Zola will operate as a standalone business for the time being under The Knot Worldwide’s umbrella of brands, which already includes The Knot, WeddingWire, WeddingPro, Hitched and several others, the companies said in a press release.
asserted
companies → operate → release
The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed.
asserted
terms → disclose → ?
The Knot and Zola each offer similar services to couples, including wedding registries and personal websites as well as connecting to vendors like florists, DJs and dressmakers.
asserted
Knot → offer → florists
Zola co-CEO Shan-Lyn Ma sought to reassure vendors about the deal in a memo obtained by The Post, asserting that the transaction will help “will unlock greater visibility and new opportunities” for small businesses reliant on the wedding sites to reach customers.
asserted
transaction → seek → customers
“We know an announcement like this naturally brings questions about what this means for your business, and how you work with us,” Ma wrote.
asserted
Ma → know → us
“We want to reassure you: maintaining continuity and stability for your business is our highest priority.”
asserted
maintaining → want → business
Ma and fellow co-CEO Rachel Jarrett will “continue to lead Zola” and will eventually join The Knot Worldwide’s executive leadership team once the deal closes, according to the memo.
uncertain
deal → continue → memo
Zola pledged to provide “clear advance notice” to small business owners “long before introducing any new cross-platform opportunities or updates.”
asserted
Zola → pledge → opportunities
The deal will be subject to “customary closing conditions, including any required regulatory clearances,” the companies said.
asserted
companies → include → clearances
It’s unclear if the FTC or Justice Department’s antitrust unit will scrutinize the transaction.
uncertain
unit → ’ → transaction
A Knot Worldwide spokesperson declined comment.
asserted
spokesperson → decline → comment
Zola did not immediately respond.
asserted
Zola → respond → ?
The Knot is led by CEO Raina Moskowitz, a former Etsy executive who has focused on overhauling the company’s platform with AI-powered planning tools and rebuilding its relationship with disgruntled vendors.
asserted
who → lead → vendors
“Welcoming Zola to our portfolio is an exciting opportunity to help more wedding professionals grow their businesses and create more personalized, connected experiences for couples, from their first moment of inspiration through ‘I do,’” Moskowitz said in a statement.
asserted
Moskowitz → welcome → statement
In August, Bloomberg reported that The Knot Worldwide’s credit rating had been cut into junk territory by Moodys Ratings, which labeled the company as a “very high” credit risk.
asserted
which → report → risk
The Knot is owned by investment firm Permira and has operated as a private company since 2018.
asserted
Knot → own → 2018
Meanwhile, Zola raised $100 million in 2018 at a valuation of roughly $600 million, with investors that included NBCUniversal and Goldman Sachs Investment Partners.
asserted
that → raise → NBCUniversal
At the time, Grassley said his office had received nearly 200 separate complaints from wedding vendors who accused The Knot of providing fake or spam customer leads, locking them into ad deals that were difficult to cancel or failed to provide the promised benefits.
asserted
that → say → benefits
On Feb. 18 of this year, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Grassley warning that the alleged conduct, if proven true, “can potentially violate laws the FTC enforces, including Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits deceptive or unfair business practices.”
asserted
which → send → practices
Ferguson said that while he was unable to “disclose the existence or details of any non-public investigations, I can continue to assure you that protecting small businesses from deceptive practices remains a priority for the Commission.”
asserted
protecting → say → Commission
The Knot Worldwide has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, with a spokesperson telling The Post in response to Grassley’s October 2025 letter that the company “does not engage in fraudulent or deceptive business practices.”
asserted
company → deny → practices
As The Post reported in July 2024, The Knot Worldwide also triggered some alarms with its past acquisition of wedding startup Simply Eloped – with some vendors stating they were concerned that the company was seizing too much control over the industry.
asserted
company → report → industry
Representatives for Grassley and the FTC declined comment.
asserted
Representatives → decline → comment
The DOJ did not immediately return a request for comment.
asserted
DOJ → return → comment
The Aporia
