All weekend, people fumed on social media at the way people mobbed the New Jersey wedding festivities of actor Margaret Qualley and record producer Jack Antonoff due to the presence of one particular celebrity guest — Taylor Swift.
Some people grumbled that Swift was hogging attention from the bride and groom, but most social media users were upset that a mob of errant Swifties couldn’t give their hero a break and let her and her friends enjoy the wedding in peace.
Swift, of course, is no stranger to the fact that she draws crowds. And, being a respectful wedding guest and considerate friend, she had her team meet with police in Beach Haven, the town on Long Beach Island off the coast of New Jersey, where Qualley and Antonoff’s wedding took place, TMZ reported.
Beach Haven Police Chief James Markoski told TMZ that Swift’s security team and Antonoff, who has been Swift’s music collaborator for years, met with his department two weeks before the wedding weekend to discuss the likelihood of crowds surrounding the venues on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The crowd waiting for Taylor Swift outside a wedding in New Jersey.
Insane! pic.twitter.com/IN6kVmPPoS
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 19, 2023
They worked out how Antonoff’s wedding planner would pay for three additional officers to be on duty for the event, while they also planned to set up two viewing areas for fans. Police moreover shut down three intersections in town to prevent cars from getting too close to fans in the designated viewing areas.
Crowds mostly became an issue on Friday night, with reports that the rehearsal dinner at a local restaurant, Black Whale Bar & Fish House, caused a frenzy. That’s when Swift emerged from the restaurant wearing a black crop top with matching skirt.
EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Swift — spotted with Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz — shut down a street in LBI, NJ ahead of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley’s star-studded wedding. pic.twitter.com/hhXDmsmhRC
— Page Six (@PageSix) August 19, 2023
To be fair, Swift wasn’t the only celebrity sighted at the dinner. She exited with actors Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz, while Cara Delevingne and Lana Del Rey also were seen leaving.
But people were really there to see Swift, who had just completed the first United States leg of her sold-out Eras tour, as the Los Angeles Times reported.
Reports say that police were called in to help calm the crowd, who could be seen in photos and videos, flooding the roads outside the restaurant and gathering on sidewalks. But from the TMZ report, police already were involved.
Swift and the other stars returned to town the next day to attend the ceremony at another local venue, Parker’s Garage & Oyster Saloon. Fans again flocked to the venue to catch a glimpse of Swift, with the multi-Grammy Award winning pop sensation seen wearing a delicate, lacy baby-blue dress and stilettos.
Imagine stalking and following Taylor Swift to her producer/close friend’s wedding, making it all about her, and thinking she even remotely wants you there. Especially after last night. Stop hunting celebs for fame. pic.twitter.com/Fc9sQRQmzI
— Mikayla Gallant (@mikayla_gallant) August 19, 2023
Fans also were able to see Qualley holding hands with her husband, who also is the frontman for the Bleachers and is soon to release his next album. The Emmy-nominated bride, who starred in the acclaimed Netflix series “Maid” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” wore a silky white halter dress and Mary Jane flats. Other celebrities spotted at the festivities included Andie MacDowell, who is Qualley’s mother, Blake Lively and “Hereditary” star Alex Wolff.
When it came to the crowds on Saturday, TMZ reported that a fishing competition and block party also were going on in the small beach town at around the same time. But Markoski said there were no arrests, tickets or major injuries associated with any of the events. He also said that Swift fans hung around for nearly 12 hours outside the venue, beginning at about 2 p.m. and only leaving after Swift herself finally left the reception at around 1:30 a.m.