Mayor Mandani admits Taylor Swift paid $160,000 for her New York wedding
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani said Taylor Swift paid $160,000 in permit fees for the police presence at her wedding.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is sharing the hefty sum Taylor Swift paid the city for her wedding to Travis Kelsey earlier this month at Madison Square Garden.
The newlyweds, both 36, held a lavish ceremony at the iconic venue on July 3, but the ceremony took over the streets of Manhattan and required New York police to shut down the neighborhood. Mamdani said Swift spent six figures to make it happen.
“Taylor Swift has already paid for the permit that was applied for. That event and the response to that event cost over $160,000,” Mamdani revealed when asked how the Grammy winner compensated for police overtime.
“I think it was a permit that was finalized a few days before the event itself,” he added.
Swift’s agent, Tree Payne, confirmed on the night of July 3 that the couple officially said they were “getting married” in one of the most anticipated events of the year. Afterwards, the message “JUST&T MARRIED” was also displayed on a sign outside the arena.
Rather than bridesmaids or groomsmen, Taylor Swift’s brother Austin Swift was her man of honor, and Jason Kelsey was Travis Kelsey’s groomsman. The bride and groom wore Christian Dior haute couture designed by creative director Jonathan Anderson, and Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony.
The wedding is estimated to have cost over $20 million and had approximately 1,000 attendees. For the big day, a parade of black SUVs, Escalades, buses and Ubers lined 31st Street from a star-studded guest list that included celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Lopez, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise and Zoe Kravitz.
MSG has been a special place for Swift for many years. She headlined her first show on the Fearless Tour in 2009 and returned on the Speak Now Tour in 2011. In 2019, Swift celebrated her milestone 30th birthday while performing at the Jingle Ball.
See what Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s guests had to say about their wedding
Guests talked about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding as they wrapped up the celebration in New York.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Relationship Timeline
Swift and Kelce’s relationship began when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed his interest in his now-wife on an episode of the New Heights podcast. There, Swift explained that he had wanted to give her a friendship bracelet with his number on it during a concert on the Ellas tour, but was unable to do so.
This caught Swift’s attention, and they began dating in the summer of 2023. “Love Story” singer Swift addressed the episode during an Aug. 13 podcast appearance.
“This guy didn’t even get a hello,” Swift joked at the time. “He’s trying to make it everyone’s problem.”
Just 13 days later, the pair announced their engagement, posting a photo of Kelce’s proposal on Instagram with the caption, “Your English teacher and gym teacher are getting married 🧨.”
Contributed by Brian West and Charlie Carballo, USA TODAY
