Secrets of the Met Gala: Everything You Might Not Know About the Big Day

The first Monday in May approaches, and that can only mean one thing: The Met Gala is here.
Every year, Hollywood and fashion's brightest converse on the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for an evening of true opulence. The red carpet is just as glamorous as the Oscars (but don't tell the Academy that!) and the after parties rival that of the party's west coast rivals.
Everyone knows the highly-publicized point of the big event: To gather a bunch of beautiful people together in the name of raising money for the museum's renowned Costume Institute. Attendees don their finest duds (all in keeping with the theme, of course) and rub shoulders in the name of high Culture-with-a-capital-C.
But there's a whole host of things that go down beyond just the obvious hobnobbing: There are behind-the-scenes secrets and mysteries that those who aren't of the A list variety typically never hear about. But thanks to social media and a few loose lips, all sorts of insider details are coming to the world. Read on to find out the best. 

1. You don't get to choose who you sit with; sometimes it can get awkward. (Lena Dunham and Odell Beckham).
2. There's a no selfie rule, but people break it all the time (in the privacy of the bathroom).
3. The musical guests don't censor themselves, so yes, they're swearing (and worse) in front of Anna Wintour.
4. All the best drama goes down in the elevator. There's the Solange fight, of course, although that wasn't technically at the Museum. There was also that time at the 2014 party when Cara Delevingne, Zooey Deschanel and Reese Witherspoon found themselves riding down together with a lot of social lubrication. Case in point? Reese's accent got thicker, the F-bombs got louder, and no one could pronounce Cara's last name. 

5. Random friendships pop up, often fueled by the aforementioned random table match-ups and free-flowing booze. Did you read that last bit about Cara, Zooey and Reese in the elevator?
6. The same goes for new couples: Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddlestonkicked off their brief love affair on the dance floor, and E!'s sources reported seeing Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk getting cozy before their relationship went official.
7. No one actually falls down the stairs leading up to the museum—those memes that pop up every year are forged by social media users. (No need to worry about Jason Derulo.)
8. Not every A-lister loves the big event. Amy Schumer told the Howard Stern Show that she felt like she was surrounded by people "doing an impression of having a conversation" and Gwyneth Paltrow declined to attend the 2014 edition after telling an Australian radio show, "It's so hot and it's so crowded and everyone's pushing you." In other words, it's any party or concert you've ever been to.
9. There are wardrobe malfunctions a plenty. Big, billow-y, train-adorned dresses plus lots of pointy obstacles like chair backs and plants...you do the math. 

David X Prutting/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

The bathrooms are a total cluster. Imagine the Coachella lines, but with much richer people.
It's a little bit like a high school cafeteria. No naming names, but there have been occasions when feuds are exacerbated, or one celebrity doesn't want to sit near another because of a previous tiff. Or, sometimes someone accidentally gives another person the side-eye and things escalate from there.
10. Sometimes celebs have to dance in the bright, glaring light next to their dinner table instead of the darker, more crowded dance floor. Is there anything more awkward than trying to bust a move without the added benefit of a swelling crowd?
11. Everyone helps each other freshen up. When you can't get a mirror, you just need to rely on the famous person next to you to do your lipstick.
12. No one really eats. If you take a close look at all of the pictures from inside the party, you'll see a lot of untouched plates left in pristine condition. 

13. The gala's guests actually walk through the Costume Institute exhibit. They can bring drinks, too, but caution is required.
14. If celebs aren't invited by a designer or someone who has purchased a table at the charity event (yes, this is all for charity!), they can still get onto the guest list by having an exciting project coming up or giving very impressive red carpet performances.
15. The worst seat in the house is at the table by the plants, far away from the dance floor. The stars who end up there are a long way from any kind of action. 

Watch E!'s Live From The Red Carpet 2017 Met Gala special starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Monday, May 1st. For complete coverage of fashion's biggest night, tune in to E! News at 7 p.m. and Fashion Police at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2nd.