New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that Taylor Swift has “already” paid the city for costs incurred by her high-profile but secretive wedding at Madison Square Garden.
The 36-year-old pop superstar wed NFL player Travis Kelce, also 36, at the famed Manhattan venue on July 3.
During a televised press conference Friday, Mamdani was asked whether Swift would be paying back the city for “police overtime” incurred due to the security required for the event.
The mayor responded: “Taylor Swift will be paying, has paid already, the cost of the permit that was lodged, which was over $160,000 for that event and for the response to that event.”
He added: “That was a permit that was finalized in just the days before the event itself.”
It is not immediately clear how that figure was arrived at. The Independent has approached the Mayor’s Office for further information.
Madison Square Garden was a surprise choice for Swift and Kelce’s wedding venue, but commentators pointed out there were many advantages in choosing to use the historic arena. Security was tight, and the reported 1,000-strong guestlist was able to attend without difficulty. “Imagine the carbon footprint… I’m so glad she didn’t do a destination wedding,” Harvard professor and Swift expert Stephanie Burt told The Independent.
Among the myriad celebrities spotted at the event were Hugh Grant, Dakota Johnson, Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn, Millie Bobby Brown, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, Julianne Moore, Graham Norton, Lena Dunham, the Haim sisters, Jennifer Lawrence, Jack Antonoff, Ben Stiller, Miranda Lambert, Steven Spielberg, and Swift’s publicist Tree Paine.
Swift’s representative shared a few key details with The Independent immediately after the ceremony had concluded: that she chose not to have a bridal party, instead asking her brother, Austin, to be her “man of honour”. Kelce had his brother, Jason, as best man.
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The ceremony was officiated by comedian and actor Adam Sandler, a longtime friend and champion of Swift’s. Around 7.30pm on Friday, LED signs outside the venue read “JUST&T MARRIED!” The “T&T” is a nod to their shared first initial, which has been featured on guest gifts for the event.
It was also confirmed by Swift’s representative that both her and Kelce’s wedding looks were created by Christian Dior Haute Couture, designed by Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Dior Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections, “in close collaboration with the Bride and Groom”.
