When it comes to, well, pretty much everything, Donald Trump isn't one to do things by halves – and the same certainly goes for weddings. When he and third wife Melania (née Knauss) tied the knot fifteen years ago, back on 25 January 2005, it was a star-studded, costly and extravagant affair. The price tag? A rumoured $2.5 million (a casual $100,000 of which was spent on Melania's custom-designed Dior dress).

Given that the couple have recently departed the White House (with the former President of the United States now awaiting trial for his second impeachment), many are now wondering what will come next for them. While their future is still largely unknown, we decided to take a look back at the big day that officially cemented their union...

The dress

Melania opted for a custom-made Dior gown that weighed in at 60lbs (which, to put into context, is the equivalent of carting around eight average-sized newborn babies on your person). According to Vogue, who put her on the cover wearing it, the dress featured 1500 diamonds and pearls, and took over 500 hours to create. Phew! Oh, and the price tag came in at $100,000 (£73,237). She paired it with some equally OTT headgear, jewels (including a hand-bracelet adorned with white roses) and a seriously impressive up-do.

Shortly after the event, The New York Times shared further details, saying it "included 90 meters of white satin, [a] skirt so wide and voluminous that for the wedding supper [Melania] was to be seated on a bench".

Jeffrey Langlois/Pb Daily News/Palm Beach Daily News/Shutterstock

The venue

For the ceremony itself, the pair said their vows in Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Palm Beach, Florida (and according to The New York Times, the part about having to "obey" was removed).

Following the formalities, the newlyweds and their guests returned to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort (situated just a short car journey away) for supper, dancing in the newly renovated ballroom and a slice of 200lb wedding cake (said to have cost $50,000).

Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Palm Beach

The ring

When Trump proposed in 2004, he presented Melania with an engagement ring from high-end jewellers, Graff, which in the past has been reported to be worth anything between £1m and £2.3m– so, naturally, the wedding band had to have some serious weight about it too. Also from Graff, the ring Melania was given on her big day is a white emerald cut diamond in platinum (estimated to have cost somewhere in the region of £500,000):

Stephen Lovekin/FilmMagic.com

However, over the years it seems Melania prefers to wear her spennier engagement diamond over her actual wedding band:

Ken Cedeno//Getty Images

The guests

Attended by 350 of their nearest and dearest, celebrities including Billy Joel, Simon Cowell and supermodel Heidi Klum were amongst those who witnessed Donald and Melania say "I do!". Trump's lawyer and former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani (yeah, the guy who had the leaky hair dye disaster and who featured in the second Borat movie), was also present.

Heidi Klum pictured on Donald and Melania Trump’s wedding day (25 January 2005)

The honeymoon

Where else but Trump's very own Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, of course? In fairness, Trump did buy the sprawling estate for $8m back in 1985 (meaning its value today is... a lot) and it comes complete with private chefs, chandeliers, a polo ground, swimming pools etc. etc. (basically think of any typical rich person thing and it's there).

Mar-a-Lago pictured a few days after the Trump wedding, the venue was decorated for the International Red Cross Ball attended by both Donald and Melania (29 January 2005)

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 Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

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