The Trump Family's Most Lavish Wedding Looks
Over the years, the Trump family has become a symbol of unbridled opulence. Indeed, they have a reputation for leading an over-the-top lifestyle. Donald Trump's bedroom resembles a Renaissance church — the ceiling is complete with swirling clouds and winged baby cherubs (per QZ). Photos of the family's three-floor Manhattan penthouse published in House & Garden UK reveal gold-plated chairs, desks, and even walls. Another photo, which appeared in Marie Claire, featured Donald tipping his golden construction hat.
If these elements of the real estate family's quotidian living seem excessive, know that their celebrations and events are just as ostentatious. Over the years, Trump wedding looks, in particular, have made headline after headline. Melania Trump's ultra-heavy wedding dress, for example, weighed so much that she could barely walk in it, the Mirror reported. Ivanka Trump spent tens of thousands on her wedding day gown, which was tailored to her groom's Orthodox Jewish faith, according to Express. And, Marla Maples once created a scandal for wearing a pricy white gown to start her controversial marriage to Donald Trump, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Amid this culture of excess, though, each of these wedding style choices reveals something innate about a member of America's most divisive political family.
Marla Maples defied expectations in her wedding to Donald Trump
On December 20, 1993, Donald Trump married his former mistress, Marla Maples. At the time, this romance was controversial enough to generate a tabloid frenzy. In 1990, the pair was the subject of a New York Post cover story, featuring an alleged quote from Maples calling Trump the "Best Sex I've Ever Had." Former New York Post journalist Jill Brooke has since published a story in The Hollywood Reporter, claiming Trump may have fabricated that headline on his own.
Other rumors swirling around the former couple have included a claim published in a 1990 Newsweek report, which maintained that Maples approached Trump's then-wife Ivana on a Colorado ski trip and said, "I love him," referring to Trump. Ivana later corroborated the story in her book, "Raising Trump" (via Newser).
Regardless of the negative media attention, one thing about this Trump wedding was clear: Maples refused to cave to her critics. The bride wore a white gown, apparently defying what was expected (via Chicago Tribune). As noted by Roxanne Roberts of The Washington Post, Maples embraced a regal bridal look. She invoked the style choices of the British royal family and the Kennedys by donning a Carolina Herrera wedding gown. Maples also upheld tradition by wearing something borrowed– a $2-million-dollar tiara by Ronald Winston, per The New York Times. Thus, Maples maintained a classic style at an anti-traditional event.
Melania Trump's 550-hour wedding dress marked her marriage to Donald Trump
When Melania Trump (née Knauss) married Donald Trump in 2005, she brought the concept of a Trump wedding to a whole new level. Her wedding day look was completely inordinate. According to Vogue UK, Melania's white gown by Christian Dior cost around $100,000, making it one of the most expensive wedding dresses of its time.
GQ estimated that it took a whopping 550 hours to complete. Considering that the dress was reportedly made of 300 feet of satin and 1,500 crystal rhinestones, this time estimate would be unsurprising (per Vogue UK). According to Express, the final product weighed around 60 pounds.
Melania's wedding look served as the crown jewel of an already ostentatious event. Writer Joseph O'Neil, whose ex-wife had interviewed Melania for a Vogue cover story about the gown, recounted his memories of the Trump wedding in a piece for The New Yorker. According to his account, guests spent the morning before the event in their own Mar-A-Lago hotel rooms, where they received monogrammed bathrobes. They were also treated to perks, like a complimentary round of golf and massages.
Ivanka Trump's dress demonstrated her Jewish faith at her wedding to Jared Kushner
On October 25, 2009, Ivanka Trump married Jared Kushner in an emotional New Jersey ceremony. From afar, the event seemed to be a typical Trump wedding. Just like several brides and grooms before them, Ivanka and Kushner wed in one of the family hotels — in their case, the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster (via Today). Ivanka's style choices also seemed to reproduce the ostentation of the Trump brides of the past. According to a report by Newsweek, Ivanka wore a $45,000 platinum and diamond hairpiece in addition to diamond jewelry estimated to cost a total of $220,000. Her Vera Wang dress, estimated to cost $50,000 by the South China Morning Post, only added to the moneyed look.
However, Ivanka's wedding attire wasn't just a display of wealth — it also represented her commitment to her newfound Jewish faith. Express reported that the Kushner family only accepted Ivanka as one of their own after the bride-to-be completed a rigorous Orthodox Jewish conversion process. Consequently, Ivanka's wedding dress had to conform to certain standards for what the Kushner family's sector of Judaism would find acceptable.
According to The Knot, Orthodox women marry wearing modest dresses — high necklines, enclosed backs, and sleeves. Thus, on the day of her wedding, Ivanka wore an extremely demure gown that covered her shoulders, chest, and neck (per Express).
Lara Trump's look at her wedding to Eric Trump was all about legacy
If Ivanka Trump's wedding was about embracing new traditions, her brother, Eric Trump, and his bride Lara (née Yunaska) focused on maintaining old ones. According to Wedding Style Magazine, Eric and Lara tied the knot on November 8, 2014 in a Mar-A Lago-ceremony that was so over-the-top that it recalled the Trump weddings of the past. With a glittery golden theme, multiple dress changes, and a bright pink cake, the party embraced the family's history of unblushing gaudiness.
Lara's wedding look embraced the overall opulence of the event by including two dresses that abounded in frills and ruffles. The original Vera Wang sketches, published in People, included one gown with ruffles that seemed to burst out of the parachute-shaped skirt. Meanwhile, the second gown featured a frilly mermaid skirt composed of even more ruffles. When asked about this unique style choice in an interview with the publication, Lara reportedly exclaimed, "I knew that I needed a dress that would be seen from even the farthest guest's viewpoint!"
As distinctly Trumpian as Lara's wedding style was, she ultimately wore something that no Trump bride has worn in recent memory: a set of casts. As explained by People, Lara broke her wrists in a horseback riding accident in the months before the wedding. "Fortunately, my wedding planner and my designer came up with some fabulously bedazzled gloves to try and blend these casts," Lara revealed.
Tiffany Trump embraced a Lebanese look at her wedding to Michael Boulos
On November 12, 2022, Tiffany Trump and Michael Boulos blended their families' cultures and traditions in a totally unique twist on the classic Trump wedding, as reported by People. According to the outlet, Tiffany and Michael followed in the footsteps of many Trump family members by wedding at Mar-A-Lago. Tiffany's mother, Marla Maples, justified the choice of location: "This was Tiffany's childhood home and where she was brought into the world."
Although the wedding venue embraced an aspect of the Trump family tradition, Tiffany's bridal look was all about the groom's Lebanese background. Per Vogue Arabia, Tiffany wore a white gown custom-made by Elie Saab, a designer who shares Boulos' Lebanese heritage. Marla clued People into the choice of designer, saying, "It's a Lebanese American wedding, so we were so happy to have Elie Saab create the magic." While the dress itself was modest, with long sleeves and a floor-length skirt, it made Tiffany shine. Literally. The gown boasted all of the glam that Saab is known for, thanks to the crystal patterns that shimmered upon the white fabric. As noted by Shannon Donnelly of the Palm Beach Daily News, she essentially looked like a diamond.
Tiffany's stunning bridal look matched other Lebanese styles that appeared throughout the wedding. As Vogue Arabia reported, Saab designed Marla's gorgeous violet mother-of-the-bride gown, as well as Ivanka Trump's flowing maid-of-honor ensemble.