Filmmaker Charles Band Marries Actress Robin Sydney

Filmmaker Charles Band and actress Robin Sydney are married.

The couple tied the knot at the historic Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica, California, on Dec. 9.

Sydney, 39, tells PEOPLE that she and Band, 71, — who is the founder of Full Moon Features and producer of the classic horror films Re-Animator, Tourist Trap and Trancers — have a special connection to the 1920s oceanfront venue.

"We used to go to Casa Del Mar during New Year's to get inspired and create our goals for the year," she says. "We also had a beach pad near there and played games in the arcade on the pier, so it had very fond memories for us."

When the couple brainstormed their vision for their nuptials, (which were planned by Krystal Moreno from Krystal Klear Special Events & Hospitality Consulting) they had the idea to blend together some of the things they love most, resulting in what Sydney describes as "a Magic Castle, old Hollywood concert feel with a touch of a circus."

"[We wanted] a wedding like no other that our guests will remember forever," she notes.

To execute the eclectic theme, they filled the venue with lots of chandeliers, candelabras, "money-green" and "royal purple" accents, and even puppets from Band's movie Puppet Master. In lieu of a traditional floral arch for their ceremony, the couple had a custom arch constructed from more than 20 Belvedere Vodka bottles filled with twinkly lights and flowers.

"Then in the center, we had an 8-foot-tall martini glass filled with flowers," Sydney notes.

Guests were entertained by two Cirque du Soleil artists — a contortionist and a belly dancer — as well as by magicians from the Magic Castle, a private club in Los Angeles owned by the Academy of Magical Arts. The contortionist performed inside the martini glass in one of the wedding's biggest highlights.

In another unique detail, Band and Sydney set up a prize table where their 200 guests could collect coins throughout the evening to win Apple watches, Chanel and Gucci accessories and more.

The pair eschewed some of the usual wedding elements — like having bridesmaids and groomsmen — to make the event their own. "We didn't want our wedding to be a traditional wedding and didn’t want it to be stressful, so we removed many elements we didn’t like about weddings," Sydney explains.

During the ceremony, which was officiated by horror film critic Joe Bob Briggs, the bride walked down the aisle in a "sparkly '30s-style poofy dress" from LUV Bridal, which she adored at first sight but decided needed a little more pizzazz.

"Even though my dress had sparkles and was beautiful, I wanted more," she explains. "I got lots of rhinestones and over 100 rhinestone butterflies and worked with A Stitch in Time's Olivia Vaatete to make my dress dreams come true."

Sydney topped off her bridal look with a cape adorned with rhinestones — instead of a veil — and a quirky pair of Betsey Johnson heels decorated with lace, flowers and dragonfly ornaments. Her hair was styled by Robert Ramos, whose celebrity clients include Jessica Alba, Eva Mendes, Stevie Nicks and Kelly Clarkson.

One classic wedding tradition that Sydney did embrace was wearing something old, new, borrowed and blue — including vintage jewelry given to her over the years by Band, and a garter that her sister wore to her own wedding.

Band sported a black Armani suit with a navy blue shirt. "[He looked] just as cool and handsome as can be," Sydney says of her husband.

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Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a plated dinner featuring miso-glazed black cod, grilled filet of beef and Japanese eggplant parmigiana. Sides included horseradish whipped potatoes, lotus root chips and vegan mozzarella cheese with San Marzano tomatoes and basil.

The wedding cake was chocolate flavored with strawberries and chocolate ganache. "We loved the cake that Kat Von D had at her wedding, which was created by Joan Spitler from Joanie and Leigh's Cakes, so we worked with her to create our cake in the shape of Charlie’s fortress in Italy and filled with Full Moon characters," Sydney says, referring to Band's production company's catalogue.

Music was a key element for the couple's wedding. The entire event was scored by Band and musician Jeremy Boswell, giving it a cinematic feel. In addition, Band's 42-year-old son Alex, who is the lead singer of The Calling, performed the rock group's 2001 hit "Wherever You Will Go."

Band and Sydney first met in 2004 when he cast her in her first film, The Gingerbread Man, starring Gary Busey. They began dating six months later, and about two months after that, Band popped the question over dinner at a restaurant.

However, Sydney wasn't quite ready to set a date — or "to be called a wife," she says. More than 15 years went by and the couple still hadn't made their way down the aisle. "Charlie didn’t know what to call me, fiancée or girlfriend," she jokes of their very long engagement.

"I knew how important it was for Charlie to call me his wife," she explains. "After 17 years, on Dec. 9, 2022, I got on one knee and proposed to Charlie, and he immediately said yes."

Now that they are officially married, Band and Sydney are savoring the moment. "It means telling the world how much we love each other," Sydney says of their long-awaited marriage.

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