What started with a friendship bracelet has Taylor Swift, the pop superstar, and Travis Kelce, the football champion, have officially tied the knot.
The couple, both 36, were married Friday at Madison Square Garden, according to Swift’s publicist. The news was announced to the public with the marquee outside the Midtown Manhattan arena reading 鈥淛UST&T MARRIED.”
It is the latest chapter in the couple鈥檚 love story, one that has spanned three years, two Super Bowls, an album announcement and the highest-grossing tour of all time.
Here is a look at some of the major events in their relationship.
A friendship bracelet, undelivered
It started, fittingly, with a friendship bracelet.
It was way back in July 2023 that Kelce attended Swift鈥檚 Eras concert at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs play.
After, on his 鈥淣ew Heights鈥� podcast with brother Jason Kelce, he professed to being disappointed 鈥� well, his word was 鈥渂utthurt鈥� 鈥� that he couldn鈥檛 meet Swift and present her with a bracelet with his phone number on it.
鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 meet anybody, or at least she didn鈥檛 want to meet me, so I took it personal,鈥� he quipped. The podcast asked on Instagram: 鈥淎nyone know how to get a bracelet to @taylorswift13? 鈥� asking for a friend.鈥�
Drivin鈥� the getaway car
But by that September, Kelce was hinting his efforts had achieved some success. He declined to elaborate amid speculation, telling an interviewer: 鈥淚t is what it is.鈥�
Clearly, though, something was happening. Soon, Kelce revealed he鈥檇 invited Swift to a game at Arrowhead. 鈥淚 threw the ball in her court,鈥� he said on another talk show.
Swift took Kelce up on his offer, appearing for all the world to see at the Chiefs-Bears game, cheering next to his mom, Donna Kelce. The two left the stadium in Kelce鈥檚 purple Chevelle 鈥済etaway car鈥� 鈥� forgive the pun, but Kelce himself used it.
鈥淧retty ballsy,鈥� Kelce said a few days later of Swift鈥檚 appearance, adding how much he loved seeing her cheer next to his mother.
It was the launch of a long series of appearances by Swift at Chiefs games. There was some online angst over whether Swift was distracting from football 鈥� while the NFL itself capitalized on her fandom. A day after the flashy Los Angeles premiere of her 鈥淭aylor Swift: Eras Tour鈥� movie, she was back at Arrowhead.
Karma is the guy on the Chiefs
And now it was time for Kelce to be the adoring fan. In November 2023, after a hiatus of two months, Swift brought her tour to Argentina, where she changed the lyrics of 鈥淜arma鈥� to salute her beau. 鈥淜arma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me,鈥� she sang. Scott Swift, next to a beaming Kelce, applauded his daughter鈥檚 new flame.
When Time magazine announced its person of the year, few were surprised. In the Time interview, Swift spoke about her relationship.
鈥淭his all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,鈥� Swift said, adding that they鈥檇 already been a couple before that first Chiefs game cameo.
Soon after, things were heating up on the football field 鈥� meaning the Chiefs were heading to the Super Bowl. At the AFC championship game, the couple made it clear they were fine with whatever attention was coming their way. In the middle of the field in Baltimore, after the Chiefs beat the Ravens, Swift and Kelce kissed. 鈥淚 love you,鈥� Kelce said. 鈥淪o much it鈥檚 not funny.鈥�
A race across nine time zones
There was one game left. Fans wondered: How would Swift make it from her Tokyo shows to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas?
鈥淭his week is truly the best kind of chaos,鈥� Swift posted on Instagram.
Chaos indeed. In one week of February 2024, Swift attended the Grammys in Los Angeles, jetted to Tokyo for four concerts, then jumped back onto her private plane to make the Super Bowl with time to spare. To get there, she crossed nine time zones and the international dateline.
鈥淪he鈥檚 rewriting the history books herself,鈥� Kelce said a day after the Grammys, where Swift had won album of the year for a record fourth time. 鈥淚 told her I鈥檒l have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with hardware, too.鈥�
And he did. The two kissed on the field again after the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, Swift in her 鈥�87鈥� necklace.
On the road again
Within days, Swift was on the road again, with Kelce joining her in Australia for some koala-cuddling at the zoo.
In Paris, Swift introduced a section from 鈥淭he Tortured Poets Department,鈥� her new album. Fans wondered if Kelce had made his way into some of its lyrics 鈥� like 鈥淵ou knew what you wanted and, boy, you got her,鈥� from 鈥淪o High School.鈥�
But the highlight came in June, during a celebrity-packed set of concerts in London. There, Kelce made his Eras stage debut, donning a tuxedo and top hat and carrying Swift in his arms during a choreographed bit before 鈥淚 Can Do It With a Broken Heart.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 still cracking up/swooning,鈥� Swift wrote later on Instagram.
鈥楬appiness and fun and magic鈥�
As for Kelce, he spoke with pride about the relationship, noting on the 鈥淏ussin鈥� with the Boys鈥� podcast that he had no desire to hide anything.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my girl,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my lady. I鈥檓 proud of that.鈥�
Swift echoed that emotion when she accepted an MTV Video Music Award last September, shouting out 鈥渕y boyfriend Travis鈥� in her speech.
鈥淓verything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,鈥� she said.
‘I am just a jamoke supporting his girlfriend鈥�
Throughout the summer and fall of 2024, Kelce attended a number of Swift鈥檚 remaining tour dates and mentioned her on 鈥淣ew Heights,鈥� officially referring to her as 鈥渉is girlfriend鈥� in a July episode.
鈥淪he is every bit of what everyone makes her out to be. She鈥檚 so awesome. Some of these people you meet, and you鈥檙e just like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 doing here,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淵ou are unbelievable, your talent is unbelievable, how you present yourself is unbelievable and I am just a jamoke supporting his girlfriend.鈥�
Swift, too, was regularly photographed attending Kelce鈥檚 games 鈥� including the 2025 Super Bowl.
Lights, camera, action, football
A month post-Super Bowl, the couple made their red-carpet debut at the Tight End University in June, an annual three-day training summit founded by Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen.
They were then spotted at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, where Swift hopped on stage to perform 鈥淪hake it Off鈥� with country singer Kane Brown. For fans, it marked yet another moment of the couple showing very public support and admiration for one another.
鈥橳he Life of a Showgirl鈥�
A couple that collaborates together, stays together.
Swift announced her highly anticipated 12th studio album, 鈥淭he Life of a Showgirl,鈥� in mid-August and included Kelce in the rollout. It began with a tease from 鈥淣ew Heights,鈥� which later revealed Swift would appear in an episode the following day.
Swift told the Kelce brothers she wanted to show them something, revealing a mint-green briefcase that featured her initials in orange. Jason Kelce asked what was in it, prompting her to pull out a vinyl record.
鈥橭ur jobs are very similar鈥�
In the two-hour 鈥淣ew Heights鈥� episode featuring Swift, she went into detail about the pair鈥檚 summer following the Super Bowl. She said she spent considerable time in Florida with Travis Kelce. She also said 鈥渙ur jobs are very similar鈥�: They revolve around entertaining 鈥減eople for three hours in NFL stadiums.鈥�
On her self-described 鈥渇avorite podcast,鈥� Swift credited 鈥淣ew Heights鈥� for getting her a boyfriend. 鈥淭his is sort of what I鈥檝e been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager,鈥� she said of their romance.
And Kelce credited the tour for, well, getting him a girlfriend. 鈥淚 see you on that stage and see how you can get an entire stadium going, and then I get you in a room and it鈥檚 like I鈥檝e known you forever,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the easiest conversation I ever had, and it was just so much fun that it knocked my socks off.鈥�
Jock, meet writer
In late August, in a five-photo carousel shared to both Swift and Kelce鈥檚 official Instagram accounts, the couple announced their engagement. 鈥淵our English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,鈥� she wrote in her caption.
It鈥檚 unclear when and where the two got engaged.
A wedding at MSG
The idea seemed too crazy for even the most open-minded Swifty 鈥� a wedding at Madison Square Garden? Really? Yet as the July Fourth weekend approached, one of New York’s iconic venues began buzzing with activity as crews shuttled equipment into the giant, private space and a law enforcement official confirmed to AP that Swift and Kelce’s wedding would be taking place on Friday, July 3.
The couple did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead opting for Swift鈥檚 brother to serve as her man of honor and Kelce鈥檚 brother Jason serving as his best man. Actor Adam Sandler officiated the star-packed ceremony.
According to Swift’s publicist, Swift and Kelce’s outfits were designed by Christian Dior Haute Couture and its designer Jonathan Anderson with shoes custom-made by Christian Louboutin. Swift wore Cartier jewelry.
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