It's not the first Monday in May, but after the collective experience of the past year and a half, the second Monday in September feels quite alright.
With the 2021 Met Gala just hours away, pop culture buffs and fashion fanatics alike are rejoicing in its return following last year's cancellation.
Not only just known for its exclusivity, $30,000 entrance fee and designer duds, the Met Gala has served as a major milestone in the relationship timelines of Hollywood's A-list.
In fact, the annual fundraiser has even played matchmaker for stars like Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, as well as Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston. And for couples like Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik and many more, the Met Gala is where they've made things official—red carpet official, that is.
From the birth of Hiddleswift to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's infamous elevator ride, we're looking back at the Met Gala's most romantic (and oftentimes dramatic!) moments.
Continue scrolling to join us on our trip down Met Gala memory lane.
Before getting engaged, the pair proved to be one of Hollywood's best dressed couples at the 2021 Met Gala.
The party don't start until RiRi walks in! The singer joined her boyfriend on the 2021 red carpet in a look you had to see to believe.
We have the 2016 Met Gala to thank for the whirlwind celeb pairing that was Hiddleswift. As the story goes, Taylor and Tom got busy on the dance floor and just one month later they were spotted kissing on the beach in Rhode Island. By September, their romance had fizzled, with a source telling E! News at the time, "Taylor felt he wanted to take the relationship too public. She was not happy about it and thought it was too much publicity."
The world-famous couple's marital struggles became very, very public when surveillance footage surfaced of Bey's sister, Solange Knowles, attacking Jay in an elevator after the 2014 soiree. A source told E! News at the time that Solange confronted her brother-in-law after he and designer Rachel Roy got cozy at an after-party.
"Beyoncé approached Rachel to let her know the behavior was disrespectful and she wanted her out of their lives for good," our insider explained. "Solange came over to have her sister's back, and things got heated with her and Rachel. Jay said some disrespectful things to Beyoncé and Solange as the confrontation was going down."
Sparks flew for Nick and Priyanka at the 2017 event, where they coincidentally both attended as guests of Ralph Lauren. Fast forward just over a year later and the Jonas Brothers singer popped the question, which preceded a lavish, multi-day wedding celebration in India.
"Every single day when I wake up I'm like, 'Oh, I have a home. Like this is my home. This person is my home,'" the actress gushed to E! News in 2019. And to think, it all started at the Met!
There's only one word to describe Shawn and Hailey's Met Gala experience in 2018: Awkward! The singer and model walked the carpet together in coordinating Tommy Hilfiger ensembles, leading fans to believe that this was their way of confirming all those romance rumors. Shawn later shut down the speculation when during a Met Gala-themed interview with W mag, he described the pair as simply "really good friends."
Though the model and rapper never publicly discussed their year-long relationship, fans got a sneak peek at their flirty dynamic when sister Kylie Jenner caught the lovebirds in an intimate embrace inside the 2017 event. "Kendall was dancing in front of A$AP the whole night," an eyewitness also told E! News of their evening.
The extremely elusive couple, who split in 2019 after quite some time together, shocked fans when they posed for a photo together at the 2019 Met Gala. It's a Kodak moment we'll always have to remember this private love story.
In what marked Kylie's first official appearance after giving birth to daughter Stormi Webster, the 2018 Met Gala also served as her and the rapper's long-awaited red carpet debut. The then-lovebirds set the bar for all Met Gala couples to come in matching Alexander Wang looks.
If SelGo whispering "I love you" to her then-boyfriend on the carpet wasn't enough to make the list, let's clue you in on another juicy tidbit from the 2017 Met Gala. The pop star and hip-hop artist actually followed Yolanda Hadid and Anwar Hadid onto the carpet, who call The Weeknd's ex, Bella Hadid, family. Despite a few awkwardly close photo opps, the foursome did not interact.
George and Amal's 2015 Met Gala debut effectively ended the A-list actor's run as Hollywood's most eligible bachelor. It also marked the first time the couple stepped out as newlyweds following their 2014 nuptials, which took place in Venice, Italy—naturally.
The origins of Gigi and Zayn's love story can be traced back to the 2016 Met Gala, where they walked the red carpet for the first time together in futuristic looks. Exactly four years later, the model and singer welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Khai.
Are they or aren't they? Justin and Emma's night out at the 2018 Met Gala certainly raised eyebrows amongst fans who surmised the actors were more than just friends. All speculation was eventually squashed after the pair confirmed their relationship is strictly platonic.
In 2017, J.Lo looked like a real-life princess in this baby blue Valentino number, and A-Rod wasn't half bad either by her side! Their grand entrance marked the singer and retired baseball pro's first red carpet outing as a couple.
We love this all-star celeb couple for so many reasons, but at the top of our list is their experience at the 2015 Met Gala, where photographers caught Gabrielle and Dwyane taking a break from the festivities on the museum's iconic red staircase.