The Knot has launched a major overhaul of its wedding-planning platform, led by a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature designed to match couples with vendors based on visual preferences.
Dubbed Make it Yours, the tool scans over a million images on The Knot’s mobile app and recommends venues, photographers, florists and other vendors based on a couple’s saved favorites and wedding location. The company claims it can reduce more than 20 hours of research down to seconds.
The update is part of a broader effort to modernize the planning experience across The Knot’s app. These include new timeline and task-management features, which are designed to increase personalization, reduce planning stress, and improve vendor conversion rates, per the company.
The Knot is part of The Knot Worldwide, which also owns WeddingWire, Bodas.net, Hitched, The Bash and other platforms. The parent company ranks No. 624 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers by their annual web sales.
How The Knot’s AI wedding planner tool works
“With this launch, we’re transforming the planning experience — combining the power of AI with our decades of wedding expertise and data,” said Raina Moskowitz, CEO of The Knot Worldwide, in announcing the update.
The centerpiece of the upgrade is the Make it Yours tool, which the company calls a “wedding-industry first.”
Couples begin by building a curated vision board in the app using the Favorites tool, which is now in a centralized location.
The Knot’s AI then analyzes their selections and recommends vendors that best match the couple’s style and location.
“AI has the power to transform wedding planning from a tedious and overwhelming process for couples, to one that is more seamless, personalized, and inspirational to bring out the joy and creativity in planning,” Moskowitz stated.
Behind the scenes, Christine Brown, vice president of product at The Knot, told Inc. that the tool was developed in-house using the company’s own library of more than a million wedding images.
Following a two-month pilot with thousands of couples, the company found it could significantly cut down the time couples spend searching — particularly for venues, which Brown said typically takes up to 3.5 hours per week over a six-week period. The company believes the new tool can reduce that process to just minutes.
The Knot expands planning tools beyond Make it Yours
Make it Yours is part of a broader platform update now available in The Knot Wedding Planner app for iOS devices.
The update also includes Your Wedding Plan, a new visual timeline within the dashboard that breaks down planning tasks into prioritized steps. The feature is designed to help couples stay on track and reduce stress by clarifying what to tackle next.
Another tool, Your Vendors, acts as a central hub for shortlisting, messaging and booking vendors. Couples can filter by category, price or booking status and track notes and quotes in one place.
In pilot testing, The Knot reported that users who engaged with Your Vendors were 16% more likely to convert shortlists into confirmed bookings.
The company says more AI-powered features are coming soon. Brown told Inc. that this includes automated email responses for vendors, aimed at helping them manage inquiries and secure bookings more efficiently.
Wedding planners test how far couples will go with AI
The Knot’s expansion into AI follows similar moves across the $70 billion wedding industry.
David’s Bridal, for example, rolled out “agentic” wedding planner features in June as part of its Pearl platform. That tool can adjust timelines, seating charts, and vendor suggestions automatically based on changes to key details, such as changing the venue or guest count. David’s Bridal ranks No. 468 in the Top 2000.
Despite the growing number of AI-powered planning tools, couples are still divided on adoption.
Zola, an online wedding registry, planner, and retailer, surveyed nearly 7,000 engaged couples for its 2024 First Look Report.
Of those, only 7% said they were already using at least one AI tool, and 11% said they were very likely to do so. Another 36% were unsure, while 46% said they were unlikely to use AI in their planning.
Among those open to the technology, top uses included building wedding websites (38%), writing thank-you notes (34%) and gathering inspiration (34%).
While adoption is still early, companies like The Knot and David’s Bridal are betting AI can serve as a competitive differentiator.
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