An Event Planner Who Doesn't Plan Her Own Parties

A little bit of housekeeping before I give my two cents about an event planner who doesn't plan her own parties (which I'm guessing you already figured out I was going to blog about given that is the title of this post - shocker). Anyway, last week, the other Working Girl Karen Burns interviewed me and WG1 for her blog. You should all check out our interview here and also check out Working Girl's new book "The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl". And one more thing - be sure to check back later because after we finish reading her book we plan on interviewing her as well (and let me tell you she has some GREAT advice!).

On to our regularly scheduled blogging...

This may be old news to some of you, but back in June NY Mag wrote an article about Vogue's new event planner, Sylvana Soto-Ward [pictured to the right]. It was just recently announced that she will be taking the place of former Vogue event planner Stephanie Wilson Wolkoff.

And some "naysayers" are apparently pissed off about this Soto-Ward being the new event planner since this means she'll be running the Met's annual gala next year (which Wolkoff has made beyond fabulous this past few years) and also because she used to be Vogue's accessories editor.

Here's the thing - I obviously can't judge whether her appointment to this position was a good move or not since I don't know her background (though it does seem weird that an accessories editor is now going to be an event planner) and I don't know Wolkoff's background compared to hers.

What I do feel like I can put my two cents about is the fact that an insider at Vogue is angry about Soto-Ward's promotion because she "didn't even plan her own engagement party". Which to I respond, 'whoa nelly'.

My main job at work is to plan our corporate events and I run two major ones in a year and during the rest of the year I manage special projects and help host other smaller corporate in-house events and parties. During my off time, I admit I do pretty much run the show in terms of other parties. I just love to plan - it's in my blood. So yes, in the past I have planned my own extravagant birthday parties, coordinated Spring Break trips, and I'm even planning my family's trip to Europe in August.

But I can whole-heartedly say that when (or rather if I suppose haha) I get married, I do not plan on planning my own engagement parties or even my own wedding. It's my special day people! I plan on not being stressed. Beacuse I'm an event planner and I know that events are stressful - especially when you're a perfectionist and watch Bridezillas. And the stress does not end until after the meeting/party is over and you sit back and go, "Wow, yes, it is over and it was amazing." And this potential future bride does not want to be stressed. So you bet your ass I will be hiring a wedding planner and not planning my own engagement or bachelorette parties.

So yes, maybe Soto-Ward shouldn't have been promoted, but just because she didn't plan her own engagement party doesn't mean she shouldn't be Vogue's new event planner.

Also, if Anna Wintour wanted to hire a team of peeps to plan my engagement party I would say, "Hell yes, Anna!".

[Photo Credit: NY Mag]