Brides, grooms explore options at annual Wedding Faire

VACAVILLE — Joseph Linehan and Diana Sapon won’t wed until April 2017 and are already looking at their options.

They were among the about 300 people, and 20-plus vendors, at the Vacaville Opera House Wedding Faire on Sunday.

Sapon and her mother, Lucia Sapon, looked over table arrangements after sampling some food. Linehan was nearby.

“In this situation, I’m the one paying for most of it,” Linehan said. “We are looking for something affordable and elegant.”

He grew up in Vacaville and now lives in Santa Rosa. Sapon is from the Los Angeles area and now resides in Sacramento. She’s thinking of Vacaville as a great location for a wedding.

“We know the area,” she said.

Sisters Amy and Monica Liem will marry four days apart, the former at the Wednesday Club in Suisun City, the latter at Paradise Valley in Fairfield.

With the nuptials about four months away, the siblings said they have pretty much everything in place but also wanted to familiarize themselves with what else the area had to offer.

They arrived when the bridal fair doors opened at noon and were hoping to go home with some of the raffle prizes that ran the gamut from restaurant gift cards to hotel packages.

Getting married so close together was suggested by their father so out-of-town guests wouldn’t have to make two trips.

“We’re very economical,” Amy Liem said.

Sandra Over manages the Vacaville Opera House and said she feels the Wedding Faire is a big hit because all clients considering the venue for a party or reception are welcome.

The Opera House also affords them a chance to see the “old world charm and historic features of our ballroom,” Over said.

“They feel like they are getting married in a piece of history without having to pay the high prices of the Bay Area and Sacramento.”

Last year, the Opera House hosted 54 weddings. This year, 39 are already scheduled. Some dates for the fall of 2017 are already scheduled, Over said.

Shelley Kvilhaus and Ronny Hilton will wed at the Opera House in July. The couple had ruled out the lighted backdrop on the stage area. After seeing it lit up Sunday, they decided to include it in their special day.

Kvilhaus said seeing the room set up Sunday gave her a clearer picture of what the ballroom will look like on her special day.

“This has helped me to see what the tables look like,” she said.

Hilton smiled when he called himself “the yes man” for the day. He was impressed by the vendors and said the event let him see what’s out there for engaged couples.

The couple signed up with a photo booth provider at the event.

Vendor Al Lopez showcased his alternative to the photo booth – caricatures of the wedding party and guests.

Stacey Martin and David Cain, who will marry May 21 at the Opera House, had Lopez sketch them Sunday. He’ll be doing the same at their wedding.

“It’s something cute,” Martin said. “It’s something different.”

The couple has a collection of caricatures, Cain said, noting that each time they have the chance to have a drawing done, they take advantage of it.

Wasserman Travel was represented by owner Wendy Wasserman and Sydne Baron.

Popular honeymoon destinations include resorts such as Sandals, where everything from food, activities such as golf and water skiing, and even gratuities are included, Wasserman said.

Some millenials are viewing their honeymoon as a way to give back, Baron said. They will book a location where they can volunteer in the community they visit via a service project while they are there. They are also seeking more eco-friendly destinations, she said.

Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or [email protected] Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amaginnisdr.