The singer-songwriter made sure to wish the newlyweds “all happiness and smooth sailing” from afar.

James Taylor had a good reason to skip Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding

The singer-songwriter made sure to wish the newlyweds “all happiness and smooth sailing” from afar.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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July 7, 2026 11:47 a.m. ET

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James Taylor; Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Credit:

Kevin Mazur/Getty; Gotham/GC Images

- James Taylor revealed that he got the coveted invite to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s MSG wedding.

- But the singer-songwriter declined to attend the star-studded event in honor of maintaining a five-year tradition.

- Still, Taylor made sure to wish the newlyweds “all happiness and smooth sailing” from afar.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding was a star-studded affair, packed to the brim with hundreds of their celebrity pals and colleagues — but one music legend with a very special connection to the bride was absent.

James Taylor, the six-time Grammy winner and ‘70s icon who Swift is actually named after, has revealed that he got the coveted invite to attend the couple’s Madison Square Garden wedding. Unfortunately, for the sake of keeping a five-year tradition alive, he had no choice but to decline.

Taylor was on stage in Lenox, Mass., for his annual Independence Day weekend concert with his All-Star Band when he revealed to the audience that he could’ve spent the holiday at an entirely different venue.

“You know, Kim and I were invited to a wedding at Madison Square Garden tonight,” Taylor, 78, told the audience, referring to his wife, Caroline “Kim” Smedvig.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty

As the performance has become an annual occurrence tied to the holiday, Taylor was already committed to taking the stage at Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed. Still, he made sure to send the newlyweds happy sentiments from afar.

“I do want to wish the couple all happiness and smooth sailing and strength when it can’t be smooth,” the legendary singer told the crowd, according to fan-recorded footage of the show.

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In addition to being her namesake, Taylor has performed with Swift once before: ironically, it was in the same stadium where she would one day say her vows. Back in 2011, during her *Speak Now World Tour, *the duo shared the stage to duet his 1970 classic, “Fire and Rain“ at Madison Square Garden.

Three years later, Taylor recounted meeting the pop superstar for the first time, at a benefit for Candie’s Foundation, a non-profit focused on preventing teen pregnancy.

“We were both there with guitars and played a couple of songs,” Taylor told *USA Today*. “I was performing with my wife and may have had a friend of ours playing cello and Taylor was there just playing by herself.”

James Taylor and Taylor Swift perform together at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2011.

Larry Busacca/Getty

He continued, “She was just a teen. She told me she had listened to my music a lot and that her folks had named her with me in mind.”

The pop singer, always one for easter eggs, had later referenced the music legend in “Begin Again,” the closing track of her 2012 album, *Red*. The song, which is also stylistically reminiscent of Taylor’s work, includes the lyrics, “You said you never met one girl who had / As many James Taylor records as you /But I do.”

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Swift and Kelce reportedly paid $3 million to rent the 820,000-square-foot Madison Square Garden for three days — one to set up, one for the nuptials, and one to strike everything, according to TMZ.

With a guest list that reportedly exceeded 1,000 people, the couple welcomed their families and a star-studded roster that included Adam Sandler (who officiated their wedding ceremony ), Lena Dunham (who gave a memorable toast), Paul McCartney (who performed a rarely-played Beatles classic) and many more, from close friends Selena Gomez, Patrick Mahomes and Ed Sheeran to surprising inclusions like Steven Spielberg, Zadie Smith and Ethan Hawke.

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