Why We Are No Longer Listed on The Knot, WeddingWire, or Zola

Although we earned multiple awards on these platforms, we made the decision to discontinue our memberships. This choice was based on transparency, ethics, and delivering real value to the couples we serve.

1. Lead Quality Became Unreliable

WeddingWire and The Knot (which are owned by the same company) began sending automated or non-human inquiries designed to simulate increased interest. These were presented as legitimate leads despite not originating from real engaged couples.

This practice made it difficult to trust the accuracy of the data we were paying for.
We believe in authentic communication—not inflated metrics.

2. Strong Upselling Pressure & Rapid Price Increases

Both platforms shifted toward a more aggressive “pay-to-rank” model. Their internal sales structure prioritizes pushing vendors into higher-priced tiers, especially those with:

• Great reviews

• High response rates

• Prior awards

Vendors across the wedding industry have publicly expressed similar concerns about increasing costs, ranking pressure, and a heavy upsell environment.

We chose not to pass rising advertising costs onto our couples.
We prefer to invest our resources into quality food, staffing, service, and guest experience.

3. Zola’s Shift Toward Premium Placement

Zola increasingly emphasized vendor placement based on paid visibility rather than merit.
As with most paid listing platforms, vendors who invest more rank higher—regardless of review history or client satisfaction.

This system doesn’t align with our values or the genuine, word-of-mouth relationships that built our company.

4. Immediate Removal After Ending Paid Membership

Despite years of participation, awards, and verified reviews, our profiles were removed almost immediately once we chose not to renew our advertising plans.

This meant:

• Our awards disappeared from our profiles

• Our positive reviews were no longer shown

• Our long-standing involvement in their community vanished overnight

This confirmed that the platforms prioritize paid placement over authentic vendor history or client trust.
As a company built on earned reputation rather than purchased visibility, we knew stepping away was the right decision.

5. We Believe in Organic, Honest Growth

Our business thrives on:

• Referrals from real couples

• Venue partnerships

• Vendor relationships

• Authentic reviews

• Consistent service excellence

We believe trust should be earned through exceptional service—not purchased through pay-to-play listings.

Our Awards Still Stand

Our accolades from The Knot and Zola were earned before these issues became prominent and remain a genuine reflection of the clients who trusted us with their events.

We’re proud of those achievements, even though we no longer participate in those platforms.