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donald and melania trump 2017© Getty Images

Inside Melania Trump's $2.5m wedding to Donald ahead of 20th anniversary

The 47th President of the United States married in Palm Beach, Florida

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
November 7, 2024
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Donald Trump has an exciting January to look forward to. 

Not only will he be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election – but it's also his 20th wedding anniversary.

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In honor of the milestone occasion, take a look back at Donald and Melania's extravagant wedding, which reportedly cost a whopping $2.5 million – $100,000 of which was spent on the bride's custom dress.

The wedding venue

donald and melania trump wedding venue© Joanna Gleason/EPA/Shutterstock
Donald and Melania married at the Bethesda-by-the-sea church

Donald and Melania married on 20 January 2005, at Bethesda-By-the-Sea Church in Palm Beach, Florida. 

The church originated in 1889 with its current structure dating back to 1925 and can hold over 700 people.

Speaking about her wedding day to Larry King shortly after the nuptials, Melania described it as "fantastic," adding: "We had a great time."

Donald and Melania aren't the only famous faces to tie the knot at Bethesda-By-the-Sea. NBA legend Michael Jordan and his wife, Cuban model Yvette Prito, also exchanged vows at the venue in 2013.

The reception

donald and melania trump wedding reception venue© Joanna Gleason/EPA/Shutterstock
Their reception was held at their Mar-a-Lago estate

Following the wedding, the newlyweds traveled less than three miles to the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom at Donald's Mar-a-Lago estate for their reception.

The ballroom, which cost $35 million and was built in a Versailles-inspired Louis XIV style, was filled with 10,000 flowers and included long tables decorated in cream and gold accents with matching tableware and crockery.

Guests were serenaded by the Michael Rose Orchestra, dined on caviar and tenderloin, and sipped Cristal before taking home miniature versions of the extravagant chocolate wedding cake, which cost a reported $50,000.

The dress

melania trump wedding dress© Jeffrey Langlois/Pb Daily News/Palm Beach Daily News/Shutterstock
Melania's custom Dior dress reportedly cost $100,000

Melania looked gorgeous in a custom-designed, strapless Dior gown that took over 500 hours to create and weighed 60lbs.

It was made of duchesse satin and featured a figure-hugging silhouette, a 90-meter voluminous skirt, and embroidered with 1500 diamonds and pearls. 

melania trump rosary beads at donald wedding© Getty Images
Melania wore rosary beads that belonged to her family

Melania completed her bridal look with a 16-foot veil and a strand of rosary beads adorned with white roses in lieu of a bouquet.

The ring

melania trump wedding ring© Getty Images
Melania's wedding band is a white emerald cut diamond in platinum

Donald presented his wife with a wedding ring that is estimated to have cost a jaw-dropping $1.5 million. 

The 13-carat ring was designed by London-based jeweler Graff and boasts white, emerald-cut diamonds set in platinum.

The celebrity guests

kelly ripa and donald and melania trump wedding© Getty Images
Kelly Ripa was a guest at Donald and Melania's wedding

The happy couple exchanged vows in front of a star-studded guestlist of 350 people which included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barbara Walters, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and his wife, Judy Nathan.

barbara walters at donald and melania trump wedding© Getty Images
Barbara Walters was among the A-list guests

Also in attendance were Katie Couric, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Billy Joel, Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos, and many more.

The honeymoon

donald and melania trump throwback© Getty Images
Donald and Melania honeymooned at their Mar-a-Lago estate

The couple didn't travel far for their honeymoon and instead stayed at their Mar-a-Lago resort which boasts private chefs, chandeliers, a polo ground, and swimming pools.

"Why are we going to leave our gorgeous, beautiful house, called Mar-a-Lago, and venture out to some tropical island where things aren't clean or whatever?" Donald said at the time.

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