All The Trump Family Members Who Got Married At Mar-A-Lago
Donald Trump called his Mar-a-Lago resort "The Winter White House" and regularly conducted affairs of state within its glitzy, gilded walls. Still, it wasn't all work, as Trump also hosted weddings for family members at the palatial Florida estate. In addition, he charges bank for outsiders to say "I do" inside the gaudy Versailles-style 20,000-square-foot ballroom, which has $7 million worth of gold leaf plastered on its walls.
Exceptionally fortunate newlyweds may get a surprise appearance from the great man himself. New York magazine obtained video of Trump gatecrashing Nashville socialite Vanessa Falk's wedding in February 2017. Trump was meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when news broke that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, so it's easy to understand why he was eager to rush off and celebrate. Trump even took to the stage where, according to CNN, he boasted to wedding guests, "[The bride and groom] paid me a fortune.'"
Trump was also a wedding crasher at John and Megan Arrigo's big day. TMZ had a video of him rambling to the captive audience about Joe Biden's Iranian and Chinese policy, the Mexican border situation, and his unfounded but never-ending insistence that the 2020 election was stolen. It's a given that even the worst-ever best-man speech could never top that one. But what are Trump family Mar-a-Lago weddings like? Well, dust off your fancy frock and strap on your dancing shoes; we're taking a peek inside their big day blow-outs.
Don Jr and Vanessa's ill-feted festivities
Donald Trump prides himself on his exemplary oratory skills. However, he needs to brush up on his wedding speeches. According to Page Six, Donald gave a less-than-stellar performance at his friends Jarod and Alexa Malnik's wedding rehearsal dinner at Mar-a-Lago in March 2024. He did manage to squeeze some boasting in, though. "Nobody gets divorced ever when they get married at Mar-a-Lago," Donald announced. "People, 20 years later, say it's the greatest marriage ever." The crowd erupted in cheers and chanted Donald's name, apparently.
Fact check: Donald Trump Jr. is one of (two) family members who married at Mar-a-Lago and subsequently divorced. Don Jr. wed Vanessa Haydon in November 2005, and in a throwback to more harmonious times, Donald's sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, officiated. Joan Collins, Sophie Dahl, Brittny Gastineau, and Don Jr.'s mom, Ivana Trump, were among the estimated 370 guests.
The couple welcomed five kids, Kai, Donald John III, Tristan, Spencer, and Chloe. However, the marriage went south after "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant Aubrey O'Day claimed she had a steamy affair with Don Jr. "I love him. Love, loved, love," O'Day told Page Six in December 2022. "I'll always have love for him." The spouses roughed it out for a few more years, but the damage was done. "We are incredibly lucky to have five amazing children and are committed to raising them together," they announced in February 2019 (via People). "Our kids and their happiness will always be our first priority."
Ivana and Rossano's mid-summer night's dream
Eyebrows were raised when Ivana Trump married her fourth husband, Rossano Rubicondi. It wasn't just because the dashing Italian actor was 23 years her junior; it was also because she tied the knot at Mar-a-Lago, the home of her first husband, Donald Trump.
Ivana and Donald married in 1977. They welcomed three children, Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, and formed a strong working relationship. However, Donald moved on to Marla Maples in 1990, resulting in their 1992 divorce. Still, he was among the 500 guests who watched Rubicondi slip a $1 million sparkler onto Ivana's finger during a "Midsummer Night's Dream" themed wedding in 2008, officiated by Donald's sister, Maryanne Trump Barry. "I am so happy my friends from around the world came to be with me on my wedding day," Ivana told People.
Ultimately, what happened in Mar-a-Lago stayed in Mar-a-Lago, and the couple split less than a year later, blaming their busy work schedules. They didn't know how to quit, though, breaking up and making up before finally calling it quits for good in June 2019. "I am once again a single woman," Ivana told Page Six. "I have the freedom to do what I want, with whomever I want to, and I can afford my lifestyle." Reconciliation rumors were sparked again in July 2021 when the exes were spotted together in New York. However, sadly, Rubicondi died three months later, at age 49. Ivana followed less than a year later.
Eric and Lara's swanky soirée
Eric Trump got hitched to Lara Yunaska in November 2014. The couple exchanged vows in front of 450 guests at the family homestead, Mar-a-Lago, in a suitably extravagant and excessive ceremony. Nobody cares about the groom, but Eric was dressed in a natty black suit and white bow tie, while the blushing bride wore two dresses. Lara was clad in a princess-style tiered lace and tulle design by Vera Wang to say "I do," with a long veil cascading down her back. "It was the first dress that I tried on and actually felt like a bride," she told People. "I knew that I needed a dress that would be seen from even the farthest guest's viewpoint!"
Jared Kushner acted as officiant, and by all accounts, he smashed it. "Jared knows us so well that what he had to say was heartfelt and especially meaningful," Eric told Wedding Style Magazine, which published pics of the big day.
For the reception, Lara wore a cream lace fishtail Inbal Dror gown and elbow-length fingerless silk gloves to cover her wrists, which she had broken two weeks before after falling from a horse. Still, Lara kept calm and carried on. "If anything, it brought Eric and I closer," she said. Donna Newman was responsible for photographing the festivities. In one pic, Eric held hands with his mom, Ivana Trump, as they walked down the aisle. In another, the newlyweds snuggled their pet beagle.
Tiffany and Michael's big blow out
Tiffany Trump is often viewed as the forgotten Trump child. She's the daughter of Donald Trump and Marla Maples. Their marriage was over within four years, though — twelve months before Maples was set to renegotiate the iron-clad prenup she was forced to sign by Donald's legal eagles. Ultimately, Maples walked away with a paltry $1 million and no alimony.
She promptly upped sticks and moved to California with Tiffany, who has since worked hard to ingratiate herself with her father. She's been a regular on the campaign trail and an outspoken defender of Donald and his controversial policies. In return, he hosted an over-the-top, no-expenses-spared wedding at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022 for his youngest daughter and her fiancé, Michael Boulo. The celebration reportedly cost a whopping $1.5 million and featured a bizarre performance by a bunch of blindfolded women — each to their own.
Donald was under strict orders to keep things uncharacteristically partisan and campaigning-free. "We are focused on this sacred union and welcoming beloved friends and family, not on politics," Maples told People. In addition to no stumping by The Donald, the bride was adamant that her parents played nice on her big day. "Tiffany has never been a people divider," a source shared. "This is a joyous family occasion."
Donald and Melania's star-studded spectacular
No expense was spared when Donald Trump walked down the aisle with Melania Knavs at Mar-a-Lago in January 2005. It's estimated that Donald and Melania's wedding cost an eye-watering $2.5 million. A considerable amount more than the $33,000 that Zola estimates most couples spend. Still, most couples don't exchange vows in front of celebrities, politicians, and famous peeps like Simon Cowell, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric, Sean "Ditty" Combs, Anna Wintour, Heidi Klum, Barbara Walters, and Donald's buddy Rudy Giuliani.
Vogue USA's editor-at-large, Andre Leon Tally, flew to France with Melania to pick out the perfect gown from the Paris Fashion Week couture shows. They settled on a custom-designed $100,000 Dior dress that weighed 60 pounds — the equivalent of strapping eight average-weight newborn babies on your back. It was covered in 1,500 diamonds and pearls that apparently took some poor person over 500 hours to sew on.
According to The New York Times, guests quaffed Cristal champagne and dined on truffle cakes and beef tenderloin. Oh, and there was a 200-pound, seven-tier cake that cost $50,000. "It's a royal wedding," boxing promoter Don King told the Times. "It's something out of the monarchy. It's something like, you know, King Henry or King Edward — they've got so many kings it really doesn't matter — would have." Here's hoping things end better for Melania than for Henry VIII's wives.