Meet Hannah Ayers | Wedding Coordinator and DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Ayers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my wedding business out of pure necessity.

I went through a divorce while I was pregnant. I knew I was going to be a single mom on day one but I didn’t want my son to have a mom that was never present. So I knew I needed to think up something fast. Since I am a radio DJ by trade, a friend asked me to DJ her daughter’s wedding at the beautiful Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. I took the job for extra money but had NO clue what I was doing. I didn’t even have the equipment I needed so a local church graciously allowed me to borrow their speaker system. I remember packing that huge system into my car not even fully sure how I would set all this up by myself or even how to plug in the different wires! All I knew was that I had to succeed for my then 3 year old son. Failure wasn’t an option.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I DJ’ed my first wedding, honestly I wasn’t great since I was still learning how to DJ. But even though I wasn’t great, I remember thinking how much I had LOVED the entire process! Meeting people on such a happy occasion, playing fun music, seeing people have a wonderful time….just all of it. It was amazing. I NEEDED to be in the wedding business.

So I made it my mission to learn all I could about everything to do with the wedding business. Weddings fascinated me. My clients tell me that they can tell that I actually CARE about their wedding….and I do! I truly want their big day to be as perfect as it can be!

I also kept my eyes open for what was needed in the wedding business in my local area….and I found that there was a need for more wedding directors. Only a few owners of wedding venues were comfortable directing a wedding. But it is VITAL that a bride has someone who can direct the day, ensuring the flow of the ceremony be as smooth and trouble free as possible.

So even though I was a wedding DJ, I watched a few directors and realized that I could not only direct, but directing made my job as a DJ easier because I could cue up music better and even time out my music in a more concrete way if I directed how everyone came into the ceremony! So I added wedding directing to my website.

But then I also realized the need for coordinators that had first hand experience with many of the wedding vendors (caterers, photoraphers, videographers, florists, etc) in the area. I knew a lot of vendors as a result of my DJ work so it was easier for me to communicate with several different vendors as I had already established a relationship with many of the vendors in my area. As a result, I added coordination services to my website too! And my business began to grow even more!

Eventually, my wedding business became such a substantial side business that I could begin to work completely from home! This allowed me to be a “stay at home” single mom and be there for my son while still paying all the bills. It was amazing.

After 8 years in the wedding DJ and directing business, I am ready to do more in the wedding business.  My new full service  wedding coordination and directing business, Big Day Productions, will launch in July of this year. The official launch will be announced on my current website hannahayers.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In the Tri Cities/ SW Virginia area where I live there are several BEAUTIFUL spots in nature that you would have to check out. First, I love the Damascus, VA Creeper Trail. It’s a former railroad turned biking trail that is surrounded by the mountains. It’s just gorgeous. Another great park is Rocky Fork Park in Flag Pond, TN. It is a fairly new park in Tennessee and is pretty primitive (no bathrooms, just porta potties!) but it is 2000 acres of amazing wilderness and wonderful hiking trails. It’s stunning.

As for eateries, I would say go to 620 State Street in Bristol for a nice evening out. The atmosphere is wonderful and the food is delicious. Stir Fry Cafe in Kingsport is also delicious if you love Asian cuisine.

To understand a bit of Appalachian culture, you need to check out the Carter Family Fold near Gate City, VA. It’s a concert venue that’s tucked away in VA that has major history behind it! Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash performed there as the venue belonged to June’s family. Great old time, country and bluegrass bands perform every Saturday night from April through November.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many wonderful venue owners and vendors who helped my small DJ business become a stable and growing side income! I would love to thank The Side Porch in Gray, Tennessee (owners Luci and Camille are amazing!) and The Barn of 1810 in Greeneville, Tennessee (owner Alice is wonderful!) for listing me on their preferred vendors list. I also love working with videographers and photographers like ABV Visuals (owners Andrew and Danielle Blevins), Tonya Damron, and LionCat Media (Owner: Anthony Keys).

If you have wonderful and professional vendors who are passionate about their craft working together on a wedding you are guaranteed an amazing wedding day.

Website: hannahayers.com

Instagram: hannahayersdj

Facebook: @HannahAyersDJ

Image Credits
@ShotbyJKriess (image of bride dancing in the middle of the crowd)