If you work in weddings, you’ve probably heard the news: on October 14, 2026, The Knot Worldwide announced its acquisition of Zola. Zola will keep its name, but it becomes the 14th brand under The Knot’s umbrella, which is backed by the private equity firm Permira. (At the time of the announcement, the deal still needed regulatory approval.)
I’m not going to pretend I don’t have opinions about it. I do. But this post isn’t about that. It’s about you, and about us.
A lot is changing in this industry right now.
What’s not changing at Here Comes The Guide
1. Venues come first. Always.
We’re a venue-only site, and we’ve been around since 1989. Couples come to us to find their venue. That’s it. That’s the whole job, and we take it seriously.
2. You’ll always know who owns us.
We do. Here Comes The Guide is 100% employee-owned, and our sales team doesn’t work on commission. Nobody here is pushing you toward an upgrade to hit a bonus. We’d rather earn your trust and keep it.
3. Our values aren’t just a poster on the wall.
We wrote them down, we hire by them, and we make hard decisions by them. If you’ve never read them, here are our core values. They’re how you can hold us accountable. (Here’s a peek at how they show up in our day-to-day work.)
4. Small is our superpower.
Couples are changing how they search. More and more of them are starting with AI tools like ChatGPT instead of a Google search. A small team can move faster than a giant one, and we’ve been using that. We’re rebuilding how your venue shows up on Here Comes The Guide so your information is clear and easy for those tools to read.
5. Real humans, with real heart.
When you reach out, you’ll get a person who knows your venue and knows your name. Heart-forward is how we’ve always worked, and that is not going anywhere.
What the Zola acquisition by The Knot means for your venue
When the big players get bigger, it’s worth taking a fresh look at who you’re partnering with and why.
I’d boldly suggest that your marketing partners should share your values and earn your trust. If you’re not sure where to start, here are 5 questions your marketing rep hopes you don’t ask.
Your to-do this month
Ask every couple who tours your venue how they started their venue search, and write their answers down. The way couples find venues is changing fast, and you’ll want to see it happening in real time. It’s also an easy way to keep tabs on your top referring sources.
