Taylor Swift seen, and swarmed, on Long Beach Island for producer Jack Antonoff’s wedding

It was anything but a cruel summer for Swifties at the Shore this weekend as their hero, Taylor Swift herself, visited Long Beach Island for the wedding of her music producer pal Jack Antonoff and actress Margaret Qualley.

Antonoff, whose family has a home in Beach Haven, and Qualley, the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell, chose the popular Black Whale pub in town for his rehearsal dinner Friday, after an initial flirtation with the sentimental favorite, the Holiday Snack Bar.

Fans swarmed the pub as word got out and forced police to shut down the street in front, with hundreds shouting “Taylor, Taylor, Taylor!” as the pop superstar, fresh off her phenomenally successful Eras tour, entered with Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum.

Additional celebrities, including singer Lana Del Rey, were seen waving from the balcony before the curtains were drawn about 8:45 p.m. Friday, according to various media reports. MacDowell was also in attendance.

The streets bulged with fans who waited into the night until Swift exited, shouting and cheering and proclaiming their utter shock at having Swift in their midst.

“This is nuts!” said one.

“Where my Swifties at??” tweeted another, taking video from inside the Black Whale.

About 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the celebrity gossip website Page Six posted a clip of Swift entering the wedding venue, carrying a glass of wine and wearing a breezy baby blue, mid-length lace appliqué dress with a thin-strapped corset top by Erdem. Police were keeping the crowd at a distance.

The wedding, which additional celebs Billy Joel, Cara Delevingne, and Ryan Reynolds were rumored to be attending, was held Saturday at another nearby Beach Haven restaurant, Parker’s Garage, with the reception at yet another nearby restaurant, Bird & Betty’s.

Antonoff, the lead singer of the band Bleachers, has collaborated with Swift on several songs. He was also the singer and guitarist in the band Fun (now on hiatus). Qualley appeared in The Leftovers TV series and the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Some rumors had Bruce Springsteen on the guest list, though so soon after his canceling of two shows in Philadelphia on Wednesday and Friday due to illness, any public appearance by the Boss would be highly controversial.

Page Six reported that Swift was wearing Hill House Home’s June Nap Top ($175) and matching Delphine Nap Skirt ($175) in black scallop lace for the rehearsal dinner.

Swift is no stranger to the Jersey Shore. A native of the Reading area, she spent summers with her family in Stone Harbor until she was 14 and she used to perform at Coffee Talk there as a teenager. She was also spotted wearing a Stone Harbor sweatshirt during the recent tour.

And although LBI has its share of celebrities, Beach Haven on the south end, especially on a prime summer weekend in a typically crowded part of town, would not be the first place locals might expect an A-list wedding to take place.

“I’m pretty confident that stuff goes on in the north end all the time,” said Eileen Bowker, owner of the Holiday Snack Bar. “Here at the blue-collar end, people get excited.”

Others were more judgy at all the swarming and attention.

Said one local poster on an LBI Facebook group, “I love that we get the occasional celebrity visitor to bring a little recognition to what we already know. I am disappointed however when I see pictures of what looks like a hundred people outside a restaurant trying to catch a glimpse. They come to celebrate family moments, private events or the like. They deserve some degree of privacy.”

The swarming Swifties were also facing widespread backlash from within their ranks.

“This is exactly what Taylor has said she hates time and time again,” said one poster on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Did no one listen to Anti-Hero ...? I am disgusted that people think this is acceptable behavior.”