Exclusive Look Inside the King of Gossip's Wedding

ByABC News
April 10, 2006, 2:50 PM

April 10, 2006 — -- The New York Daily News photographer waiting on the pier at the Palm Beach Yacht Club had a pretty frustrated look on his face. He was sent down to take photos of his employing newspaper's latest obsession, the New York Post wedding of the season: Page Six editor Richard Johnson's third visit to the altar.

Johnson is now embroiled in a scandal because one of his part-time freelancers at the gossip page, Jared Paul Stern, is under FBI investigation for allegedly trying to extort money from a billionaire, supermarket magnate Ron Burkle, in exchange for not writing negative portrayals of him.

ABC News was in attendance as the photographer on that pier was standing at attention, ready to snap at a moment's notice and trained to start shooting the minute he felt the glow of stardom. He was no doubt expecting a who's who of bold-faced names: Donald and Melania! Russell and Kimora! Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, reunited after years of plastic surgery!

But there were no flash bulbs because he couldn't really find anyone he recognized as a starlet except maybe Richard Johnson himself.

The wedding was small and intimate -- only 60 people. And there were indeed a few bold-faced names if you looked really hard. Jay McInerney, who wrote "Bright Lights, Big City," and his heiress girlfriend, Anne Hearst. The owner of Da Silvano's (a very hip restaurant in New York City), celebrity photographers Harry Benson and Patrick Mcmullan, Norman Mailer's son Michael, who produces independent movies.

But there were certainly no "money shots" for our paparazzi friend. The rest of the guests were just old friends and family -- many who flew over from Germany -- happy for the striking couple and wishing the scandal story had broken after the wedding so they wouldn't have this cloud hanging over their big day.

It was on a handsome yacht that must have been the height of luxury when it was built back in the roaring '20s. The bride's family put together a gorgeous ceremony, sailing at night on the water under the moon's sheen. The bride, Sessa Von Richtofen, wore a beautiful beaded Badgley Mischka gown --