Preston Bailey Wedding Planner Insights for Trump’s Wedding

On the occasion of Donald J. Trump’s recent inauguration as the 47th President of the United States of America, the Donald - Melania Trump “power-couple” is back on our radars. As the Trumps celebrate their 20-year wedding anniversary, we want to take a walk down memory lane and reminisce about their grandiose wedding, as told by their wedding planner Preston Bailey.

Donald Trump married the Slovenian-American model and his third wife Melania Knauss in 2005. The couple tied the knot at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, followed by a reception at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. The glamorous wedding was attended by 350 high-profile guests, among which were also famous celebrities. The couple’s New York-based wedding planner, Preston Bailey, had replaced another event designer less than three months before the Trumps’ wedding. He recalls his time planning the splendid wedding 20 years ago as “a fantastic experience”.

The luxury wedding planner also shared the irony behind Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent - Hillary Clinton – attending the wedding with her husband Bill Clinton.

Speaking of guests – the star-studded wedding included a number of notable figures, such as Barbara Walters, Mohammed Al-Fayed, Cindy Adams, Heidi Klum, Matt Laur, Russel Simmons, Katie Couric, Harold Evans, Richard Branson and many more. “I remember the press was just crazy waiting outside," Bailey noted to WWD that the press was waiting outside and going crazy over the celebrity guest list at the wedding.

20 years later, Bailey shares how clear it is that Melania played the key role in making the high-profile wedding come together and ensuring that there was never a dull moment during the event.

How Celebrity Wedding Planner Managed Trump’s Wedding

The luxurious wedding had all the exclusive wedding decor you can imagine - flower-covered 9-foot candelabras, gold-colored chairs, rose-covered cake prepared by then-chef of Mar-a-Lago. The Versailles-inspired style ballroom, where the reception was held, cost $35 million, and was filled with 10,000 flowers.

“She was a great hostess”, said Bailey, adding that Melania was involved with every little detail of the celebrity wedding planning process, and made sure that everyone was comfortable. Bailey also mentioned that, with her meticulous approach, Melania studied the evening very carefully to make sure there were no boring moments. The hosts ensured that the wedding was fun and social – which was exactly what happened as everybody seemed to know each other.

Grand ballroom at Mar-a-Lago where the wedding reception took place.

Courtesy Preston Bailey / WWD

When asked about how much he was paid for his services, Bailey responded, “it was $350,000 or $400,000, which at that time was a lot of money.” He also mentioned that Donald Trump splurged on everything that Melania wanted for the wedding without questioning anything. All the bills submitted by Bailey were immediately approved by Trump or his office.

One of those extravagant splurges was Melania’s voluminous strapless Dior wedding gown custom-designed for her by John Galliano. The dress, which required 1000 hours of work to assemble, was embroidered with 1500 diamonds and pearls and cost $187,000 – quite a price tag!

When it comes to planning luxury wedding events with top-tier vendors and services, it is important to work within the limits of what is permitted to avoid any crises. As per Bailey, his team had to abide by the restrictions of the town of Palm Beach when organizing an after-party by the pool and be very “careful not to go too late.”

The Impact of the Trumps’ Wedding on the Wedding Industry

With regard to luxurious celebrity wedding trends, Donald and Melania Trump’s wedding has set a high standard and is the one to remember for decades ahead. Having designed Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s wedding in 2009, as well as the nuptials of Eric and Lara Trump in 2014, Preston Bailey compared the three weddings, highlighting the costs involved. He recalled that when Ivanka wed, the expenses did not worry her father and whatever she wanted – she got. And just like Melania, Ivanka was involved in the details of her wedding. Both of their weddings were classic white fairytale-like events. When it comes to Eric and Lara, they were a lot more cautious about the spending, so the experience was different for Bailey.

Donald and Melania Trump’s wedding is a solid example of a glamorous and luxury wedding, inspiring couples and wedding planners alike to dream big. Their celebration once again reinforces the importance of having a professional wedding planner who will focus on all the little details while you sit back, relax and anticipate the start of a new chapter in your life.

As much as weddings bring joy and unforgettable memories, high-budget wedding planning can be quite a hassle for couples when dealt with minimal-to-no help. Let’s dive into our tips on how to plan a luxury wedding for high-profile couples:

• Understand the needs – talk to your clients and try to get an in-depth idea of what their expectations are for their wedding day.

• Outline a budget – setting a budget and blocking out payments for all the wedding essentials (including venue, catering, florist, photographers and other major expenses) will bring clarity and focus to priorities.

• Research and choose a wedding venue – be it an outdoor wedding or an indoor one, make a list of potential venues and book a time to have a look around.  

• Build your guest list – create your guest list as soon as your prestigious wedding venue has been locked in and start sending invitations to your guests.

• Atmosphere – create the right atmosphere for the wedding by staying up to date with luxury wedding decor trends from celebrity weddings.

• Ensure security – arrange private security and press management to ensure the safety of your star-studded event.