Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Hale.
Hi Annette, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains and falling in love with the area, my husband, William, and I concluded that this would be a wonderful place to raise a family. So, we initiated a big life change, and in 2015, we moved here from Columbia, SC, where we both had careers in healthcare administration. We were able to continue healthcare work for some time through home-based positions, but we quickly noticed the booming wedding industry in the area and wanted to be a part of it. William had been a DJ in the 1990s and 2000s, doing everything from weddings to cruise ships, nightclubs, and corporate events. I always had a passion for photography and dabbled in it with a semi-professional camera, taking family and landscape photos. We saw these two skills as our way into the local industry. After devoting a full tax return and other savings to purchase new DJ and camera gear, Hale Entertainment & Photography was born in April 2017. We were so excited about offering two major services needed for weddings with the convenience of hiring one vendor.
We launched the business just a few months after the Gatlinburg wildfires of 2016, and it was a very challenging time until the misconception that Gatlinburg had burnt down was cleared up, the crowds started coming back, and people started booking events again. But we were determined, and we did not give up. William handles our website and most of our marketing efforts while I work on the social media platforms. We are a great team. We are adamant about providing the best possible service in a lower-priced, small or large-scale premium event. This is what our clients, the venues we work at, and other professionals we work with love about us. We are proud to have a reputation for professionalism and dependability. This is all we do, so we give it 110%. For the second year in a row, we have been named one of the top five photographers in Gatlinburg by WeddingRule. Over the past few years, we have expanded, offering additional services such as wedding officiant, photo booth, karaoke, team trivia, and digital monogram projections. The local wedding/entertainment/photography industry here in East Tennessee is vibrant, with so many great vendors, many of whom we are proud to call friends. So, we are not only competitors but also allies. Many of us look out for each other, refer business to each other if we are already booked, and spring into action when last-minute situations arise. The best gratification comes from seeing the look on a newlywed couple’s faces and hearing their thank yous for helping to make the special day they dreamed of extraordinary.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As mentioned in our story, the aftermath of the 2016 wildfires significantly challenged local industry. Then it was Covid. Fortunately, more events were rescheduled rather than canceled.
Thanks for sharing that. Could you tell us more about your business next?
We are a husband-wife team based in Gatlinburg, TN. Our office is on Glades Road in the Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community. We are members of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce. We are leaders in the local wedding industry, providing premium DJ, Photography, Officiant, Photo Booth, and other services across Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. What we are best known for is what we are most proud of. That is our meticulous attention to detail and always striving to exceed our client’s expectations by being the best.
Let’s end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
What matters most is being able to work with my husband/best friend, being our bosses, and providing for our family by doing what we love.
Pricing:
- Wedding Day Photography from $1500
- Complete Wedding Day DJ Service from $1500
- Family Photo Session from $299
- Wedding Officiant Service from $200
Contact Info:
- Website: www.haleentertainment.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hale_entertainment_photography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/haleentertainmentevents
Image Credits
Hale Entertainment & Photography
