NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� and married Friday night at Madison Square Garden, where actor Adam Sandler was the surprising officiant at a ceremony packed with stars of sports and entertainment. The deep secrecy that surrounded the to the nuptials lifted when a marquee outside the Midtown Manhattan arena proclaimed 鈥淛UST&T MARRIED鈥� once the deed was done.
The couple did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead having Swift鈥檚 younger brother Austin Swift serve as her man of honor with Kelce鈥檚 big brother and podcast co-host Jason Kelce his best man, Swift’s publicist Tree Paine said in an email.
The bride and groom鈥檚 outfits came from Christian Dior Haute Couture and its designer Jonathan Anderson with shoes custom-made by Christian Louboutin. She wore Cartier jewelry.
An almost-royal wedding
The long anticipated union of sports and song brought hype to new heights at a venue made more for and bucket-list concerts. The Kansas City Chiefs’ superstar tight end and the music megastar married as fans and spectators gathered outside in blistering heat, eager to be part of the occasion, even though the event was almost entirely hidden.
Actors Bradley Cooper, Zo毛 Kravitz, Hugh Grant and Ethan Hawke; models Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss; comic Chris Rock; director Steven Spielberg; singer Camila Cabello and author Jenny Han were among the guests from the world of arts and entertainment. Kelce’s coach Andy Reid and Chiefs teammates including running back Kareem Hunt were among the sports figures in the arena, along with retired NFL superstar Tom Brady, Seattle Seahawks receiver and recent Super Bowl champ Cooper Kupp, New York Giants receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and ESPN personalities Joe Buck and Stephen A. Smith.
In a culture obsessed with famous couplings it may have been the apex celebrity wedding, with perhaps only royal unions getting more attention. Holding such a ceremony in a huge, iconic space that sits at the center of the U.S. media universe while keeping all the details secret made for a surreal scene, but it was a mix of hype and hush that is not out of character for Swift.
A shrouded ceremony headed by Happy Gilmore
An Associated Press camera outside the arena showed a long line of black SUVs dropping off wedding-goers in tuxedos and evening gowns, surrounded by New Yorkers in shorts and Swifties amassing for the occasion. Rain briefly cut the heat shortly after the marriage was announced.
There was a seemingly total lack of social media posts from guests once they had entered the arena, with phones apparently banned.
Weddings have been a constant subject in Swift鈥檚 songs since she was a teenager, and her actually walking the aisle for the first time at age 36 added to the drama. It was also the first marriage for the 36-year-old three-time Super Bowl champ Kelce, who could have been one of the jock characters in Swift’s early hits.
Sandler, star of 鈥淭he Wedding Singer鈥� and many other hit comedies, can鈥檛 have been high on anyone鈥檚 betting list for who would marry the couple, though he鈥檚 become an increasingly warm and paternal cultural figure with age. The email announcing the marriage described him as 鈥渁 friend鈥� of the couple. Kelce was one of the many athletes who appeared in 鈥淗appy Gilmore 2,鈥� Sandler’s 2025 sequel to one of his first hits, and Sandler appeared last year on the Kelce brothers’ 鈥淣ew Heights鈥� podcast.
Welcome to New York 鈥� Taylor’s version
The has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world 鈥� particularly the Swifties, the pop star鈥檚 鈥� ever since the pair first started dating in 2023 after he showed up at her Eras Tour concert at the Chiefs stadium.
Happy fans mixed with frazzled tourists outside the arena.
Lori Powers, who lives an hour north of Manhattan and rode the train in to be near the nuptials, said Swift’s 鈥渕usic is the soundtrack behind so many amazing moments in my life. Relationships, friends, like my husband and my kids.鈥�
She stood outside the arena before the marriage was announced with her friend Cecily Hall.
鈥淛ust being here and witnessing all the energy and the excitement, it鈥檚 so much fun,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淭he combination of sports and music makes perfect sense as to why they鈥檙e at Madison Square Garden today.鈥�
___
Dalton reported from Los Angeles. AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno and AP Associated Press video journalist Emily Wang Fujiyama contributed from New York.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
