Mrs. Avocado: Professional Wedding Industry Stalker

For a self-proclaimed wedding aficionado like myself, big name wedding industry professionals are my version of celebrities. If they made a wedding industry version of People magazine I would wait with breathless anticipation for each weeks edition. "Oh my goodness!" I would exclaim. "That photographer is dating that florist! And look, my favorite wedding cake baker had a baby!"

So when I found out that Jessica Claire (she is Mr. Avocado's dream photographer) would be shooting the New Years Vow Renewal I attended this week, I immediately started scheming ways to introduce myself to her. You know that scene in Win A Date With Tad Hamilton where she practices introducing herself to Tad multiple times in front of the mirror attempting to get her smile, tone of voice, and pose just right? That was SO me. I love love love photographers and the pictures they take.

Of course Jessica was super nice and turned to me the afternoon of the ceremony and said "Hi my name is Jessica." I giggled and said "I know", and then the bride outed me as the stalker I am. Jessica didn't even get freaked out (or didn't show it) when we were talking at dinner and she said "Oh I can't have a drink tonight, I'm working." And I replied with "But you did at the wedding you shot last year." Or that other time when I directly quoted something she wrote on her blog like a year ago.

Jessica Claire, Michael Norwood, and Mark Brooke were all perfectly nice about my fanaticism and even agreed to pose in a photo with me. Michael shot all three days worth of events using exclusively film, and I even engaged in a little mini conversation with him while I pretended to know what I was talking about. My hands were clammy and I wondered if he knew what a fake I am. I threw out terms like Holga, Polaroid, and nodded my head when he said "Medium Format". I giggled like a teenage girl who finds herself face to face with Johnathan Taylor Thomas in 1999.

The most exciting thing that happened? I shot a picture USING THE CAMERA OF JESSICA CLAIRE. I depressed the focus button just like she showed me and heard the shutter click and wondered if it was the worst photo ever taken with her beautiful camera. I think I am now a better photographer through osmosis, just from holding her camera in my hands.

In short, they were all extremely cool about my slightly stalker-ish demeanor, and I'm very excited to write a little guest recap of the event using their photos in the near future.

Have you ever met any "wedding celebrities"? Would you subscribe to my imaginary wedding industry celebrity magazine?