Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden

By itself, taking over Madison Square Garden—an iconic landmark in NYC—is a feat worth millions. The pair then cordoned off the area, which includes one of the city’s main transit hubs. The show showcased the power the couple wielded, with Swift widely recognized as one of the world’s most powerful and famous people.

Their two-day wedding celebrations dominated the news, opened the Empire State Building in NYC and inspired millions in online betting markets, with details of their nuptials keeping people guessing for weeks.

Pop culture critic Christine Meinzer told the BBC that the pairing makes sense because Swift and Kelce come from two important worlds when it comes to pop culture and American identity.

“We worship on the throne of music and football, these are all the things we love together in America,” she said.

New York City has a longstanding ethos of seeing celebrities as part of the fabric of everyday life rather than as spectacles.

“We’re not people who run after our celebrities, we usually leave them alone,” Meinzer added.

The Pennsylvania-born singer She has been based in New York since 2014 – buying two adjoining Tribeca penthouses for $20 million (£15 million) and combining them into one spacious living space.

After moving there, she fell in love with the city after discovering she could shop without worrying about being “body-different.” The move followed her 1989 album Welcome to New York.

During his American football career, Kelce, who is based in Kansas, was introduced to the Big Apple when he started dating Swift in 2023.

The couple are likely to have spent tens of millions renting the spectacular venue, planners told the BBC.

Ahead of the celebration, the billionaire singer and wealthy athlete donated $26 million to more than 20 charities.

But for many, the 20,000-capacity arena – which hosts concerts and sports matches with beer-drinking fans – felt like an odd choice for couples, even though the venue’s lack of windows and underground access afforded it an unusual level of privacy. But many said that if anyone could turn the stage into a wedding wonderland, it would be Swift.

Canadian teenager Emily told the BBC outside the venue: “I thought it was going to be a lot of gardens, a lot of flowers and tropical areas. Something more beautiful, more Taylor Swift.”

Rose, who is from New York, said it was “unlikely” that the couple would block the busy streets around the arena, but she believes the ceremony will be beautiful “because it’s Taylor Swift”.

“I hope it’s a beautiful wedding…but I think they have to make it a place that’s not suitable for the general population of New York City,” she laughed.

Fans cheered outside Madison Square Garden as just-married signs flashed outside the arena.

Fan Tara Rosales was among those who were unsure if the wedding would actually take place at the famous venue.

“I knew she was going to get married in New York, but I didn’t know where. So I couldn’t believe it, I was really shocked and excited,” she said.

“She’s never uncomfortable. Taylor can do whatever she wants.”