The Met Gala may include some of Hollywood’s most powerful people, but these influential stars are not exempt from the event rules.
On the first Monday of May every year, the Met Gala takes place. The Gala is known for showcasing some of the most daring fashion looks on top celebrities. It’s a grand and dazzling event, and the organizers have several important rules in place for guests.
The rules range from who you can bring to what ingredients make it on the menu. Anna Wintour dictates most of these guidelines — some clearly written, and others implied. You can bet that even the biggest celebrities must adhere to these guidelines or risk being banned from this prestigious event.
Anna Is in Charge
The number one rule at the Met Gala is that what Anna Wintour says goes. If someone does something she doesn’t like, someone on her team will speak to them. We’ll dive deeper into the specific rules for attendees, but the golden rule is to keep Anna Wintour happy.
She’s the head honcho at the event and demands sophistication and perfection from everyone. Meryl Streep’s loose portrayal of Vogue‘s editor-in-chief in The Devil Wears Prada seems accurate. Anna will even fire Met Gala staff “if they’re fat, if they are unsightly,” former Vogue copywriter Sarah Van Sicklen said in Anna: A Biography.
No Phones, Selfies, or Social Media
Over the years, we’ve seen a handful of bathroom selfies and other sneaky pics from inside the Met Gala. These pictures go directly against one of the event’s strictest rules: no taking selfies or posting on social media.
Anna Wintour wants to keep the event exclusive and classy, and that’s not possible when people livestream the event or text on the red carpet. Supposedly, celebrities cannot even bring their phones inside.
Guests Cannot Smoke
Met Gala guests cannot light up anywhere near the event, including inside and outside the museum. Some guests ignore the rules and smoke in the Met bathrooms, which has resulted in issues with the NYC health department.
We get it. No one wants the strong scent of tobacco or cannabis hanging in the air all night, clinging to couture costumes. However, the artwork and exhibits are even more important, and lighting up or even using a vaporizer in the museum could cause serious damage.
Must Be 18 or Over
The Met Gala often invites young guests like Kylie Jenner and Willow Smith, but these youngsters had to wait to be of age for the dazzling event. No minors can attend the star-studded gala, so even the most famous folks under 18 must wait to be legal adults.
Organizers explain that the event is inappropriate for those under 18. Furthermore, we can’t imagine the glamorous Met Gala with crying babies on the red carpet and grade schoolers running around.
Must Follow Assigned Seats
Anna Wintour spends hours arranging the tables for the event, so ignoring the seating chart is a huge no-no. Hollywood and the fashion world are full of cliques, but Anna wants people to mingle with stars they may not know and make new connections.
The Met Gala is a fashion and philanthropic event, but it’s also a massive networking opportunity for some of the biggest celebrities in the world. Anna’s team spends nearly a year working on the arrangement and strategically placing people next to each other who they think will hit it off!
Spouses Cannot Sit Together
Baked into the assigned seating rule is an odd caveat: spouses rarely sit together. You may see Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds pose on the red carpet together, but they likely have to separate for the sit-down dinner.
This rule is probably a drag for couples who want to spend the evening together. However, this stems from a Victorian-era tradition that was thought to help keep conversation lively at dinner. The fear is couples will only talk to each other, rather than get to know the guests around them.
No Parsley, Onion, or Garlic
We onlookers only see the fabulous red carpet looks, but the main part of the event is the sit-down dinner featuring high-end food. The Met Gala menu goes through several tastings before Anna fully approves it. She will not approve any foods that contain parsley, onion, or garlic.
While many attendees never touch the food, Anna doesn’t want to risk an unattractive parsley-in-teeth moment or stinky breath. We have to give her credit; her attention to detail is unmatched. It’s safe to say she also prohibits messy foods, so no sloppy joes.
Always RSVP “Yes”
This rule is somewhat unspoken, but if Anna Wintour invites you to the Met Gala, you go. If stars RSVP “no” to their invitation for any reason, it’s usually the last Met Gala invitation they ever receive.
A Met Gala invite is a massive honor in the fashion and style community, and saying no is a snub to the event and Anna herself. Perhaps she forgives those who have a legitimate reason to miss the event, such as a schedule conflict, but most celebrities keep the first Monday in May open in case they get an invitation.
No Publicists
Many celebrity publicists are attached to their clients at the hip, managing every movie they make. At important events, publicists are usually on the sidelines, ensuring photographers get the right pictures of their clients and whatnot.
At the Met Gala, the celebrities are on their own. No publicists can attend the event in any capacity; all they can do is watch the red carpet unfold along with us. The only employees stars can bring are their private security guards.
All Plus Ones Must Be Anna-Approved
Anna (or someone from her team must approve every plus one. Celebrities who bring an unapproved plus one will likely never be invited back. It goes without saying, but the Met Gala organizers will not approve publicists, other celebrity employees, or minors as plus ones.
They typically only approve plus-ones with personal connections. Met Gala plus-ones are a huge deal, as they can put someone on the map and elevate their status in the industry. For example, Kanye’s plus-one in 2013 was Kim Kardashian, opening the Met Gala doors for all the Kardashians.
All Looks Must Be Anna- Approved
Along with who you bring, what you wear must also be Anna-approved. She doesn’t tell attendees exactly what to wear, as the theme is always open to interpretation. However, she often pairs celebrities with designers for the event and will axe any outfits she deems inappropriate.
This rule is not official, as stars don’t need approval from Anna. However, she knows what everyone will wear before the event and will intervene if she thinks something is too off-theme or simply ugly.
No Touching the Exhibits
One of the most important rules is to not touch any of the exhibits. Ultimately, the artwork on display is the star of the show and the entire reason for the event. Any guests who touch the artwork, break museum rules, or disrespect the exhibits will not be invited back.
This rule comes as no surprise since you can’t touch the precious works at any museum. However, the rich and famous tend to think standard rules don’t apply to them. It’s nice to know Anna and her team make it clear that the artwork deserves the utmost respect, no matter how important you think you are.
High-Priced Jewels Require Security
Many celebrities attend the Met Gala adorned in millions of dollars worth of jewels. Most of the time, the jewels do not belong to them, so they come with a fat insurance policy and a diligent security team. You saw Ocean’s 8, right? It’s pretty accurate.
If the star owns the jewelry, they don’t have to have a security team. Most fancy jewelry houses lending items out require a guard at the event, however. This is in addition to the Met Gala security team, which also protects the precious jewels.
