Turning a basketball arena into a wedding venue fit for a superstar might sound intimidating.But for celebrity event planners and designers, it's just another day. Rumors have been swirling about Taylor Swift's impending nuptials to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News the pair plan to tie the knot at Madison Square Garden, the iconic concert venue and basketball arena in the heart of New York City. While the venue may seem like an odd choice to some, two celebrity event planners explained to CBS News how it could become unrecognizable by the time guests arrive — and the unique aspects the arena offers."Making the impossible request happen" When it comes to planning for celebrities and high-net-worth clients, it's more like producing a "blockbuster movie" than hosting a wedding, said Larry Walshe, a London-based event designer who regularly works on weddings that cost between $5 to $10 million.There may be hundreds of people involved in such a project, said Walshe, who recently worked on a wedding team that employed 800.Often, the "small village" of staffers will be under a non-disclosure agreement to prevent leaks, Walshe said. Uniqueness and exclusivity are often the name of the game, he said, with celebrities regularly "trying to push that creative envelope." Sometimes, clients want their wedding to be somewhere fantastical, like the wilds of Iceland or the remote deserts of Saudi Arabia.
In places where the wedding industry is non-existent and guest infrastructure slim, prep work can include building a temporary village for the hundreds of staff involved in the event.The team may need to import everything, down to the silverware, Walshe said. "Part of my job is to be creative, like design and art direction, (but) so much of my job is logistics and engineering," said Walshe, who has planned multi-day extravaganzas that cross countries.
"It's trying to find a way to make the impossible request happen.How d...