Three months have passed since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly exchanged vows, yet fans are still eagerly awaiting even a glimpse of what has been billed as the celebrity wedding of the century.
Now, for the first time, Our News Outlet can reveal exclusive images offering a detailed look at how designers planned to transform Madison Square Garden from a New York City sports arena into a whimsical woodland setting.
The ambitious concept featured a two-level carousel, a man-made pond beneath the altar and rows of real and artificial trees dotted with twinkling lights. The setting echoed the magical garden where the couple became engaged in August 2025.
The newly revealed designs follow our exclusive first look inside Swift and Kelce’s wedding, published earlier this year. That report featured a coral-carpeted entrance decorated with personal photographs of the couple, as well as the headline-making appearance of their first dog together.
Leaked video also offered a brief look at the room where Swift, 36, walked down the aisle. But how did the elaborate vision come together?
The Daily Mail has spoken exclusively with an insider who described the difficult decisions Swift faced while planning the wedding she had always imagined.
The Daily Mail has exclusively obtained renderings showing the designs created for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding.
The rendering obtained by Our News Outlet shows how the concept was brought to life with rows of trees and abundant greenery. ‘I wouldn’t have changed that part at all,’ Guérard said of the scenery, although she had stronger views about the seating arrangements.
Swift and Kelce became engaged in August 2025 in the NFL star’s backyard, which had been transformed into an enchanting garden filled with pink and white flowers.
The couple began dating in 2023 and reportedly married three years later at Madison Square Garden.
‘When you’re talking about a billionaire and a billionaire wedding, you would think anything you wanted could be made possible. Yet there were plenty of things they ultimately had to scale back,’ the source said.
The Daily Mail understands that planning began in November 2025, three months after Kelce proposed and eight months before the wedding.
Dozens of confidential Zoom meetings were held with workers sworn to secrecy as the teams mapped out every detail of the high-profile couple’s vision.
The renderings obtained by Our News Outlet attempted to capture all of Swift and Kelce’s ideas, although several elements shown in the plans did not make it to the final celebration.
Los Angeles-based celebrity planner Mark Seed led the project, which remained tightly guarded as several teams worked to bring Swift’s ideas to life for one of the most important days of her life.
The secret project was given the codename ‘Eventica.’
Exclusive photographs obtained by Our News Outlet show workers at a West Coast workshop building the one-of-a-kind wedding set, including a large T&T emblem representing the couple’s initials.
The equipment was transported to New York ahead of the wedding in 11 semi-trucks.
Before reaching the Big Apple, the complete set was taken to Rock Lititz, a production campus in Pennsylvania known for its rehearsal studios, where numerous major artists have prepared for their tours.
Exclusive images obtained by Our News Outlet show models created to help execute the designs, including the couple’s T&T logo.
An insider told Our News Outlet that some structures, including the one shown above, were designed to resemble Colosseum-style walls for the altar.
Renowned planner Mark Seed oversaw the designs, which were constructed on the West Coast.
The project was assembled in separate pieces and secretly given the name ‘Eventica,’ according to Our News Outlet’s source.
The insider said the entire set was transported across the country in 11 semi-trucks.
Swift had previously worked on her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour at Rock Lititz and later worked on the sound for the Eras Tour at Clair Global, which is also based on the campus.
‘We did a number of test builds and walk-throughs there,’ the source said, explaining that Rock Lititz was selected because its facilities were comparable in size to Madison Square Garden, where Swift and Kelce ultimately held their ceremony.
According to the source, Swift chose MSG because of her affection for New York City, its convenient access for family and friends living nearby and the venue’s privacy and security measures. The couple reportedly had a guest list of more than 1,000 people and did not want to make significant cuts.
In the week leading up to the wedding, semi-trucks were spotted arriving at the Manhattan venue.
Paparazzi also photographed dozens of workers in baseball caps, T-shirts and jeans unloading the confidential décor. Some of the pieces were hidden beneath black coverings to prevent fans gathered outside from discovering the theme.
The final concept was primarily Swift’s, although Kelce also contributed ideas.
‘The plants and the lushness were definitely spearheaded by [Swift],’ the insider said.
Rather than the floral arch shown in the original plans obtained by Our News Outlet, the altar was ultimately decorated with foliage and vines.
Tomorrow: We reveal what happened behind the scenes after the wedding. Later this week, we’ll share a first look at Taylor’s wedding dress as imagined by AI. Sign up to receive the stories straight to your inbox.
The wedding planning process reportedly ran from November 2025 through July 2026. Guérard told Our News Outlet that, despite her reservations about some design choices shown in the renderings, a planner’s job is always to reflect ‘the style of the bride and groom.’
The Daily Mail’s source said the front rows nearest the altar, shown in the rendering, were reserved for family and close friends, while the remainder of the room had no assigned seating. Guérard said more comfortable options, such as sofas, could have been used.
This overhead rendering shows how the ceremony area was intended to look inside MSG. The central ramp marked the path Swift used to walk down the aisle. Guérard questioned the decision to retain stadium-style seating.
Rather than the cream-colored coverings shown in the rendering, Guérard said she would have chosen black or green so the seats would better ‘disappear’ into the room.
Celebrity wedding planner and event producer Tara Guérard, who did not work on Swift and Kelce’s wedding, told us she ‘loved’ that Swift moved away from a traditional floral design. Guérard has more than 30 years of industry experience and has worked with high-profile clients, including Swift’s former friend Blake Lively.
‘If the goal is to create a whimsical, beautiful forest, then I love the leaves and trees. Making it feel like a forest is dreamy. I wouldn’t have changed that part at all,’ she said.
However, the founder of Tara Guérard Soiree, who did not see the designs in person, said the ceremony seating would have worked better in ‘browns and green, so they all kind of disappear, not white or cream’.
She was particularly unimpressed by the cream-colored coverings placed over the arena seating in the rendering.
‘I probably would have aimed for more comfortable seating assignments,’ she said. ‘The ceremony lasted more than an hour, and if people are expected to sit that long, they need to be properly cushioned.’
Guérard said she would have considered bringing in sofas designed to seat around four people.
‘I know it’s a lot of people, but damn, I think I have the budget to bring in custom seating for everybody,’ she joked, referring to the 1,200-person guest list.
The Daily Mail’s source said the ceremony room also featured Colosseum-style panels, visible in the exclusive photographs, along with printed graphics intended to make the space appear to be surrounded by trees.
Speakers and musicians were concealed behind the greenery and architectural features.
The original plans shown here featured a man-made pond beneath Swift’s aisle. Our News Outlet learned that the idea was abandoned over safety concerns because guests could have fallen into the water. Guérard said scrapping it was the right decision.
Exclusive video from the wedding day showed the alternative chosen by Swift, Kelce and their designers: additional greenery and lush shrubs that reinforced the forest theme.
The Daily Mail’s source said the ceremony room’s speakers and musicians were strategically hidden behind greenery, as seen in this still from our exclusive video.
According to the source, Swift personally oversaw every decision because she ‘didn’t want to just be handed a wedding.’
Even with an enormous budget, however, several elements had to be changed.
The original plans obtained by Our News Outlet placed a pond beneath the altar where Swift and Kelce exchanged vows.
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The idea was ultimately rejected because it would have required extensive engineering and created a potential safety hazard, the source said.
‘The edges weren’t tall enough, and it would have been very easy to fall over,’ the insider explained. The pond was replaced with additional greenery, visible in exclusive Daily Mail video obtained in July.
‘I’ve built some ponds pretty easily,’ Guérard said of the original concept, ‘but putting one inside a building, filling it with water and then working out how to drain it is a bit of a pain.’
After the ceremony, guests, including the newlyweds, reportedly left through two large gates leading to Juliet-style balconies overlooking the transformed arena, according to the source.
This graphic shows the planned layout for Swift and Kelce’s reception inside MSG before certain ideas, including the carousel, were removed. ‘They’re not 10 years old, and your guests aren’t 10 years old, and it’s not a children’s party,’ Guérard said. ‘I personally just don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate for a wedding.’
The woodland theme continued into the reception, where guests first encountered an artificial tree fitted with twinkling lights and surrounded by a circular bar.
Inside, the couple included photo booths and carnival games, ideas they reportedly agreed on together. Kelce also advocated for the addition of mini-golf.
Renderings obtained by Our News Outlet depicted a two-story carousel. The source said its extraordinary price tag eventually led to its removal.
‘The carousel was going to cost around $7 million,’ the insider claimed, adding that even a one-story version would have cost approximately $3.5 million.
‘That was a good thing to scrap because it’s difficult to bring something like that into the venue,’ Guérard said. ‘I also think it’s too young. They’re not 10 years old, and their guests aren’t 10 years old. It’s not a children’s party, so I don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate for a wedding.’
Instead, Swift and Kelce added a large peach-colored tent for carnival-style activities, including cornhole and mini-golf.
Guérard said she did not consider the alternative childish, particularly because ‘some people are shy’ and guests may appreciate having entertainment available.
‘People regularly ask me to include a little something for guests to do, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,’ she said.
‘I wouldn’t necessarily make the entire party carnival-themed, but giving guests something to do besides eat and drink isn’t a bad idea.’
The source said Swift favored adding a carousel to the reception, as shown in the rendering. The two-story structure reportedly carried a $7 million price tag and was therefore deemed too expensive. Guérard also agreed that the carousel should have been removed.
![The design rendering above shows another angle of the reception floor inside of MSG, featuring a tent where games were played on the left, which replaced the carousel altogether. Guérard approved of the rendering's games tent because 'some [guests] might want to have some type of entertainment'](https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/23/19/112056557-16230499-image-a-1_1792779994866.jpg)
This rendering offers another view of the MSG reception area, including the games tent on the left that replaced the carousel. Guérard approved of the tent because ‘some [guests] might want to have some type of entertainment.’
An overhead rendering of the reception space shows a stage at the rear and a metal dance floor in front. Guérard said the proscenium, placed in a room filled with performers, added significant entertainment value.
After the wedding, guests gave mixed reviews of the games and the prizes that accompanied them.
‘Immediately after the ceremony, Taylor and Travis held a raffle and gave away expensive gifts for an hour. Everyone was confused,’ a guest told Our News Outlet in July.
‘It felt like a circus meet-and-greet. People wondered why they were handing out Chanel bags as though we were all poor fans. It was pretty demeaning and killed the atmosphere.’
The activities were not the only aspect of the reception to draw criticism.
Several sources criticized the seating arrangements, saying some guests had difficulty finding enough space to eat comfortably.
‘There was no assigned seating, so you ended up wherever you ended up,’ the source said. One side of the room included seating near a greenhouse-style structure that stood 35 feet tall, while benches, chairs and standing tables were positioned closer to the stage.
Although the venue technically accommodated all 1,200 guests, the layout left little room for mistakes.
‘If someone used an extra seat for a purse or bag, or simply didn’t want anyone sitting beside them because they were high-profile, some people had to stand,’ the insider said. ‘I heard that happened afterward.’
Rather than a formal dining arrangement with tables and waiters, Swift and Kelce opted for a buffet served alongside standing areas and lounge seating. The menu featured food from some of the couple’s favorite New York City restaurants.
Workers built a 35-foot structure designed to resemble a greenhouse, as shown in this exclusive photograph obtained by Our News Outlet.
The greenhouse shown in this rendering provided additional seating and dining areas. Sources said guests faced long lines, prompting Guérard to joke after seeing the layout, ‘I know it’s a lot of people, but damn, I think I have the budget to bring in custom seating.’
This rendering shows one of the many trees decorated with twinkling lights to create the dreamy forest atmosphere. Guérard said the effect was executed well.
Jennifer Lopez and Swift’s close friend Gigi Hadid were among the A-list names reportedly included on the star-studded guest list.
The source said Kelce requested enough space for his football friends, some of whom are shown here, to accommodate their height and larger builds.
Guests complained of lengthy food lines, with one previous source claiming some attendees left hungry rather than continue waiting.
Kelce reportedly made a point of ensuring his friends were comfortable.
During planning, he is said to have pushed for enough room for his professional football teammates to enjoy the celebration.
‘There were conversations like, “My friends are going to be too big. How are they going to fit? No one will be able to see the stage over my friends who are 6’4,”‘ the source claimed.
The insider said the teams eventually reached a compromise: ‘We did have a separate area just for them, but it wasn’t as large as he had wanted.’
Our understanding is that planners decided against separate VIP areas, regardless of a guest’s fame.
The team also had to find a way to disguise Madison Square Garden’s famous scoreboard.
According to the source, it was covered with black material while lights were projected onto it to create a starry-sky effect. Using actual lights could have created a fire risk.
‘The sprinklers wouldn’t have been able to activate if it had been covered,’ the source said. ‘It was a whole thing.’
The source said Swift supervised every major planning decision because she ‘didn’t want to just be handed a wedding.’
Kelce reportedly took a more relaxed approach but attended several design meetings.
Swift and Kelce were reportedly delighted with the final result of their wedding day.
Swift, in particular, had hoped to incorporate karaoke and succeeded in making live music a central part of the celebration.
At the far end of the venue stood a large proscenium-style stage decorated with gold metal engravings and built-in lighting. It faced a spacious dance floor designed for performances.
Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney were reportedly among the stars who performed, while Swift also took the stage for singalongs with famous friends including Kesha, Avril Lavigne and Sabrina Carpenter.
‘You’re talking about a room filled with huge egos,’ Guérard said. ‘I’m sure everyone wanted to get on stage and do their own thing. If half your wedding guests are professional singers, that sounds hysterical and fun. Why not? It definitely adds entertainment value.’
She added that a successful planner should always bring out ‘the personalities and the style of the bride and groom.’
‘If that’s their thing and that’s their schtick, then why not?’ she concluded.
Experts have estimated that Swift and Kelce’s star-studded wedding cost between $15 million and $50 million, although the couple has not disclosed the final figure.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani did reveal that the couple paid $160,000 to cover the cost of city resources used in the Big Apple.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Swift and Kelce for comment.
