15 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets About The Met Gala That You Probably Never Knew, But Should

Believe it or not, you can get uninvited.

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1. Each celebrity in attendance is chosen to wear an on-theme ensemble created by a designer.

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These attendees don't have to pay for tickets. In the Met Gala documentary The First Monday in May, Riccardo Tisci explained, "Each designer brings his own muse. You bring a person that most represents your aesthetic."

2. A ticket to attend the gala starts at $30,000 per person, but some can go as high as $50,000, and entire tables cost between $275,000 and $500,000.

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According to an interview from Page Six, “Anna [Wintour] is extremely restrictive on who can buy a ticket. Many people who have the money to pay, have been turned down. Anna decides they can’t go. Period.”

3. And because tickets are so hard to come by, there's even a waitlist.

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Cameron Silver shared with Page Six, "I've known of society names who couldn't get a ticket and are prepped to go if there's a last-minute seat that becomes available. They have their look ready even if they aren't certain of whether they will actually have a seat days before the event."

4. Each year the number of attendees varies, but an "intimate setting" would be around 500 people.

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Celebrities don't immediately get plus ones either, their significant other must also be invited. 

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5. Because there's such a vast range of celebrities in attendance, many unlikely friendships and relationships form — including Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston, who were confirmed to be dating shortly after their Met Gala dance party.

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Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk were also rumored to have been seen together at the party before confirming their relationship. 

6. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is actually very involved with the planning of the event, and nothing happens without her approval.

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In The First Monday in May, André Leon Talley said, "Anna is meticulously vetting every single thing, from the napkins to the forks to the lighting. The detail of the flowers, the detail of the ushers, how they're dressed, everything has been vetted for months and weeks and months and weeks."

7. The seating chart changes frequently throughout the year, but the most important rule is that spouses are not allowed to sit next to each other.

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In The First Monday in May Sylvana Ward Durrett said, "Never seat spouses next to each other. The whole point of these things is to meet new people and to be interested in what others are doing. What's the point if you come here to hang out with your husband?"

8. Back in 2006, The Sex Pistols' John Lydon stormed out twice because he didn't like where he was seated.

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In the New York Times, Cathy Horyn wrote, "John Lydon, the former Sex Pistol known as Johnny Rotten, found his seat — the last at a long table and arguably one of the least desirable in the highly orchestrated seating plan — he was visibly upset...[he] stormed out twice, cursing museum workers."

9. Once Anna Wintour banned parsley from being served at the event because "you don’t want that stuck in your teeth."

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Onions and garlic bread have also been banned because they cause bad breath, as well as bruschetta because that "can fall easily on your gown."

10. Cellphones are also banned from the party mainly to maintain A-List guests' security and to boost their "enjoyment of the event."

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11. In 2018, an age limit was instated and only guests 18 and older could attend.

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12. Depending on the amount of jewelry worn by a celebrity, some guests are accompanied by their own bodyguards and security escorts in addition to security on staff already.

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13. The attendees are free to move throughout the museum to socialize and get a first-look view of the year's exhibit. Some guests even get their own greenrooms if they have to change looks during the party.

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Anna Wintour told Stephen Colbert that Amal Clooney actually used the museum gift shop to change at the 2018 Met Gala. 

14. There are Department of Health inspectors who attend the event to make sure nobody is secretly smoking inside the museum, and there's a designated smoking area.

elif @victuuris95

This photo is like taken at a college party except for the fancy dresses #metgala

09:16 AM - 02 May 2017

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This started after several celebrities were photographed smoking in the bathroom at the 2017 Met Gala.

15. And finally, Donald Trump and Tim Gunn have both been banned from attending the gala.

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Anna Wintour told James Corden she'd never invite Trump to the event ever again, and Tim Gunn was uninvited after publicly insulting Anna.

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