical forest’ theme continued in the reception, as guests first saw ‘an artificial tree’ that ‘had twinkly lights and it had a circular bar around it.’
Once inside, there were photo booths and carnival games that the couple mutually agreed they wanted at their wedding – though we’re told Kelce also made a case to include mini-golf.
The design renderings Our News Outlet obtained showed a two-story carousel. But according to our source, the price tag was so astronomical, it ended up getting removed.
‘The carousel was going to be like $7 million,’ the insider claimed, before noting that even if it was minimized to one-story, it would have cost $3.5 million.
‘That was a great thing to scrap because it’s hard to get something in like that [to the venue],’ Guérard said. ‘I also think that it’s just too young. They’re not ten years old, and your guests aren’t ten years old, and it’s not a children’s party. I personally just don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate for a wedding.’
Instead, Swift and Kelce put in a large peach-colored tent for carnival games, including the aforementioned corn-hole and mini-golf.
Guérard said that she doesn’t think that option is juvenile and prefers it, especially given ‘some people are shy’ and ‘some [guests] might want to have some type of entertainment.’
‘I do always have people requesting a little something for people to do, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,’ she said.
‘I don’t know if I would want to make my entire party a carnival theme, but having a few other things to do besides eat and drink for your guests is not a terrible thing.’
According to a source, Swift was the one who liked the idea of a carousel being incorporated into the reception area, as reflected in the rendering above. The two-story structure, however, reportedly cost $7 million and was therefore deemed too expensive, the insider further claimed. Guérard agreed that the carousel as rendered should have been removed
![The design rendering above shows another angle of the reception floor inside of MSG, featuring a tent where games were played on the left, which replaced the carousel altogether. Guérard approved of the rendering's games tent because 'some [guests] might want to have some type of entertainment'](https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/26/16/112056557-16230499-The_design_rendering_above_shows_another_angle_of_the_reception_-a-16_1793032247751.jpg)
The design rendering above shows another angle of the reception floor inside of MSG, featuring a tent where games were played on the left, which replaced the carousel altogether. Guérard approved of the rendering’s games tent because ‘some [guests] might want to have some type of entertainment’
The overhead shot of the reception floor rendering shows a stage in the far back with a metal dance floor in front. Guérard told Our News Outlet that the proscenium, as depicted in the rendering, in a room full of entertainers ‘definitely brings an entertainment value’
Following Swift and Kelce’s wedding, guests who attended the nuptials spilled that the games – and the prizes that came along with them – were met with mixed reviews.
‘Straight after the ceremony, Taylor and Travis did a raffle and gave out expensive gifts for an hour. Everyone was weirded out,’ a guest told Our News Outlet in July.
‘It was a circus meet-and-greet. Everyone kind of felt like, why are they giving away Chanel bags as if we are all their poor fans? It was pretty demeaning. It killed the vibe.’
And the complaints did not stop at the activities.
Multiple sources have spoken out to slam the venue’s seating arrangements, which allegedly left many people without room to comfortably eat their dinner.
‘There wasn’t assigned seating so you got placed wherever you got placed,’ our source said, noting that there were areas to sit by a greenhouse-like structure that stood 35-feet tall on one side of the room. There were also benches, seats and standing tables near the stage.
All 1,200 guests were technically accommodated for – but there was also plenty of room for error.
‘If someone took up an extra seat with their purse or their bag or they just didn’t want anyone sitting next to them because they were a high-profile person, then there were some people that had to stand,’ the insider said. ‘I did hear that, after the fact.’
As for where the guests got their food, in lieu of a formal dining set-up with tables and waiters, the bride and groom opted for a buffet dinner to be eaten at standing and lounge chairs, with food from Swift and Kelce’s favorite New York City restaurants.
Workers constructed a 35-foot tall structure that was meant to resemble a greenhouse, as seen here in this photo Our News Outlet exclusively obtained
The greenhouse, as seen in the rendering above, had additional seating areas and places for guests to eat their dinner. According to sources, people found themselves standing in long lines. Upon learning of the layout at the reception as seen in the rendering, Guérard joked, ‘I know it’s a lot of people, but damn, I think I have the budget to bring in custom seating’
The design rendering above shows one of the many trees adorned with twinkling lights to create the dreamy forest setting, which Guérard commented was executed well
A-list celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Swift’s best friend Gigi Hadid were among the big names on the star-studded guest list
According to our source, Kelce requested that his football player friends, some of whom are seen here, have a big enough area to accommodate their large size and tall statures
Guests have complained that they stood in long lines, with one previous source claiming they went home hungry rather than wait.
Kelce, we hear, tried his best to make sure his friends felt comfortable.
He reportedly spoke up during the planning process to ensure his massive football player pals had enough room to enjoy the evening’s festivities.
‘There were talks of like, “Oh, my friends are going to be too big. How are they going to fit in there? No one’s going to be able to see the stage over my friends who are 6’4,”‘ the source claimed.
The insider explained that they eventually came to a compromise, claiming, ‘We did have a separate area just for them but it wasn’t as big as he had wanted.’
It is our understanding that it was decided there would be no separate VIP sections for any of the guests – regardless of their fame status.
Planners also had to compromise when it came time to conceal the famous MSG scoreboard.
We’re told the team put a black wrap over it and projected lights onto it to create the illusion of a starry sky, as real lights could cause a fire hazard.
‘The sprinklers wouldn’t be able to go off [if they were covered],’ the source said. ‘It was a whole thing.’
We’re told Swift oversaw every decision of the planning process as she ‘didn’t want to just be handed a wedding,’ per the source
Kelce, we’re told, took more of a laid-back approach but was part of several design meetings
Swift and Kelce were reportedly thrilled with how their big day turned out.
The Grammy winner, in particular, who really wanted to incorporate karaoke into her wedding, was able to ensure music played a big role on her big day.
Toward the very end of the space, there was a large stage that looked like a proscenium with metal gold engravings and lights built for performances to take place in front of a large dance floor.
It’s been reported that Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney were among the big names to grace the stage, as well as the bride herself, who enjoyed singalongs with her famous pals, including Kesha, Avril Lavigne, Sabrina Carpenter and others.
‘You’re also talking about a room full of huge big egos,’ Guérard said. ‘I mean, I’m sure everybody wanted to get on stage and do their own bit, right? If you are having a wedding where half your wedding guests are professional singers, I think that would be hysterical and kind of fun. So why not? It definitely brings an entertainment value.’
She noted that ultimately a good planner needs to ‘bring out in weddings the personalities and the style of the bride and groom at all times.’
‘And if that’s their thing and that’s their schtick, I think why not?’ she concluded.
Experts have estimated that Swift and Kelce’s star-studded wedding cost anywhere from $15 million to $50 million, though the exact amount has not been disclosed.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani did reveal, however, that the couple spent $160,000 in order to cover the cost of city resources in the Big Apple.
The Daily Mail has contacted Swift and Kelce’s representatives for comment.
