Meet and Greet Ettiquette: How To Escape Being Starstruck When You Meet Your Favorite Celeb

Have you ever dreamed about the moment when you would meet your favorite celebrity? Have you imagined the smile that would light up their face when their eyes landed on you or the conversation you two would have as though you’d known each other all your lives? Well, your chance is finally here. The celeb of your dreams is in your area and they’re doing a meet and greet for all of their most dedicated fans. When the moment finally comes for the two of you to meet, face-to-face, I have the tips and tricks to make sure that you don’t blow it. Your experience can end with a memory that will last forever and not because you accidentally threw up and got taken away by security.

•Before you purchase a ticket, know what kind of M&G you’re going to. Some events have a question and answer segment with the fans, in which case you’ll want to prepare your questions so they can be asked in the simplest, least time-consuming way. If the M&G has a performance aspect, you may want to come early to sit up front. You may end up going to a M&G where all you do is wait in line for hours to meet the person. Whatever it is, plan accordingly.

•Be prepared for lines. Unless you have major connections, or plan on showing up 3 hours early, you’re probably going to have to wait in line before you meet that special someone. Charge your phone, bring a book or have something to snack on. Bringing a friend is one surefire way to make sure you don’t end up bored out of your mind while you wait. As a plus, they can hold your spot in line if you need a last second bathroom break or makeup touch up!

•Have any questions you want to ask prepared ahead of time. Even if you end up at a M&G with no question and answer portion, you still have a chance of getting at least one juicy question answered if you time yourself right. You’ll probably only have a few moments alone with the person you’re meeting, so make sure you pick the question most likely to be answered in a short time frame and not one that will just result in a laugh and you getting ushered away.

•Stay calm. You only have one chance to make a first impression and a calm “Hi, I’m ____ , I’m really happy to meet you,” with a handshake will suffice. As a bonus, they’ll have touched your hand; that’s worth way more than an autograph.

•Remember, they’re not perfect; no one is. The person you’re meeting may be exhausted after meeting thousands of people on some promotional tour. They may be really hungry but have to hold out until they’ve met everyone in line. Maybe they just have a pounding headache. The same way it’s hard for you to make a positive impression in 30 seconds, it may be hard for them to do it too without sounding canned, forced or less enthusiastic than you were hoping for. Accept that this is a M&G, not a spontaneous meeting on the street and that you may not end up with a perfect memory of the person you’ve been dying to meet. You might get to take your own selfie or you might have to accept a professionally taken photograph as your only souvenir. You may just end up with an autograph and a lackluster impression. Setting your expectations low ensures that anything wonderful they say or do will only make you love them more, anyway.

•Have fun! This may be your only chance to see this person in the flesh. Talk to other fans in line, participate in any activities that go on and soak in the moments as best as you can. Take pictures if you want, but remember that YouTube exists and dozens of other people will probably film and post their own recordings of what went down. You may be the person who just gets to take it in with his or her own two eyes. Enjoy!