WeddingWire And The Knot Say 'I Do' In $933M Merger Deal

BETHESDA, MD — WeddingWire, Inc., the Chevy Chase-based online marketplace for engaged couples, has officially tied the knot with wedding-planning website The Knot.

WeddingWire has merged with The Knot's parent company XO Group, Inc. in a transaction valued at $933 million. The two companies made the announcement in a press release on Friday, Dec. 21.

The combined organization — owned by the Permira Funds and Spectrum Equity — will offer wedding websites, registry services, and planning tools to more than 20 million unique visitors worldwide per month through The Knot, WeddingWire, Matrimony.com, and other family brands.

"This is a great day for our new company and this industry that we all love," said Mike Steib, co-CEO of the XO Group."I want to thank the incredible people at XO and WeddingWire for making today possible. Together, this team is the best in the game."

"Our union is an exciting and incredible milestone for the global wedding industry and all of us at WeddingWire and XO," said Tim Chi, co-CEO of WeddingWire. "Together, we can further our ongoing commitment of providing all couples with the resources to plan, driving business success to event professionals and partners, and pioneering industry innovations. We're grateful for our exceptional teams through the years who have brought diversity of talent and thought to make us one combined, best-in-class company."

WeddingWire was founded in 2007 in Maryland and is one of the premier resources for engaged couples planning a wedding. Millions of couples worldwide use the online marketplace to search, compare, and book more from a list of more than 500,000 vendors, according to WeddingWire.

The Knot was co-founded by husband-and-wife team Carley Roney and David Liu in 1996. Like WeddingWire, millions of brides have come to rely on The Knot for expert wedding advice, budgeting tips, planning inspiration, and much more. The Knot's parent company XO Group also owns other lifestyle brands, such as The Nest, The Bump, and How They Asked.

Image via Shutterstock