The Knot Worldwide

{{short description|Company}} {{Infobox company | name = The Knot Worldwide | logo = The_Knot_Worldwide_Logo.jpg | logo_caption = | image = | image_caption = | trading_name =  | native_name =  | native_name_lang =  | romanized_name = | type = | industry = | predecessor = XO Group, WeddingWire, The Knot Inc. | successor = | foundation = {{start date and age|1996|5}} (as The Knot Inc.) | founder = David Liu Carley Roney Tim Chi | defunct = | location_city = 2 Wisconsin Circle, 3rd Floor, Chevy Chase, Maryland | locations =  | area_served = | key_people = Raina Moskowitz (CEO) Michael Pickrum (CFO) Felicity Chaban (CLO) Angel Llull Mancas (CCO) | products = | production = | services = Online vendor marketplace Registry services Personalized wedding websites Invitations Digital content and print magazine Advertising eCommerce | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum =  | assets = | equity = | num_employees = 1,700 (2026) | owner = | divisions = | subsid = | footnotes = | intl = | brands = The Knot WeddingWire WeddingPro Bodas.net Hitched The Bump The Bash Matrimonio.com Mariages.net Casamentos.pt | former type = | location_country = U.S. | homepage = {{URL| https://www.theknotww.com/}} | bodystyle = }}

'''The Knot Worldwide (TKWW)''' is a technology company that operates a portfolio of platforms and brands, including The Knot, WeddingWire and WeddingPro. Formed by a merger between The Knot and WeddingWire, it offers marketplaces, content, tools and resources for wedding planning and other life celebrations.

== History ==

=== Founding === David Liu, his wife Carley Roney, and their business partners, Rob Fassino and Michael Wolfson, founded The Knot Inc. in 1996.<ref name="Time2007">{{cite news |date=2007-11-15 |title=Carley Roney and David Liu - Photo Essays |url=https://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1684576,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117103048/http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1684576,00.html |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |access-date=2010-03-25 |publisher=TIME}}</ref> The Knot brand received seed financing from AOL and was initially released as a portal on AOL.<ref>{{cite web |title=Corner Office: David Liu and Carley Roney Tie the Knot | SUCCESS Magazine | What Achievers Read |url=http://www.successmagazine.com/corner-office-david-liu-and-carley-roney-tie-the-knot/PARAMS/article/929 |access-date=2010-03-25 |publisher=SUCCESS Magazine}}</ref> In 1997, TheKnot.com launched as an online digital marketplace.<ref>{{cite news |last=Roney |first=Carley |date=2007-11-15 |title=Something Old, Something New |url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1684491,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118155658/http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1684491,00.html |archive-date=November 18, 2007 |access-date=2010-03-25 |publisher=TIME}}</ref>

The company opened an online gift registry in partnership with QVC and published its first book, ''The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World''.<ref>{{cite web |date=2005-04-11 |title=The Knot: Here Come The Brides |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_15/b3928150_mz027.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104120247/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_15/b3928150_mz027.htm |archive-date=January 4, 2010 |access-date=2010-03-25 |publisher=Businessweek.com}}</ref> In December 1999, the company raised $35 million in an initial public offering.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hass |first=Nancy |date=1999-12-05 |title=A NIGHT OUT WITH - Carley Roney - At the .com Wedding |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/05/style/a-night-out-with-carley-roney-at-the-com-wedding.html?pagewanted=1 |access-date=2010-03-25 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

On December 2, 2000, the company launched its own bridal magazine, ''The Knot Magazine'', and went public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Knot, Inc. Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on The Knot, Inc. |url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history/Th-Ul/The-Knot-Inc.html |access-date=2018-01-26 |website=www.referenceforbusiness.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2004, the company launched a television series, ''Real Weddings from The Knot'', on the Oxygen Network.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tedeschi |first=Bob |date=2005-03-14 |title=Web Sites Try Offering TV Shows |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/technology/14ecom.html?scp=1&sq=David%20Liu,%20The%20Knot&st=cse |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The Nest brand launched in 2005 with a website aimed at newly married or cohabiting couples creating their new home.<ref>{{cite news |date=2008-06-17 |title=The Nest - 50 Best Websites 2008 |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1809858_1809956_1811550,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619210020/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1809858_1809956_1811550,00.html |archive-date=June 19, 2008 |access-date=2010-03-25 |publisher=TIME}}</ref>

In 2008, the company launched TheBump.com to serve expectant and new parents.<ref name="forums.thebump.com">{{cite web |title=About us |url=https://www.thebump.com/about-us |access-date=2015-01-14 |publisher=The Bump}}</ref>

In June 2011, the company officially changed its corporate name to XO Group Inc. and transferred its common stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the symbol "XOXO".

Mike Steib joined XO Group as president in July 2013 and assumed the role of CEO in March 2014.<ref>Internet Retailer, Rueter, Thad. [https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/07/01/e-retailer-xo-group-hires-president E-retailer XO Group hires a president from the U.S. arm of Vente-Privee], "Internet Retailer", 1 July 2013. Retrieved on 12 November 2015</ref> In October 2015, XO Group announced the acquisition of GigMasters, an online marketplace for event vendors, and a partnership with Jetaport, a discounted hotel room block booking service.<ref> Geomarketing.com. Chamberlain, Lauryn. [http://www.geomarketing.com/xo-group-expands-wedding-marketplace-acquiring-gigmasters "XO Group Expands Wedding Marketplace, Acquiring GigMasters"] "Geomarketing.com" 6 October 2015. Retrieved on 30 November 2015. </ref>

=== Merger === In September 2018, XO Group announced that it would merge with competing wedding planning firm WeddingWire and become a privately held company under the control of WeddingWire investors Permira Funds and Spectrum Equity.<ref> Nypost.com. Reuters. [https://nypost.com/2018/09/25/weddingwire-takes-xo-group-private-in-933m-deal "WeddingWire to merge with XO Group in $933M deal"] "nypost.com" 25 September 2018. Retrieved on 9 April 2019. </ref> The merger became official in March 2019 and the new parent company was renamed to The Knot Worldwide. <ref> businesswire.com. [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190314005260/en/Knot-WeddingWire-Announce-New-Combined-Company%E2%80%94The-Knot "The Knot and WeddingWire Announce New Combined Company—The Knot Worldwide—the Global Leader in the Wedding Industry"] "businesswire.com" 14 March 2019. Retrieved on 9 April 2019. </ref>

=== Expansions and acquisitions === In February 2020, The Knot Worldwide announced it acquired Hitched, a U.K.-based wedding brand.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 4, 2020 |title=BREAKING NEWS: THE KNOT WORLDWIDE ACQUIRES HITCHED AND YOU & YOUR WEDDING |url=https://www.weddingtradermag.com/knot-worldwide-acquires-hitched/ |work=Wedding Trader}}</ref> In response to COVID-19, the company launched a $10 million assistance program for wedding vendors in need of support and introduced a campaign called ''Love is Essential'' covering the cost of dream marriage proposals for essential workers.<ref>{{cite news |author=Stacey Leasca |date=February 19, 2021 |title=The Knot Wants to Help 21 Deserving Essential Workers Plan and Pay for Their Dream Proposal |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/the-knot-giveaway-dream-proposals-to-essential-workers |work=Travel and Leisure}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Drew Neisser |date=March 30, 2021 |title=HOW THE KNOT WORLDWIDE COUNSELED THE WEDDING INDUSTRY THROUGH PANDEMIC |url=https://adage.com/article/cmo-interviews/how-knot-worldwide-counseled-wedding-industry-through-pandemic/2324766 |work=AdAge}}</ref> In 2020, The Knot Worldwide launched The Knot Registry Store.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ann Schmidt |date=August 5, 2020 |title=The Knot launches new wedding registry in competition with Zola |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/the-knot-launches-wedding-registry |work=Fox Business}}</ref> The company also launched The Knot Invitations and later partnered with Vera Wang, JoJo Fletcher, Jordan Rodgers, and Jenna Dewan to introduce limited-edition collections.<ref>{{cite news |author=Samantha Grindell |date=May 23, 2022 |title=Vera Wang thinks brides are drawn to 'sexier' wedding gowns because they're often more comfortable than traditional dresses |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/vera-wang-says-brides-like-sexy-gowns-because-theyre-comfortable-2022-5 |work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Dana Rose Faclone |date=April 28, 2022 |title=Jordan Rodgers Jokes His Wedding to JoJo Fletcher 'Snuck Up on Us' After 2 Postponements |url=https://people.com/tv/jordan-rodgers-jokes-wedding-to-jojo-fletcher-snuck-up-on-us-after-2-postponements/ |work=People}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Nicholas Rice |author2=Benjamin VanHoose |date=September 28, 2021 |title=Jenna Dewan Says She's Still 'Figuring Out the Ins and Outs' of Her Upcoming Wedding to Steve Kazee |url=https://people.com/style/jenna-dewan-wedding-planning-steve-kazee-details/ |work=People}}</ref>

The Knot Worldwide launched Fellowship for Change in 2021, an annual program to support underserved wedding professionals in their first five years of business through education, mentorship and funding in the form of free advertising.<ref>{{cite news |author=Rosemary Feitelberg |date=January 25, 2021 |title=The Knot Worldwide Aims to Support Underrepresented Businesses |url=https://wwd.com/business-news/business-features/the-knot-worldwide-fellowship-for-change-1234709351/ |work=WWD}}</ref> The Bump and the National Medical Association partnered in 2021 to launch The Black Maternal Health Hub, designed to reduce Black maternal mortality rates.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 16, 2021 |title=The Bump's 'Black Maternal Health' Hub Works to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality |url=https://cheddar.com/media/the-bumps-black-maternal-health-hub-works-to-reduce-black-maternal-mortality |work=Cheddar}}</ref>

In 2023, The Knot Worldwide acquired Zankyou Ventures, a Spanish-based global wedding company, and Weven, a CRM/ERP SaaS wedding planning platform.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 15, 2023 |title=The Knot Worldwide Strengthens Global Wedding Vendor Marketplace Business With New Senior Leadership and Key Investments |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/knot-worldwide-strengthens-global-wedding-150800497.html |work=Yahoo Finance}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=February 3, 2023 |title=The Knot Worldwide Acquires Zankyou |url=https://www.finsmes.com/2023/02/the-knot-worldwide-acquires-zankyou.html |work=Finsmes}}</ref>

The company acquired Simply Eloped, an online elopement planning platform, in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dow |first=Nicole |date=2024-10-07 |title=While growing a marketplace, she kept her team small – then sold to a wedding-industry giant |url=https://theygotacquired.com/marketplace/simply-eloped-acquired-by-the-knot-worldwide/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=They Got Acquired |language=en}}</ref>

Raina Moskowitz became CEO in 2025, having previously served as Etsy’s COO and CMO. Moskowitz was also on the board of directors of Sprout Social and formerly worked at American Express. She currently sits on the board of Match Group and Tech:NYC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Raina Moskowitz |url=https://www.technyc.org/leaders/raina-moskowitz |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Tech:NYC |language=en-US}}</ref>

In August 2025, The Knot partnered with Ring Concierge for a ring scavenger hunt across New York City in celebration of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=West |first=Bryan |title=Swifties are scouring New York City for a $10K engagement ring |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/08/29/swifties-new-york-city-10k-engagement-ring-knot-scavenger-hunt/85889018007/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Operations == The company operates in over 10 countries and includes the following brands: The Knot, WeddingWire, Bodas.net, Hitched, The Bump, The Bash, WeddingPro, Matrimonio.com and others.<ref>{{cite news |author=Dee-ann Durbin |date=January 8, 2024 |title=Insider Q&A: How wedding planners are adjusting for Gen Z nuptials |url=https://qz.com/insider-q-a-how-wedding-planners-are-adjusting-for-gen-1851148169 |work=Quartz}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Global Wedding Business Says 'I Do' to Google Duet AI |url=https://www.uctoday.com/collaboration/global-wedding-business-says-i-do-to-google-duet-ai/ |work=UC Today}}</ref>

The Knot Worldwide offers all-in-one planning tools and resources, such as personalized wedding websites, registries, and paper products. The company provides referrals to vendors of wedding services, primarily small, local and family businesses, for advertising packages.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Iscoe |first=Adam |date=2025-03-31 |title=Does the Knot Have a “Fake Brides” Problem? |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/07/does-the-knot-have-a-fake-brides-problem |access-date=2025-07-25 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Sophie |date=2025-04-30 |title=Popular wedding website hit with "fake brides" lawsuit |url=https://www.newsweek.com/popular-wedding-website-hit-fake-brides-lawsuit-2065969 |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref>

A 2025 ''New Yorker'' piece reported that vendors advertising through the site supposedly experienced high levels of "fake" brides making first contacts that never turned into business.<ref name=":0" /> While the company denied that it referred fake accounts to vendors,<ref name=":0" /> a lawsuit was filed by vendors in March 2025.<ref name=":1" />

In September 2025, The Knot Worldwide announced a suite of new product enhancements, including intelligent automations and AI-powered tools, such as “Make It Yours”.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duckett |first=Beth |date=2025-09-29 |title=The Knot adds AI tool to its online wedding planner |url=https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/09/29/the-knot-adds-ai-tool-to-its-online-wedding-planner/ |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=Digital Commerce 360 |language=en-US}}</ref> Developed in-house, “Make It Yours” reduces wedding planning by 20 hours and provides personalized, local vendor recommendations by analyzing a couple’s favorited images and matching them to vendors with similar aesthetics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This Company Says 1 New AI Feature Can Handle 20 Hours of Work in Seconds |url=https://www.inc.com/ben-sherry/this-company-says-1-new-ai-feature-can-handle-20-hours-of-work-in-seconds/91244446}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrone |first=Megan |date=2025-11-18 |title=How AI is powering modern love |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/11/18/chatgpt-dating-weddings-divorce-death |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref>

It also releases research reports, such as its ''Annual Real Wedding Study'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Manners |first=Ivy |date=2026-01-01 |title=What’s Trending in Weddings for 2026? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/style/wedding-trends-2026.html |access-date=2026-04-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> that evaluate the wedding industry across various countries and metrics. In October 2025, The Knot released its global wedding report, finding that October is the most popular month in the United States to wed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Emily |title=America's brides are sick of expensive, sweaty weddings. So they're turning to October. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/october-most-popular-month-weddings-fall-marriage-cost-brides-2025-10 |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

In February 2026, The Knot Worldwide launched an app within ChatGPT, allowing users to access The Knot’s vendor marketplace directly within ChatGPT and surface imagery, reviews as well as local options inside the chat interface. It is the first app of this nature within the wedding industry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zwieglinska |first=Zofia |date=2026-02-16 |title=The Knot joins OpenAI’s ChatGPT ad test as brands rethink AI visibility |url=https://www.glossy.co/fashion/the-knot-joins-openais-chatgpt-ad-test-as-brands-rethink-ai-visibility/ |access-date=2026-04-15 |website=Glossy |language=en}}</ref> The same month, the company also announced its $500k grant program, which supports small businesses in the wedding industry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Knot Worldwide Launches $500K Grant Program to Support Small Businesses |url=https://www.inc.com/kaylawebster/the-knot-worldwide-launches-500k-grant-program-to-support-small-businesses/91307089}}</ref>

In March 2026, The Knot Worldwide became one of the brands piloting ads in OpenAI’s ChatGPT agentic AI chat platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berthene |first=April |date=2026-03-03 |title=The Knot Says ‘I Do’ to ChatGPT Ads Pilot |url=https://www.chiefmarketer.com/the-knot-says-i-do-to-chatgpt-ads-pilot/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Chief Marketer |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{official|https://www.theknotww.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:XO Group}} Category:Mass media companies established in 1996 Category:Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Category:Mass media companies based in New York City Category:1996 establishments in New York City Category:1999 initial public offerings Category:2019 mergers and acquisitions