Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce didn’t just throw one of the biggest celebrity weddings in recent memory, they may have pulled off one of the most expensive.
While Forbes estimates the superstar couple spent at least $20 million on their lavish Madison Square Garden wedding, celebrity event designer Edward Perotti believes the final price tag could have soared to as much as $50 million once every detail was accounted for.
The event shut down streets surrounding Madison Square Garden as an estimated 1,000 guests arrived for the ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler.
According to Perotti, simply renting a venue like Madison Square Garden can cost close to $1 million per day, and that’s before adding custom staging, elaborate floral installations, luxury catering, transportation, lighting, entertainment and security.
“It’s somewhere in the window of $35 million to $50 million,” he estimated.
“The vows were everything you would hope for,” ABC’s George Stephanopoulos said on “Good Morning America.” “Real, vulnerable, serious and silly.”
The wedding also reflected the enormous wealth of the newlyweds. Swift’s estimated net worth sits at roughly $2 billion, while Kelce is believed to be worth between $90 million and $100 million thanks to his NFL career and endorsement deals.
While the famous couple spent millions on their wedding, local stores surrounding the Garden complained that they lost money. With streets surrounding the iconic arena closed for several days due to heightened security, restaurant and bar owners near Madison Square Garden say they lost valuable business during what should have been one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Michael O’Brien, owner of O’Brien’s Bar located directly across from Madison Square Garden, spoke out over the street closures surrounding the high-profile event, claiming they have driven customers away during what should have been one of the busiest weekends of the year, AMNY reported.
He believes the superstar couple missed an opportunity to support the neighborhood businesses affected by the event.
O’Brien said the Independence Day holiday weekend, combined with World Cup festivities, should have brought a surge of customers to his bar. Instead, he says road closures and restricted access kept many patrons away.
O’Brien said, “If they can afford to buy the permits, they can afford this big lavish ceremony. Why don’t they just buy out the local businesses instead of having us adversely affected?”
He added, “ If you’re forcing the small businesses out of business, then please compensate us.”
Then there’s New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who wants the couple to pay the New York Police Department for the security the police provided. In a post on X, the Republican lawmaker said the couple should reimburse the NYPD for the roughly 130 officers assigned each day to secure the high-profile event.
“Our officers are already working overtime for Fourth of July festivities and NYC taxpayers should NOT be on the hook,” she wrote.
