Donald Trump is joined by his golden girl Melania for pre-inauguration dinner where he joked ‘you’ll know it’s my real hair’ if it rains today

DONALD Trump and his wife Melania stepped out for the final time as President and First Lady elect at a lavish black tie dinner.

The 70-year-old Republican was welcomed onto the stage at Washington D.C.'s Union Station by his soon to be Vice President Mike Pence just before 9pm.

stunned in a glittering ball gown, in typical Trump gold, as her victorious husband addressed the waiting crowd.

In a speech filled with thank yous as well as barbed put downs, The Donald did make time for laughs joking that if it rains that was "OK because people will realise it's my real hair".

He told the audience: "It may rain, it may not rain. I don't care. It doesn't matter. If it really pours that's OK because people will realize it's my real hair.

"It might be a mess but they're gonna see it's my real hair."

The audience included every one from top Republicans to singers and reality stars.

Speaker Paul Ryan and his wife Janna were at the plush event along with singer Jackie Evancho, who is set to sing the national anthem today.

Caitlyn Jenner, who it is rumoured is set to be on of The Donald's first dancing partners as President, was also at the dinner.

The family who have played such a central role in Trump's triumphant race to the White House were also in attendance with his daughters Ivanka and Tiffany both wowing in floor length ballgowns.

His sons Donald Jr and Eric were also their with their wives as were other key figures in his campaign.

Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway was at the event where she was welcomed onto the stage by the President-elect to rapturous applause.

The Donald took her hand and kissed it before telling her "thank you baby" in front of the audience as she looked resplendent in a red dress.

Throughout his speech Trump thanked all his children for their help in his historic victory, as well as Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, who Trump said he "sort of stole" from his daughter during the campaign.

He went on to tell his son in law: "If you can't produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can. All my life I've been hearing that's the toughest deal to make but I have a feeling Jared is going to do a great job."

But the billionaire couldn't resist a dig at his vanquished rival Hillary Clinton pointing out the fact that her campaign cancelling their victory fireworks two weeks before the was proof they would lose.

He said: "The last two weeks especially, there was something that was happening. They cancelled their fireworks two weeks out.

"They spent $7million and cancelled it and that's because history has proven that if you're going to lose, you don't want fireworks."

Finishing his speech, where he additionally praised future Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and NFL star and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who he said called him earlier in the day, Trump repeated a vow made at Lincoln Memorial to '"make America greater than ever before."