Melania holds hands with her husband in a $4,000 plaid cape as they welcome the White House tree

On Monday, the festivities officially began the White House Christmas tree being delivered. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania emerged from the White House door at 1:12 p.m. to receive it.

The fir tree arrived on a horse-drawn cart. The Trumps inspected the tree in front of the press before going back inside.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, 48, were seen holding hands as they welcomed the White House Christmas tree. The fir tree was delivered on Monday afternoon.

The couple walked around the giant fir tree to inspect it before it would be taken into the Blue Room of the White House where it will be displayed. At one point, Donald patted the backside of one of the Clydesdale horses that had brought the tree.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. The Trumps kept things festive with the president wearing a red tie with his black coat and pants.

His wife opted for a $3,995 red and black plaid cape from Michael Kors. Underneath it, she was dressed in black pants and a black top to match her husband.

She completed her look with black suede knee-high boots to keep warm. The Marine band happily played holiday music as the tree arrived.

The majestic horses wore bells that jingled as they trotted up the driveway to the front door of the White House. The Trump's son, Barron, 12, was said to be at school when the tree arrived.

This year’s tree was presented by the Smith Family of Mountain Top Fraser Fir farm. Guests who gathered for the short ceremony included the Smith Family; Representative Virginia Foxx, and State Senator Deanna Ballard, whose district in North Carolina housed the tree.

North Carolina is the state that has provided the most White House Christmas trees at 13. Firs have been the most popular trees with 51 of them being used for Christmas.

Larry Smith from the Smith farm revealed that the chosen 19 1/2-foot-tall Fraser fir tree had pretty much been abandoned. He shared that the tree hadn’t been trimmed in the “last couple of years.”

In September, the White House chief usher Timothy Harleth and superintendent of grounds Dale Haney visited his tree farm. At the time, he’d thought they would choose another tree.

However, “They just loved the natural look to it.” Smith had entered and won the 2018 Grand Champion designation at the National Christmas Tree Association's Christmas Tree Contest, which allowed him to present a tree to the White House.

It took him five tries to win the competition. Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has held a national competition to select the “official tree” for the White House’s Blue Room.

Qualification for growers includes them winning their state or regional competitions first. Smith revealed that winning was “like winning the Super Bowl.”

Over the Thanksgiving holidays, the White House will decorate the fir for Christmas. On Tuesday the president pardoned a turkey and next Monday he will light the National Christmas Tree that sits on the Ellipse of the National Mall.

Melania is Donald’s third wife and she’s also the woman he’s had the longest relationship with. They’ve been together for 20 years and they began dating in 1998 and got married in 2005.

For those who don’t know, while dating, the two once broke-up. Here’s more on their tumulus relationship and their ups and downs.