Trump weds again

It was third time lucky for Donald Trump today as he wed Slovenian beauty Melania Knauss in one of the most lavish society weddings in recent memory.

The American business mogul and 34-year-old model tied the knot at an extravagant ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida, playground of the rich and famous.

After a short ceremony at the century-old Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, the couple retired to Trump’s sweeping 18-acre private home overlooking the Atlantic.

Some 350 guests joined them to celebrate at the Mar-a-Lago estate, where a ballroom features 17 custom crystal chandeliers, 24-karat gold-leaf sculptures and a marble floor.

There, the twice divorced billionaire and his new wife mingled with friends including singers Tony Bennett and Billy Joel, boxing promoter Don King and former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Prince Charles is even thought to have received an invite.

On hand were Trump’s four children from previous marriages to Ivana Zelnicek and Marla Maples.

The extravaganza was billed as “low-key” – but the real estate tycoon has never been one to keep things simple.

Around 400 people lined the street outside the church for a glimpse of a celebrity, cheers erupting as the limousines began dropping off guests. This, as one said, could be the closest the US gets to a royal wedding.

Knauss wore a voluminous, strapless haute couture wedding gown by Christian Dior. The dress has 300 feet of white satin, a 13-foot train and took 550 hours to embroider,.

Costing some $200,000 (€153,400), it comes with armed guards and is so heavy the bride had to sit on a bench to enjoy her wedding breakfast. Breaking with tradition, she chose not to carry a bouquet or have any bridesmaids.

Guests dined on steamed shrimp salad, beef tenderloin and individual Grand Marnier chocolate truffle cakes that mirrored a towering seven-tier wedding cake topped with 3,000 white-icing roses.

Music was provided by a 36-piece string ensemble.

The man dubbed The Donald by US media is famed for self-promotion and an eye for business.

It came as no surprise then, that the $1.5m (€1.2m)-dollar diamond engagement ring was reportedly bagged at a knockdown price from New York jeweller Tony Graff in return for some free advertising.

The wedding comes just two days after the US premiere of the third season of Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice.

The 58-year-old admitted he fielded offers to move the TV cameras from his boardroom to his ballroom, but decided against it.

Instead, the tycoon signed an exclusive contract with Getty Images to sell photos of the wedding. As a result security was tighter than ever with cameras, recording devices and even mobile phones banned from the proceedings.

But that didn’t stop the US media and paparazzi scrambling to cover the event.

If the guests were stuck for the perfect gift, the happy couple made a few suggestions.

The most expensive gift on their list was the Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica porcelain fruit basket, for €6,500 from the fashionable boutique, Bergdorf.