Flowers, food and a fairytale castle: New York preparations point to Taylor Swift’s giant wedding | Taylor Swift

In her hit song “Welcome to New York,” Taylor Swift sings: “Like any great love, it keeps you guessing.”

The star certainly did just that this week, as preparations began for what appears to be a huge wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York. Pickup trucks have been seen unloading flowers, food and what looks like a huge white fairytale castle outside the square in recent days.

Many wondered if Swift would actually hold her wedding to American football player Travis Kelce in this huge venue. It was previously rumored that the singer would tie the knot at her home in Rhode Island, or on the grounds of a castle on the shores of Lake Como. Even Britain’s private members’ club, Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, was on the list of potential venues. Maybe the New York City location was an elaborate decoy?

However, the location was seemingly confirmed Thursday evening when Donna Kelsey, the groom’s mother, was seen walking into JFK Airport with a big smile on her face.

While some thought Swift would go for an understated affair, she has been saying for some time that she wants a huge wedding with thousands of her closest friends. She told the BBC’s Graham Norton Show last year: “I know it will be fun to plan because I think the only weddings that are stressful are the ones where you have a small amount and people are in a bubble. I wouldn’t do that – it would be fun.”

The couple’s friends and family were seen leaving the Ritz-Carlton in New York, where rooms cost around £1,000 a night, to attend a rehearsal dinner at the stadium on Thursday. They include Swift’s childhood best friend, Abigail Anderson Berard, resplendent in yellow silk, Kelsey’s aunt and uncle, and Swift’s publicist, Tree Payne.

Actress and author Lena Dunham, Swift’s longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, supermodel Gigi Hadid, and Hollywood star Bradley Cooper were also seen in close proximity to Madison Square Garden for rehearsals. Ed Sheeran, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Sabrina Carpenter were also seen arriving in New York City, likely before the event.

The stars continued to flock to New York throughout Friday morning, as Swift’s girlfriend Ellie Goulding was spotted at Heathrow Airport on an early flight. The wedding is scheduled from 5pm with floats at midnight.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that one of Swift’s former best friends, Blake Lively, was not among those who attended the rehearsal dinner, and instead attended a horse show in upstate New York. The two were said to have fallen out after private text messages between the actor and Swift were revealed in court documents during a legal battle between Lively and her former co-star Justin Baldoni.

Although Buckingham Palace sources said Prince William, who is close to Swift, did not attend, he did give the couple a wedding gift of sorts; By appearing on Kelce’s podcast, which will air before the wedding at 5pm UK time and midday EST.

Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the festivities on the Instagram pages of hundreds of guests will be disappointed: the happy couple are said to have a strict no-phone rule. It is unclear whether details of the wedding will be published; Swift is rumored to have turned down Vogue, which wanted to cover the event exclusively.

One enterprising photographer managed to get past all the security and tents to capture a scant, blurry photo of the rehearsal dinner decor. The venue was lit in soft pink lights, with a romantic garden setting similar to the one seen in the couple’s engagement photo, which was captured in a rose-filled garden. To emphasize this, Swift chose apricot-colored roses to fill the stadium. To indicate that something special and romantic was happening inside, MSG was lit up in dark pink on Thursday evening.

On the same day, Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw are rumored to perform. Swift, who likes to predict events by dropping hints, wore a “Stevie Nicks” T-shirt to the NBA Finals last month. Her dress is rumored to be designed by Jonathan Anderson, head designer at Dior.

The NYPD suspended its work monitoring the event, closing 11 roads and setting up tents on the border of the restricted area to prevent fans from gathering and taking photos of those entering and leaving. A permit for an event of this size that requires street closures can cost up to $66,000 per day, according to the New York Times. New York City’s permitting office also allowed an event for up to 1,000 people to be held at the stadium, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Perhaps to atone for the disruption caused by their wedding on the July 4 weekend, the couple donated $26 million (£19 million) to charity in the days before. “This week, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift donated $26 million to charities across the U.S. They include: City Harvest, New York City, Food Bank for New York City, New York Cares, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Harvesters – The Community Food Network, Kansas City, MO,” Swift’s rep said.

The couple reportedly selected celebrity wedding planner Mark Seed to choreograph the event; He is known to keep a low profile and never speaks to the press about the weddings he organizes, making him a good choice for those who want to keep their weddings a secret.

NBC also reported that guests were required to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of the invitation process.

Swift’s romance with Kelsey was one of the most talked about love stories of the decade. She has always sung about the possibility of dating the guy on the football team, and has been seen deliriously happy alongside her real-life player, after a long string of ill-fated romances – many of which inspired her greatest hits.

Although this week has been a big guessing game of “will they or won’t they,” it looks like Swift will finally get the “it’s a love story, baby just say yes” response she’s been waiting for.