The Taylor and Travis wedding: an exercise in statusmaxxing
JusT&T some thoughts on the wedding of the year
The one time I spoke to Taylor Swift was at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. It was 2019 and she was dating the actor Joe Alwyn. She didn’t walk the blue and white striped carpet, avoided photographers, and when I approached to ask if she would do a quick video for my former employer, Snapchat, she ever so politely declined. “I’m here as a guest of someone so not doing any pictures I’m afraid,” is what I recall her saying before she turned her attention to the model Martha Hunt.
Swift barely left the cocktail table where I found her. She seemed more comfortable with Alwyn, Hunt and their friends than mingling with the Hollywood elite that packed out the Wallis Annenberg Center.
It’s difficult to reconcile that the same person who meekly referred to themselves as just a “guest”, despite their fame eclipsing many in the room, is the same woman who, together with Travis Kelce, threw a wedding that made such a bold statement about celebrity and power.
While Vanity Fair Swift seemed desperate not to shine too bright. Bride Swift turned on the floodlights.
We still don’t have the full story of what went down inside Madison Square Garden last Friday, but what we do know paints a picture of two stars who sought to declare their status as a power couple as well as their love.
From the gargantuan guest list to the musical legends who turned out for them, it felt like one big flex. Here’s my four takeaways…
1. Very private but also very public
Taylor and Travis’ ability to keep their marriage ceremony under wraps while also dominating the news will be studied by publicists for years to come.
I defended their decision to host the event at Madison Square Garden. As weird as it was, I understood their need for a no-fly zone venue that could be locked down so that they could keep their big day private. But some of their critics were correct, their choice created a spectacle. The crowds, the cops, the way hundreds of articles were generated from the smallest glimpse of a truck in the loading bay.
A cynic would say that it was one big tease. They’d be right.
2. Celebmaxxing
Ahead of her big day Swift said that she wasn’t going to let the guest list stress her out because “anyone that I’ve ever talked to [is invited]”.
Turns out this wasn’t a joke and the list was so long it was more notable to be snubbed than to make the cut.
The result was a who’s who of music, Hollywood, sports and business. Sure family and friends were there but the vast majority of guests were the couple’s colleagues and peers. Kinda like a work party, but you had to hand your phone in at the door.
I can’t think of a single event - or couple - that could have brought together NFL hardman Gronk, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Zadie Smith and America’s dad, Tom Hanks.
Their maximalist approach proved their position at the centre of four worlds, and created a celebrity soup that likely made even Brad Pitt gasp as he scanned the room.
3. Leverage the network
The wedding entertainment doubled as a fascinating peek into the depth of Taylor and Travis’ Rolodexs and relationships.
For Taylor that looked like putting in a call to Stevie Nicks and convincing Sir Paul McCartney to perform I Want to Hold Your Hand for the first time in 60 years. For Kelce it was persuading comedian Adam Sandler to officiate.
Few have the ability to pull favours like these, and fewer still ever do.
4. That’s showbusiness
In amongst the Ben Stillers, the Tom Bradys and the Sabrina Carpenters, were a cast of characters that aren’t famous but who wield enormous power.
Executives from Disney like Bob Iger, the company’s former CEO, David Greenbaum, head of live action films and Dana Walden, the chief creative officer all got invites. As did AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron.
There was also a hefty number of broadcasters and TV journalists present too. Good Morning America anchors George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan bagged invites as did the chat show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Graham Norton. Radio 1 DJ Greg James even flew in from London.
It’s hard not to think that these were strategic invites. Swift would love an Oscar, Kelce has said he wants to make movies. And who doesn’t want the media on side?
Maybe if we’d got a glimpse of the dress or had some insight into the romantic parts of their day, their wedding may have felt less like a status play. But the parts that we were allowed to see spoke loudly. They tell us that not only are Swift and Kelce a power couple, but that they’re comfortable wielding that power.
What do you think of Taylor and Travis’ choices? Tell us in the comments.
Previously on highly flammable…
highly flammable is produced and written by me, Rachel Richardson
I’m a content creator, commentator and a consultant for hire at Beginning, Middle and End
Say hello at rr@bmend.com
"Taylor and Travis’ ability to keep their marriage ceremony under wraps while also dominating the news will be studied by publicists for years to come." This is such a good point, which I hadn't thought about before. The wedding was both visually invisible, and took up WAY more attention than it would have if it had been held anywhere else. Feel weird rather than brilliant.
I don’t know, man. I’m tired of all the takes (not yours ofc!) and just wanna see the damn dress.