Kellie Hwang

The Republic | azcentral.com

From June 2 to June 5, the streets of downtown Phoenix will be swarming with comic book superheroes and villains, zombies, robots, anime and steampunk personalities, and icons of every era of pop culture.

This can only mean one thing: Phoenix Comicon is back.

The annual event brings more than 85,000 people to the Phoenix Convention Center, and continues to grow as geek culture becomes more mainstream. But for one hour each on Thursday and Sunday, something particularly special is happening amidst the hustle and bustle of the convention: two Phoenix couples are getting married at Comicon.

Weddings at Phoenix Comicon

And you can bet these are not your traditional white dress and black tux weddings.

On Thursday, Gail Andreasen, 36, and Adam Thomas, 50, celebrated their nuptials "Doctor Who" style.

Valori Vlist, 35, and Sarah Ozga, 37, will say "I do" in the middle of a zombie apocalypse on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

There are frequently proposals at conventions, and it seems weddings only very recently started to pop up. Denver Comic Con held its first wedding last May, and will have a group wedding on June 19. Motor City Comic Con in Detroit just featured a "Star Wars" themed wedding in mid-May, and Kansas City Comic Con will host a cosplay wedding in August.

Phoenix Comicon was home to a "Predator Wedding" in 2014. And that, it seems, was just the beginning.

Longtime wedding coordinator and officiant Crystal Lloyd is leading the charge on the blissful events. She first got involved when she was asked to be on a panel about weddings in 2014. Last year, Lloyd hosted a panel for weddings on a budget, and held a geek bridal fashion show with 400 attendees. This year, there will be a Geek Bridal Showcase on Saturday and a Geeky Wedding Boot Camp on Sunday.

"I'm a geek myself and have been going to Comicon since the early days," she said. "I do a lot of themed and geek weddings, so this is a natural progression for me."​

The former manager of costuming at Phoenix Comicon brought the idea of weddings to Lloyd, who began plotting how to make that happen. She went to the Comicon organizers with a five-year plan for how to start small and eventually grow the ceremonies into larger spectacles, complete with receptions. But this year, the weddings will be simple - just a ceremony, since the ballroom needs to be cleared out immediately after for more Comicon programming.

Lloyd put a call out on the official Phoenix Comicon page in March for couples who would be interested in having their weddings at Comicon. She spent time talking to the entrants, seeing who could feasibly do it while dealing with the craziness of planning a wedding in two months.

The ceremonies will feature 225 seats, which are not reserved and are open to all Comicon ticket-holders. The couples get the space for free, and certain things donated by local vendors: a wedding planner, some make-up, supplies and specialty items, such as contact lenses for the zombie wedding.

Rhonda Rush, owner and lead consultant for Impact Events which hosts weddings, social and corporate events, said the idea for weddings at Phoenix Comicon really works.

"It's definitely creating a one-of-a-kind and unique setting for them," she said. "The couples can feel comfortable in their environment, and really fit in versus making it look contrived. And the fact that they're comfortable with the fact that it's public, and others can embrace their love - I think that's great."

A Whovian wedding

Andreasen has known Thomas for 15 years, but the pair didn't start dating until three years ago at Phoenix Comicon. He was the moderator for a "Doctor Who" panel; her friend was on the panel, but he was nervous, so she tagged along to support him. Thomas and Andreasen started dating shortly after that.

The couple has been engaged for two and a half years, but didn't have plans for the big day yet. During a Christmas party last year, the pair was joking with friends that they should get married at Comicon. But then, it quickly became a reality.

Andreasen's friend, Kelley Lester, owner of A Sty'ch in Tyme and former costuming manager for Phoenix Comicon, designed her Victorian style dress with bridal elements such as lace and a veil. Her fiance wore the same Fourth Doctor costume he's had for 30 years, with updates including a new coat and scarf. Andreasen's kids will serve as the flower girl and ushers.

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She was excited that the ceremony will be open to the public.

"It started as a joke for us and it's blowing up into what it is now, and I love it," she said. "It's one of those things where we have a lot of people who know us and know of us, who we might not have talked to much, and it will be a great chance to see them at the wedding."

The couple hosts regular karaoke nights on Mondays at Rips Ales & Cocktails, so they'll have a reception there after the whirlwind weekend.

An undead affair

Valori Vlist and Sarah Ozga have known each other since high school, when Ozga was Vlist's favorite barista at a coffee shop nearby. They lost contact for years and then by chance, became neighbors in the same apartment complex in Phoenix. Vlist had come out of a marriage, and Ozga a long-term relationship, and things progressed into a serious a relationship. Their engagement was a bit of a fluke.

"We talked about getting married at some point in the future and didn't really have a formal engagement," Vlist said. "The goal was to save up and get married in Japan...I posted a picture of me wearing a ring on Facebook, and everyone thought it was an engagement ring so they started wishing us congrats. It was not the original intention, but we had talked about it anyway so we decided to roll with it."

Then their friend Elyse (who would become the maid-of-honor) reached out to them about the call for weddings at Comicon. She actually sent the email, and talked about the couple's love for steampunk, ghost hunters and zombies, particularly the latter.

"Our world revolves around the 'Walking Dead,' and Sarah is obsessed with the game on her phone," Vlist said. "She told me she would marry me right now if the wedding can be zombie-themed."

They got their wish. The plot of the wedding involves Valori and Sarah heading to their wedding when their wedding party and guests are attacked by and changed into zombies. The couple hasn't been transformed yet, so they'll be in their wedding attire but covered in zombie "gut cloaks," which in the "Walking Dead" universe means zombies can't detect them as fresh meat.

The couple has hired a make-up artist to zombie-fy the wedding party, including Vlist's two boys. The Department of Zombie Defense and Umbrella Corp: Arizona Hive, have been invited to corral the zombie guests behind a fence. Wedding favors will be "Walking Dead" themed, including mints, matches and fake money, and water bottles labeled as "Zombie Cure."

A digital backdrop will feature breaking news from family members who can't make the ceremony, and during the ceremony, it will look like the opening sequence of the "Walking Dead."​ A wall of missing persons will showcase family and friends who couldn't make it.

"I like the idea of letting everyone come in and celebrate with you and celebrate your geekdom," Vlist said. "Everyone goes crazy at weddings, and people get bored and sad at them too. This one is a lot more fun, and we get to celebrate what we're all obsessed with."

New at Comicon

The Comicon schedule is jam-packed with events for every type of fandom. Visitors will notice the dates are later this year, because the convention center was booked for groups far in advance on Memorial Day weekend for 2014 through this year. It will return to the holiday weekend 2017 to 2019.

Free outdoor programming that is open to the public, including non-ticket holders has been increased this year, including a block party called Con on Adams on Adams Street between First and Second streets, open Friday through Sunday.

"Attendees have given us critiques in the past of things they want us to do, so we listened to them and expanded on that," said TJ Van Der Werf, outdoor programming manager. "It will have a block party feel with live music, more food trucks, a beer garden...and CW6 will have a green screen with free photos with 'The Flash' and other CW shows. Another vendor will have a virtual reality set up."

A chilled water station on Third Street, hosted by the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors, will keep attendees hydrated, plus there will be plenty of shade on Adams Street. Third Street will be home to community and non-profit booths, including a booth from the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com that will feature cosplayer autograph signings, air conditioning and prize giveaways. Patrons will also find the pop culture car show and outdoor demonstration area with programming including a quidditch match, a light saber tournament and roller derby.

PHOENIX COMICON: PHOENIX COMICON: Best, craziest things we saw| Social-media recap | Couples to say 'I do' at Phoenix Comicon | Visitors' guide: Tips and tricks | Best events for adults | Top (priced) celebrity photo ops | Check out the azcentral Interactive booth| azcentral Snapchat launches | Take a celebrity selfie? Share it with us | Comicon through the years | 2016 lineup | Geek speak: Glossary of Phoenix Comicon terms | Top 14 places for nerding out in metro Phoenix | Highlights and observations from 2015

Zombie Walk falls to Saber Walk

The Zombie Walk has been replaced with the Saber Walk on Friday at 7 p.m.

"Zombies were red hot for a while, and the big thing right now is 'Star Wars' with the 'Force Awakens' coming out last year and the next one opening next year," Solberg said.

Van Der Werf added that the Saber Walk is less involved and is more family-friendly.

Other additions are the Classic Video Game Lounge, hosted by downtown Phoenix's Cobra Arcade Bar. Comicon participants can drop into the lounge throughout the weekend and play on a number of vintage arcade consoles for free.

Joe Boudrie, director of programming, has wanted to bring escape rooms to the convention for years. For those not familiar, the premise is that participants are the heroes who need to figure out puzzles the villains left for them to get out.

"They started about five years ago in Asia and my brother was over there teaching, and told me about them," Boudrie said. "They're fairly specialized in set-up and we never really had the bandwidth to do it. They've been gaining popularity in the U.S. the last few years and are usually tied to haunted houses...We wanted to bridge the gap between the scary ones and fun ones."

Boudrie is working with Mystery Escape Room in Utah that specializes in the attractions. For an extra charge, patrons can try the Superhero Escape Adventure, Bio-Base 5, Private Eye, Moriarty's Parlor or Terror Warning. The first two last an hour, and the last three take about 20 minutes.

Major guests: Sean Astin, Billie Piper, more

Major celebrity guests include Sean Astin of "Lord of the Rings" fame; Alex Kingston, who has appeared on "ER," "Doctor Who" and "Arrow;" Timothy Omundson from "Galavant" and "Supernatural;" Billie Piper of "Penny Dreadful;" Lee Majors, who starred in "The Six Million Dollar Man;" Lindsay Wagner from "The Bionic Woman" and many more.

Solberg said he listened to feedback from visitors last year about being charged too much for autographs and photos with celebrities, so he looked to find actors and actresses that didn't charge any more than $65 so the event could stay affordable.

Solberg said nightlife has also been expanded at the Phoenix Convention Center, because many attendees noted that they wanted to spend all of their time at the hub rather than go to parties off site. The main bash will be One Party to Rule Them All, a "Lord of the Rings" themed event hosted by the unofficial Phoenix Comicon fan group, the Blue Ribbon Army. The science track has also been expanded at Phoenix Comicon, and teachers can even get accredited for attending certain panels.

"Many people think our goal is to be San Diego Comic-Con, and a lot of pop culture cons want to be, but for me that's not really the right model," Solberg said. "It doesn't really serve Phoenix and Phoenix Comicon well. We would rather be more like South by Southwest ... and make it unique and specific to Phoenix."

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Zombie apocalypse wedding details: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5. Phoenix Convention Center, North 124B, 100 N. Third St. Open to Comicon pass holders.

Phoenix Comicon details: Thursday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. registration, 4-9 p.m. exhibitor hall, noon-11:30 p.m. programming. Friday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. registration, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. exhibitor hall, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. programming. Saturday: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. registration, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. exhibitor hall, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. programming. Sunday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. registration, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. exhibitor hall, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. programming. Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third St. $70-$75 for full event membership, $249 for fast pass membership, $15 for Thursday only, $20-$25 for Friday only, $40-$45 for Saturday only, $25-$30 for Sunday only. $5 for children ages 3 to 12. Free for children ages 2 and younger. phoenixcomicon.com.