Taylor and Travis wedding spectacle descends into one big grift as groom promotes his podcast, 'bridesmaids' peddle their own brands, and the bride makes sure it's ALL on camera

By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and EMMA JAMES, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 02:58, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 03:19, 3 July 2026 A soiree once dubbed America's royal wedding has quickly become one big money grab. Indeed Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce - who were labeled as 'tacky' for hosting their big day at Madison Square Garden - are seizing the moment to promote podcasts and even make new content for their armies of fans.  Their closest friends used Thursday's spectacle to peddle their own brands and grab eyeballs on the shut-down streets of midtown Manhattan. The groom took to social media to promote his New Heights podcast, teasing that a 'very special guest' would be in the studio 'TOMORROW'. Reported bridesmaid Selena Gomez, sporting a black feathered ballgown, made sure to tout her Rare Beauty brand as she applied lipstick in the car while enroute to the gathering. Swift's longtime friend Lena Dunham was one of the only celebrities to make sure she was seen outside the heavily guarded venue, with the actress rolling down the window her blacked out SUV as she arrived at the party. And to top to it all off, the bride confiscated phones at the event's entrance to ensure that her cameras were the only ones rolling. A soiree once dubbed America's royal wedding has quickly become the money grab of the century as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce use their nuptials to cash in Swift's BFF and reported bridesmaid Selena Gomez, sporting a black feathered ballgown, made sure to tout her Rare Beauty brand as she applied lipstick in the car while en-route to the gathering Swift at the premiere of Toy Story 5 in Los Angeles on June 9  Swift and Kelce hosted a pre-party at the Infosys Theater inside arena on Thursday night, slated for just 100 guests. Reports ran wild that the pair may already be legally married. Some sources said they intended to exchange vows in front of 100 of their nearest and dearest on Thursday, before a blowout, festival-style party tomorrow. Neither they, nor their guests, have confirmed what happened behind the closed doors. They hung curtains on the arena's gargantuan windows and erected an arrivals tent which blocked the public's view of who was there. A sign at a security checkpoint outside the venue instructed guests to 'have identification out, have devices ready,' suggesting attendees were forced to give up their phones before entering. Press were told to leave the area, with cops heard saying: 'It's managed access. That means unless you have a business on the block, you gotta go to the corner.' 'Either you gotta move or they'll start arresting people for trespassing,' an officer told journalists who refused to go to the designated press pen. K9 units were spotted patrolling the perimeter of the arena, with the National Guard, as well as members of Swift's own security team, seen in the area earlier this week. Madison Square Garden was lit up in pink on Thursday night, but a few prized ads remained prominent   New Heights announced a surprise podcast to be broadcast the day Travis Kelce marries Taylor Swift Kelce hosts the podcast along with his brother, Jason. He regularly uses the show to share titbits of gossip about his romance with Swift  A total of 139 officers have been assigned to oversee the monster bash, including five lieutenants and 14 sergeants, according to the Daily Mail's sources. Over 1,000 guests are expected to attend on Friday, with celebrations running into the early hours.  Security posts around MSG were erected earlier this week and special 'cooling stations' have been set up to allow cops periods of air-conditioning. The big day is set to feature a castle being built inside the iconic stadium. Crews were also seen hauling trees and other shrubbery, as well as a box marked 'golf.' A full street closure will then go into effect, allowing crews to erect a 'drive through tent' next to a separate 'entrance tent,' according to a special event permit Another notice on display outside the arena states that photography and videography will take place in and around the area from June 29 to July 3. Lena Dunham, another of Swift's friends, was seen rolling down the window of her SUV while arriving at the venue  Swift's crews have been setting up for her nuptials to Kelce all week, with the new notice suggesting that cameras may have been documenting the entire process. Exclusive photographs obtained by the Daily Mail captured professional monitors, camera rigs and high-end production equipment being loaded through the arena’s loading bay in the lead up to her big day.  The singer, who has multiple ties with Disney, is no stranger to turning her life - or her relationships - into a cinematic spectacle. Swift has also enlisted a professional film crew to document her July 3 wedding with Travis Kelce at New York City's Madison Square Gardens. Sound and high-end production equipment were spotted being unloaded from trucks on Tuesday Crews worked to unload truckloads worth of equipment at the wedding venue ahead of the wedding on Friday A filming notice was spotted at one of the entrances to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Since all guests were asked to hand in devices, Swift's crew will be the only cameras in the room  In 2020, she released her Miss Americana documentary on Netflix which offered fans intimate details of her life on and off the stage. Then, after her record breaking Eras tour, Swift released a feature-length concert film and sic part docuseries about the tour, highlighting her dubbing romance with Kelce. She has also debuted multiple self-produced visual albums - each one owned outright by her, released on her timeline, and monetized on her terms. Sources say Swift turned down offers worth tens of millions of dollars from streaming giants who wanted to broadcast the ceremony live. The wedding footage, insiders say, will be hers alone to edit, release, and profit from however and whenever she chooses. Swift and Kelce have faced massive scrutiny over the luxurious event and the disruption it is causing to America's largest city over the holiday weekend.  Security at the venue is tight, with more than 130 NYPD officers tapped to work the wedding The blushing bride, 36, was seen being swept into the back of the iconic New York City venue in a blacked-out silver Suburban with an extended roof and communications antenna K-9's walk into Madison Square Garden ahead of Swift and Kelce's Thursday night party There was a flourish of good publicity for them when it was announces they had donated $26million to various charities across the country, including many in the city they disrupted. This is just the beginning. There will no doubt be more glamorous, self-serving selfies and opportunities for brand-pushing tomorrow as they all return to Madison Square Garden for the big event tomorrow. And with this much grift already on display, one can only imagine what's still to come. 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