After chatting and laughing all night at a party in the nation’s capital, Lesley Landrum and Robert Brickman were smitten with each other. The two eventually moved to Los Angeles, California, kick-started their new careers, and took their relationship to the next level. While watching a basketball game at a diner one evening, Robert surprised his sweetheart with an engagement ring along with a visit from her mother, his parents, and his brother. “When I say I lost it, I mean I lost it. This was the first time they ever met, and it happened at our engagement to surprise me!” the bride muses.

With 400 guests from all over the world, the couple felt that Robert’s hometown was the ideal location to host their nuptials and represent their Southern roots. “Charleston was a natural fit because of the various venue, vendor, and accommodation options we needed,” Lesley explains. Envisioning a less-traditional theme, Lesley wanted to incorporate chinoiserie prints and blue, her favorite color, into the décor. “While beautiful, I didn’t want to stick with the traditional creams and golds,” she describes. The hue paired beautifully with the greenery and white blooms that adorned the venue space.

Along with the palette, it was very important for Lesley to involve her beloved pup, Westyn, in the celebration. “I remember looking at Robert under the chuppah and feeling as if it was only me and him, and Westyn!” she reflects. “He is the most precious soul and the thought of not having him there with us seemed so wrong."

“I think the fact that we threw out the conventional rules of what a Southern wedding had to be, and focused on the fun, really made it ‘us.’”

For the reception, the couple hosted a festive bash in lieu of conventional wedding entertainment. “We wanted it to be a ‘grown-up kid's bar mitzvah party,’ complete with a magician who wandered the reception doing tricks for our guests to the two incredible drag performers who opened the night up,” Lesley details. Unbeknownst to the bride, Robert’s father surprised her with a marching band and silk aerialists, which were also great crowd-pleasers. “I just like having fun,” confides the groom. “There are some things that I wanted to just goof around with.” Attendees also loved the delicious confection inspired by Lesley’s gown, using the couple’s #LesGotRobbed hashtag, and watching them ride off in a 1960s-style bus with customized newlywed posters.

Reminiscing on the big day, Lesley is proud that she and Robert shared their personal tastes with all of their loved ones: “I think the fact that we threw out the conventional rules of what a Southern wedding had to be, and focused on the fun, really made it ‘us.’”