Simple Bliss Events

Worst wedding experience ever. Non-responsive. Didn't plan. Doesn't return phone calls. Didn't show up when she was supposed to. We didn't even know if she was going to show up because she very very rarely returned our phone calls. We had paper plates and plasticware ready because we really and truly didn't know if she would show up. She was always quick and ready with excuses. Wrong bouquet. Not even worth $300. Not enough boutonnieres. We had to dissect the bouquet and other boutonnieres to create them. Misty didn't know when the wedding started....even though this has been in the works for over a year. She left before the wedding was over and the reception even started. Nothing like being at a wedding all dressed up and having to lug lemonade and tea and basins full of ice and water down two flights of stairs to the reception area because Misty left. Inflated prices to a ridiculous amount. Said things were so much more expensive than they really were (like the dj....she said it was $2000 and when I called the same dj I was told it was only $700). Seriously. Every decision had to be made by the bride because everything that Misty said she would do she either didn't or she screwed it up. She knew it, too, because she left before the reception started. We had to clean up and sweep and mop and carry the trays and food and drinks and everything because Misty wasn't there. She left a message with the caterer telling him to tell us to leave the decorations because she needed them for a wedding she was doing the next day. We had no idea what to do when the reception was over. We ended up cleaning up ourselves. She didn't return that phone call, either. It's interested that all of the negative reviews I read about her have disappeared. I am grateful she admitted she dropped the ball (this was before the actual wedding took place). Too bad she doesn't give refunds, even if she doesn't do the job she was hired to do. Thinking about filing a lawsuit. Apparently this is a common thing that Misty does to other brides. I read reviews on other websites. I really hope she decides to venture to another business where she doesn't take advantage of people. **Update** Misty agreed to meet in person to discuss the many issues we have had with her. She did not show up to the meeting. She is not returning phone calls again. Not surprised. Just continued disappointment.

Misty enticed us with promises of a stress free planning experience and an amazing fairy tale wedding. Her reviews were impeccable and it seemed like the right choice to hire her. Initially, she was extremely responsive to all our communications and questions BEFORE we signed the contract. AFTER we signed the contract and sent her a ton of money, things changed drastically. Most attempts to coordinate with Misty took what seemed like an eternity. We sent emails, texts and made phone calls which sometimes went weeks without a response. When we finally heard from her, we were usually presented with an excuse (weather, technology, funerals, hospitals, illnesses, employees, moving, etc, etc). We understood Gatlinburg was a popular destination that required advanced planning as some vendors get booked well ahead of time. We had to basically beg Misty to get the ball rolling, gather information, and book some of our vendors. Ultimately, she failed and, as a result, we ended up losing some of our first choice vendors. We found ourselves doing the research, reaching out to vendors and booking them ourselves before we lost out on further opportunities. Multiple times we presented our concerns regarding the lack of effective communication and lackluster service. She always reassured us it would get better; it didn't. When we realized the person we hired to help alleviate the stress of planning a wedding was actually the one causing significant stress and potential detriment, we told her we wanted to cancel our contract. Considering she basically took no actions on our behalf, other than submit a deposit to the venue we personally researched and procured, we expected and requested a full refund. Of course, we never received a response to our termination request and, weeks later, still had no refund. We initiated a dispute with our credit card company and finally received some of the money months later. We weren't surprised she didn't refund the deposit, as she was contractually entitled to it however, we were disappointed she felt she should keep the deposit considering her performance, or lack thereof. Sadly, we feel Misty is in over her head with Simple Bliss. We have no doubt that, at one time, Misty had that business running like a well oiled machine, which is clearly reflected in the large number of positive performance reviews. Clearly something must has changed, perhaps personal issues or professional hurdles that have inhibited her ability to adequately perform wedding planning and coordination services. Shortly after terminating our contract with Simple Bliss, we hired another wedding planner and the experience has been a night and day difference. We have all our vendors booked, tons of things planned and coordinated for our wedding and, most importantly, don't feel any stress at all. We even asked our new planner if we were being overly aggressive in wanting to book venues and make plans so early in the process. She assured us being proactive, especially when within a year of a Gatlinburg wedding, is a must. Misty is a lovely person and nice to talk with (when you can actually get in touch with her), but that does not preclude her from being held to a high professional performance standard, especially in a service industry. In summary, if you are looking for someone to do full planning and coordination, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere; we feel Simple Bliss is clearly NOT up to the task. *** NOT RECOMMENDED ***

Misty was very responsive until I paid her (12/31/2020). I emailed her a few times to request the bride info sheet. Once I filled it out, I didn't hear from her for a few weeks. We finally set up a call (in February), which she said she would arrange the hotel block, shuttle transportation and tent. I emailed her all of the requested items regarding hotel room numbers, no reply. I emailed her 3-4 additional times over the course of a month, and only got a response when I emailed her saying I needed to set up a call ASAP as a month had passed. We set up a call and I had to remind her of the items she said she was going to do after the last call as none were done. She did then follow up with hotel block information 2 days later (Friday). However, she said we would have it finalized by Monday. I texted her multiple times and didn't hear from her for a week and a half. I ultimately emailed her stating I would like to part ways as her services were causing me more stress than help. She said she would offer me a discount or an amicable refund. I said I wanted the refund as I longer wanted to work with her team. This was March 15th. I finally received 50% of my deposit back April 5th after MULTIPLE text reminders, and have yet to receive the remainder of the refund. Moral of the story, I tried to remain very reasonable and respectful but save yourself and do NOT BOOK THEM.

Kristy Watlington is the best!! My wedding was on May 30th, 2020, and I was on the fence about if I needed a wedding planner or not and I'm not joking 2 weeks before my wedding I was stressed, tired, and in need of some serious wedding planning help (I had a TON of family who had planned other's weddings before and were a great help but I needed professional direction). I reached out and due to COVID-19, Kristy was able to do my wedding because most of the others were postponed! This seriously was the biggest blessing I received during this time. Kristy's obvious love for her job instantly put me at ease! Kristy laid out every detail and having someone to coordinate on the wedding day was HUGE. She brought a TON of decorations and handled detail I hadn't even thought of. She truly showed her care for my fiance' (now husband!!) and I's wants. Wedding planning is her passion and you can tell through her dedication, compassion, and the focus on every little detail. I could not have had a more lovely and smooth wedding day. My family was able to enjoy the wedding day and relax. My husband and I will forever look back and have nothing but sweet memories from our wedding day. If you were on the fence about booking Simple Bliss or exploring if you even needed a planner, this is your sign!! They really are the best of the best! Enjoy your wedding day and BOOK KRISTY!

We hired Misty/Simple Bliss 2 years before our wedding because my fiance and I both have demanding jobs and wanted to be able to be proactive in the planning process. After we signed the contract and paid our deposit, we did not hear from Misty for nearly 3 months. We reached out to her 2 months after signing the contract asking for a general timeline of when we needed to do things and did not receive any kind of response until 20 days later (after a follow-up email and a text). That was basically the trend for the duration of our relationship, including countless unanswered emails and texts and even a phone call that she cancelled an hour AFTER it was supposed to happen. She consistently spelled my fiance's name wrong and rarely followed through with contacting vendors for us unless they were one of her preferred vendors. When we finally had enough of trying (very patiently) to work with her, we respectfully told her we wanted to end our relationship through email, text, phone call,and certified mail (which was returned to us unopened) and received no response, acknowledgement or any of our deposit back. I don't know if this is a scam or just an extremely unprofessional company, but working with Misty was an unnecessarily stressful and frustrating experience, and we would have been better off with no wedding planner at all.

Where to even begin with this magnificent, remarkable, talented, hard-working woman?! Oh my word. She executed my wedding day flawlessly and made it an absolute dream. The wedding would not have been half of what it was without Misty and her team. There are not enough words or phrases in any language to express our gratitude and the blessing she was to our day. She was everything anyone could ever dream of in a wedding planner. She took care of us as her own and made the wedding day free of stress. We (my family included) got to enjoy the wedding day and take it all in and see her talent come alive while we didn’t even have to lift a finger. I am not sure how I will ever repay her. If there’s anything I can recommend to any bride it’s to book a wedding in her region so that you can have her as your planner. What an absolute answer to prayer and dream she was on our special day.

We hired Misty for day of wedding coordination at The Magnolia Venue. We had an initial phone call to discuss what to expect. I found comfort in our call because she seemed to be exactly what a bride wants in a coordinator. Misty was a bit slow to respond to some emails at times. I figured this was due to the attention her current brides need, and I respect that since I wanted the same attention from her when my day came. There were some issues with the venue falling out with Parkside that affected the planning process. The weeks and days leading into the wedding communication was a bit better, but there was no phone call set up during that time as promised. After she was unable to attend our rehearsal due to unforeseen issues, I contacted her the night before our wedding. We received confirmation that "we will be on site at 9" and that they would be helping with set-up. On the day of the wedding I received a text now saying that "Mackenzie and Lindsey will be up there after lunch... I'll be there closer to ceremony". Unfortunately this was the last text of the day, and this is when things went wrong. When I came up to get into my dress at 3:30, it appeared that her assistants had not been there for very long. Lindsey did not show up. A lady named Jasmine was there (not a fan-had earbuds in during part of the wedding and was on phone), who Misty said she didn't know?. I would have been fine with Misty not being there, had that been discussed beforehand. I had to help set up frantically, instead of getting into my dress on time. I lost out on the time needed for my bridal pictures and was forced to do it while guests were arriving to the venue. Worst of all, Misty never came. I called the next day to discuss my concerns with her and she was very respectful and understanding. My money was refunded, but it never truly makes up for the stress we experienced on the day.

We did most of our wedding DYI, but the closer we got to the date we realized just how much work that would put on us for the day-of-the-wedding. Misty was WONDERFUL with stepping in and making sure our day ran smoothly and played out exactly like we wanted. She was extremely thorough and we felt completely at ease and taken care of. I would 100% recommend her to anyone in need of a wedding planner or coordinator!

Lets see where do I begin. Well first Misty & her team stepped in with not a second thought once my original event planner flaked on me. Since then she has been the absolute best! My wedding date was quickly approaching when we first met, so of course I was a bit nervous, but she stepped in & eased all my worries. Anything that I didn't think of she thought of. Anytime I needed her she was available. whether it was through text, email, call or in person she was there for me! I don't know how my wedding would have turned out without her being by my side & I'm glad I didn't have to find out. She goes above & beyond her call of duty to make sure the bride & groom are comfortable & well taken care of. Even if its stopping by the gas station before a meeting to pick up a drink for her clients. she will do it. It's the little things that matter & she specializes in that. Any problem that I had with my vendors, she took care of. She always would say "I got it, I don't want to stress you out" or "let me worry about that" She is definitely made to do this. It is her passion & it shows in everything she does. Words cannot express how grateful I am that she stepped in & made my day fabulous. From start to finish everything was flawless & all my wishes were carried out. me & my husband love her so much & have not only made a new business contact but a new friend as well. :)

Simple Bliss and Misty came into my wedding planning about a month before my wedding and I was at my wits end trying to juggle it all myself. From the very first consultation, Misty was able to lay out a plan about all the details that I overlooked and details that I thought I had a good handle on. She was very patient with me and always found answers to the infinite number of questions I had. She even went above and beyond the wedding planning. My mother-in-law came from Germany to be with Shane and me on our wedding day and it was Misty’s idea to do a welcome basket/box. It meant the world to my mom-in-law. Misty did a fabulous job coordinating the wedding rehearsal. At that point, she made herself available to the wedding party and our families and if they had any questions about the wedding day, they were to contact her. And the actual wedding day could not have run as smoothly as it did without Misty. She not only set up the chapel, but she set up the reception area with the very little time we had between having the ceremony and getting to the reception. The very first person I asked for when I walked into the chapel was Misty because I knew she would be able to guide me on where I needed to be. At the reception, Misty incorporated all the things that I asked her to, from the photo collage I made all the way down to the banner my mother-in-law brought from Germany. She was constantly making sure Shane and I were comfortable and making sure we hit all the major highlights for the reception such as cake cutting and first dances, etc. Overall, I could not have made my wedding as beautiful and happy a moment as it was without Misty’s help. Shane and I are both fully satisfied and impressed with the job Misty did for us. I will miss working with her, but I know she has found her calling and will help other brides with their very special day.