Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's wedding: Inside 'Garden Party' preps

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s massive wedding is just around the corner.

According to the reports, the preparations have begun for a “Garden Party” event at Madison Square Garden.

On June 24, according to the reports of The New York Times, Swift has rented the arena for a multi-day event, and a City Hall representative later confirmed to PEOPLE that a permit has been filed through the City Street Activity Office to shut down the area around MSG.

On June 29, trucks were spotted outside the iconic New York City venue with workers loading equipment, grass, and other decorations into MSG. A few black equipment boxes were seen, including one that was labeled “Garden Party” in purple.

Sources told PEOPLE that there were around 40 MSG employees, all in uniform, working to prepare the space, with staff “working through the night” for a “big event.”

Amongst the more than 150 boxes outside, one marked box that read “Mirror Ball” was larger than all the others. Staffers were seen loading up forklifts and transporting boxes into the venue for more than two hours, and were still going past midnight.

Selena Gomez is reportedly skipping Taylor Swift’s wedding for this reason

On June 30, workers were seen putting down a red carpet at MSG, per a video posted by Deuxmoi. The stairs leading into the south entrance were covered in a red velvet rug as staff continued to prepare for the event. The carpet was later removed, according to Page 6.

According to The New York Times, Kelce and Swift’s plans allegedly include a smaller gathering of about 100 people on July 2, followed by a larger celebration with roughly 1,000 guests on July 3.

To add to the speculation, fans have pointed to an unusual gap in Madison Square Garden’s schedule. The venue reportedly has no public events booked between June 29 and July 6, a notable opening during one of the busiest times of year for major touring acts. Bon Jovi is currently scheduled to perform there on July 7.

Though Madison Square Garden may seem like an unconventional wedding venue, it would make sense for Swift and Kelce, since it offers several safety advantages. The arena’s enclosed setting could provide privacy and security for a guest list likely packed with celebrities, athletes, and industry power players. The venue’s private entrances would also allow guests to arrive discreetly and could offer a controlled environment should any performances take place during the festivities.

Although not much else is known about Travis and Taylor’s upcoming wedding, sources told Page Six and Rolling Stone that Stevie Nicks, 78, a longtime friend and collaborator of Swift, will sing during their nuptials. Representatives for Nicks, Kelce and Swift didn’t immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, and just a few days before the wedding festivities kicked off, Swift and Kelce’s friend George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers tight end, shared that the big day is “this close” on June 25.

Kittle and his wife Claire also shared that the two still weren’t clear on where the event would be taking place. “I have no idea,” George, 32, said when asked where Swift and Kelce’s wedding was. Claire agreed, telling ET, “We don’t know.”

The NFL player continued, “I actually asked Travis last night, and he laughed at me, so… I’m half expecting there just to be a jumbo jet on the runway, and they put us on a plane somewhere. I don’t have expectations, I know it’s going to be amazing.”

Swift and Kelce got engaged in August 2025 after nearly two and a half years of dating. The two announced their happy news on Instagram with a fittingly cheeky caption: “Your gym teacher and your English teacher are getting married.”