Zola (company)
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 | |
| Industry | weddings |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Shan-Lyn Ma, Nobu Nakaguchi |
| Headquarters | , U.S.[1] |
Key people | Shan-Lyn Ma (CEO) |
| Website | zola |
Zola is an e-commerce company that offers online wedding planning, retail and registry services. There is no cost or fee to register with Zola, and the female-led company generates revenue by selling wedding gifts and wedding-related items.[2]
Zola was founded in New York City in 2013 by Shan-Lyn Ma and Nobu Nakaguchi. It launched as the first all-in-one wedding registry platform,[3] allowing couples to manually schedule and exchange wedding gifts online.[4]
In 2017, Zola expanded its services to offer wedding planning through Zola Weddings. The free service includes wedding websites, guest lists, RSVP tracking, and customizable checklists.[4] The company also introduced customized wedding invitations and save the dates in 2018.[5][6]
In October 2018, Crate & Barrel and Zola partnered to allow Zola users to register for over 3,500 Crate & Barrel products.[7][8] The company has received $140 million in funding, the most recent being $100 million in 2018.[9][10]
In January 2019, Zola opened its first brick-and-mortar location, a pop-up shop in the Flatiron District of New York City.[11][12]
The company was valued at $600 million in February 2019; a The New York Times article from that year noted that Zola was "one of three companies on the list of potential next unicorns that have been fueled by millennials' spending."[13][14]
In June 2022, co-founder Nobu Nakaguchi was appointed as chief design officer.[15]
In April 2024, Zola announced an artificial intelligence tool designed to help couples split wedding planning chores fairly.[16]
Zola launched its “The Wedding of the Year” brand campaign in December 2025.[17] A study conducted by Zola, which surveyed 11,500 couples, found that 84% of weddings would cost more in 2026 compared to two years ago because of the economy or tariffs.[18]
Services
Registry
According to Business Insider, some aspects of the Zola registry, include: the ability to aggregate gifts from multiple websites; a clean user interface; selection of delivery time and location for each respective gift; simple logging of thank-you cards; experiential gifts, such as Airbnb and group gifting.[19] However, the registry lacks a physical retail space, making shipping costs for large gifts expensive. In addition to traditional gift registry options, Zola has a feature for cash giving that allows users to set up funds of their choice.[20]
In 2019, Vox wrote, "Registries may be adapting, but there’s no indication that they’re going anywhere..." citing Zola as a major source of change in the wedding registry space.[21]
In 2020, Zola added the option to send Change the Dates to guests, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22][23]
AI
Zola has integrated artificial intelligence into its platform to assist couples with wedding logistics. In 2024, it added two AI programs: Split the Decisions, which helps couples divide wedding planning responsibilities, and a thank-you note generator tool available as a mobile app.[24][25]
Other Services
- Wedding Website
- Guest List Planning
- Wedding Attire
- Decor & Favors
- Hotel Blocks
- Wedding Vendors