Melania Knauss

Melania Knauss (or Melanija Knavs) (born May 6, 1974) is a model from Slovenia and the wife of the prolific American business executive and real estate magnate Donald Trump, whom she married on January 22, 2005.

She was born in Slovenia when that country was part of Yugoslavia. She grew up in a comfortable home in Sevnica where her Austrian father and Slovenian mother made sure she was well-educated with the intention of success in life on their minds. This meant many hours of studying books when she was young.

Knauss was Trump's longtime girlfriend before their engagement in 2004, and has been a frequent companion of her husband's in recent years. Their relationship received increasing publicity after the launch of Trump's successful business-oriented reality television show, The Apprentice. Their wedding ceremony was widely covered, with the fact that Knauss wore a $200,000 dress frequently noted.

Donald Trump and Melania Knauss were married at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.