What Every Trump Wedding Was Really Like

No matter your political affiliation, we can all agree that former president Donald Trump lives his life unapologetically and extravagantly. He has quite the family tree, and his children have stood by him through scandal after salacious scandal. From hosting "The Apprentice" to hosting foreign ambassadors at the White House, Trump has lived his life in the spotlight, his abrasive personality always keeping people talking. His hobbies never took a backseat during his presidency — in fact, being the leader of the free world seemed to increase his need to blow off steam on his own golf courses. Do we even need to mention what taxpayers fronted for those trips?

Politics aside, the personal lives and romantic histories of the Trump family command enough attention on their own. The former "Apprentice" host has been married three times, and the third time seems to be the charm, as he and former first lady Melania Trump are still together. His weddings only got grander over time, with each ceremony seeming to "trump" the last — pun intended. 

The former president has five children from his respective marriages: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Barron Trump. All but his youngest have tied the knot in lavish affairs with multi-million-dollar budgets. We've got you covered on what every Trump wedding was really like.

Tiffany Trump, the youngest daughter of former president Donald Trump, wed her billionaire beau Michael Boulos on the sprawling grounds of the Mar-a-Lago estate in November 2022, amidst 250 esteemed guests. The couple started dating in 2018 after reportedly meeting at a Grecian beach club and became Instagram official a few months after they met. Boulos fits in well with the Trump clan, given the Lebanese business heir comes from a prominent family who built a fortune from their successful distribution and trading company in Nigeria.

The extravagant nuptials had a Lebanese flair to them, and images from the day showcase massive flower arrangements and purple-hued lighting. Tiffany's gown was a nod to her husband's heritage, with Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab designing the dazzling long-sleeve, princess-style gown that was adorned with sequins, per People. The couple's wedding cake was also significant, modeled after the 7-foot tall custom wedding cake served at her father's wedding to her mother, Marla Maples. Tiffany's bridesmaids, including half-sister Ivanka Trump, wore flowing Tiffany-blue gowns that matched the pastel pink, purple, and blue flower arrangements that adorned the location, as seen in photos by Page Six. 

The family managed to put politics aside for the day, with Maples telling People, "We are focused on this sacred union and welcoming beloved friends and family, not on politics." She explained that her daughter chose the venue because "this was Tiffany's childhood home and where she was brought into the world."

Donald Trump's oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, wed her husband, Jared Kushner, in 2009 at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Why pay for a venue if your father owns it, right? Ivanka met Kushner, CEO of a real estate development firm, in 2007 after the two were set up by friends for a business lunch. "They very innocently set us up thinking that our only interest in one another would be transactional," Ivanka told Vogue. "Whenever we see them, we're like, the best deal we ever made!"

After a lengthy courtship, which, according to People allowed time for Ivanka to convert to Judaism for her beau, the two tied the knot in an elaborate Jewish ceremony with 500 guests, per Town & Country. Among the esteemed guests were former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and award-winning actor Natalie Portman. The bride wore an intricate lace custom A-line Vera Wang gown inspired by Grace Kelly. In a nod to her own line, she wore diamonds from the now-defunct Ivanka Trump jewelry collection. 

As per ShowBiz CheatSheet, the couple danced the night away and enjoyed a 13-layered cake crafted by Sylvia Weinstock. The October nuptials boasted beautiful fall scenery, and the reception was held under a tent in the middle of the course with see-through sides showcasing the changing leaves. Kushner and Ivanka both went on to be advisors to former President Trump, and they share three children. 

The first to wed prominent real estate mogul Donald Trump was the late Czech-American model Ivana Trump (formerly Ivana Zelnícková). The glitzy blond bombshell was known to command attention, and she did just that when she caught Trump's eye while visiting New York City for a fashion show in 1976. Ivana told The New York Post that she met the former president at an Upper East Side bar known to host prominent New York businessmen and elite socialites. 

The pair wed the next year, just nine months after they met, in a socialite-filled church ceremony in New York City that was so private no images were released to the public, according to The Knot. The two went on to have three children together, but ultimately Ivana filed for divorce in 1990 due to Donald's highly publicized affair with Marla Maples, another blond model. Ivana told Barbara Walters in a "20/20" interview that Maples had walked up to her while she and her husband were dining at a restaurant in Aspen and said (via Gawker), "I'm Marla and I love your husband. Do you?" The 1990 Christmas vacation was one for the books, with a source telling People that when Trump attempted to leave the awkward scene by going skiing, Ivana went after him on the slopes.

Mistress model-turned-billionaire housewife — it's a tale as old as time. It fits the bill for Marla Maples, the second wife of Donald Trump, and the same woman with whom he cheated on his first wife, Ivana. They say opposites attract, and that seemed true for the small-town Georgia native who fell in love with a wealthy New York real estate tycoon. The pair met by happenstance in New York City when Maples was working as a model. "I had seen him at different places throughout the years," Maples told Vanity Fair, "and just said hello, I was just somebody he shook hands with."

Shaking hands turned to starting an affair, but it's nothing a baby and a lavish wedding can't fix. The two wed shortly after welcoming their daughter, Tiffany, in an extravagant 1993 ceremony at the Plaza. Maples wore a figure-hugging silk, off-the-shoulder, sleeved Carolina Herrera gown with a $2 million tiara to top it off, as per The Knot. Guests were treated to a seven-tiered wedding cake, as well as delicacies like caviar, lamb, beef, and smoked fish.  

However, it wasn't happily ever after for Trump and Maples. The couple split in 1997 and officially divorced In 1999, in a tabloid-fueled spat that involved cheating allegations on Maple's part. The former model was allegedly caught in an early morning tryst on the beach with one of Donald's bodyguards, but Maples and Trump denied the affair, despite the bodyguard being fired just four months later (via Inside Edition).

One of Donald Trump's marriages has stood the test of time. Former first lady and Slovenian model Melania Trump (formerly Knauss) met former president Donald Trump at a fashion week party back in 1998, when she was 28 and he was 55. Trump was hooked when she refused to give him her number, taking his down instead. The pair later wed after five years of dating, in Donald's most extravagant wedding. 

Donald proposed to his bride-to-be with a $1.5 million ring, as per Business Insider, and their 2005 nuptials cost a rumored $2.5 million. Three hundred and fifty guests witnessed the couple tie the knot, with the bride wearing a custom-made Dior gown that weighed a whopping 60 pounds, complete with 1,500 diamonds and pearls. The $100,000 dress took over 500 hours to create and had a "skirt so wide and voluminous that for the wedding supper at Mar-a-Lago, Ms. Knauss was to be seated on a bench," according to The New York Times. The ceremony took place at an Episcopalian church in Palm Beach, and the grand reception was held at Donald's Mar-a-Lago resort just a short drive away. 

Melania's vision came to life in classic white, with tables swathed in satin lace and 5-foot-tall table candelabras covered in intricate floral arrangements. Guests enjoyed a 200-pound elaborate wedding cake that contained an infrastructure that took two months to create, per The Hollywood Reporter. Wedding designer Preston Bailey said Melania told him she strived for "something that is very elegant but not over-the-top."

Donald Trump's son Eric tied the knot with his longtime partner Lara Trump (formerly Yunaska) at none other than the Mar-a-Lago estate in 2014. The pair met in 2008 when Lara was working at Inside Edition and Eric was working for the Trump Organization. Eric proposed to Lara in 2013, and the duo tied the knot the following year, with Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, officiating the ceremony. Eric's brother, Donald Trump Jr., took the role of best man, and Ivanka's daughter was the flower girl. In a sweet touch, the couple's beagle was the ring bearer, as reported by NY Daily News. 

Lara opted for two designer wedding gowns: a Vera Wang ballgown and another figure-hugging number by Mark Ingram Atelier, per The Mirror. The bride had to make some adjustments after a horseback-riding accident left her to walk down the aisle with two broken wrists. but the avid rider was determined not to let it dim her day. Though she was able to remove her casts for the wedding ceremony, she later donned "protective wear" on her wrists, which she camouflaged with bedazzled gloves during the reception, as shown in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style.

The ceremony took place under a "canopy of roses" and "dangling crystals" as the sun went down over the sprawling estate. The reception was held in the ballroom, decorated with pale pink, white, and gold hues and an orchid tree as a room centerpiece. "It's a very elegant room," Eric said of his nuptials at the time, adding, "We were able to strike a perfect balance between formal and fun." 

The list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Donald Trump Jr. and ex-wife Vanessa Haydon's wedding. The former model grew up on the Upper East Side, and she was even rumored to have dated both Leonardo DiCaprio and a Saudi prince, according to SCMP. But she eventually traded in her single status for love with the eldest son of former president Trump, who introduced the pair backstage at a fashion show in 2003. The pair wed just two years later in a ceremony at Mar-a-Lago officiated by Trump Sr.'s sister, Maryanne. 

The ceremony hosted 370 of the couple's closest family and friends, and it took place poolside due to damage to the lawn caused by a hurricane at the time, according to People. The bride wore a silk, form-fitting gown that she designed herself and which was brought to life by Reem Acra, according to Extra (via People). It was a ceremony that brought Trump, Sr. together with his first wife, Ivana. They were seat just a chair away from one another at the nuptials, but were seated far across the grand ballroom during the reception, as reported by the New York Daily News (via UPI).

The couple went on to have five children together but ultimately called it quits in 2018. They finalized their divorce in 2019, after over a decade together. Trump Jr. is now engaged to former Fox News co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle, and the two have been going strong since becoming Instagram official in 2018.