On Wednesday, January 22, United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, marking two decades since their lavish nuptials in Palm Beach, Florida. The 47th President of the United States celebrated their anniversary with a post on his social media accounts. "Happy 20th Anniversary to Melania!" he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In a post from the @POTUS X account, the president penned, "Celebrating 20 years with my beautiful wife and our incredible First Lady, Melania. You're an extraordinary wife and a wonderful mother. Happy Anniversary, @FLOTUS!"
The couple tied the knot on January 22, 2005, at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea. Following the ceremony, they attended an extravagant reception at the Mar-a-Lago Club, which drew a star-studded guest list of 350 attendees.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump during "Art for Life" Gala Honoring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs Hosted by Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Donald Trump, then a real estate mogul, and Melania Knauss, a Slovenian model, spared no expense for their big day. Renowned wedding planner Preston Bailey orchestrated the event, which remains one of the most high-profile weddings of its time. The reception reflected the couple's opulent style, featuring elaborate floral arrangements and a reported five-foot-tall wedding cake covered in white icing and decorated with hundreds of handmade sugar flowers.
Bailey, reflecting on the day in an interview with Women's Wear Daily, described the wedding as a "party, party, party" atmosphere with a poolside afterparty that kept the celebration lively. He noted there was "no downtime," with guests mingling in tight-knit social circles.
The Guest List: A Mix of Politics, Media, and Celebrities
Among the notable attendees were political figures Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton—an ironic twist given Donald Trump's later political rivalry with Hillary in the 2016 presidential election.
The Guest List: A Mix of Politics, Media, and Celebrities
The guest list also included media personalities like Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Kelly Ripa, Gayle King, and Deborah Norville and entertainment icons like Tony Bennett, Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, and Donna Summer.
Couples in attendance included Billy Joel and Katie Lee, Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons, and Rudy Giuliani and Judith Giuliani. Other prominent figures included Richard Branson, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Steve Wynn, and Shaquille O'Neal.
The wedding was Donald Trump's third marriage and Melania's first. Donald previously wed Ivana Trump in 1977, with whom he shares three children: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. Following their split in 1989, Donald married Marla Maples in 1993, with whom he shares a daughter, Tiffany Trump. That marriage ended in 1999.
Melania Knauss, born in Slovenia on April 26, 1970, met Donald in 1998. The two became a fixture in New York's social scene before their engagement in 2004. Melania wore a custom Christian Dior gown made from 300 feet of satin for their wedding, featuring a 16-foot train. She complemented the look with a dazzling 13-carat emerald-cut diamond wedding band set in platinum.
Life Since the Wedding
A year after their marriage, the Trumps welcomed their only child together, Barron Trump, in 2006. Barron is Donald Trump's youngest child and Melania's only son. Over the years, Melania transitioned from being a model to becoming the First Lady of the United States during Donald Trump's presidency from 2017 to 2021.
