The Knot Editorial Policy

About The Knot Editorial

Who we are, what we do and how we do it.

Our Team

As one of the nation's leading multiplatform wedding resources, The Knot offers a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding local vendors to creating and managing your wedding registry or website to serving up the freshest wedding ideas and inspiration. 

The Knot's Editorial Team is the crew behind that last part: The ideas and inspiration. We're a small team of editors, writers and content strategists all working in tandem to deliver couples the most reliable and helpful information to guide them through their planning journey. From that oh-so-special proposal moment to your "I dos" to crafting your newlywed life together, consider us your guide (or BFF, or expert MOH/BM — whatever you prefer).

There are a number of important editorial policies that are critical to how we craft content (and we dive into all that a little further down the page) but there's one guiding principle that stands above: We support all couples. Whoever you are, whatever you believe in, whomever you love, you are welcome here and we're here to serve and support you.

Editors

Learn more about the people behind the bylines below. To make sure you don't miss any of the awesome content coming from this team, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Lauren Kay the knot wedding expert
Lauren Kay
Executive Editor, The Knot + The Bump
  • Lauren manages, writes and contributes to the strategy of The Knot’s print editorial content.
  • Lauren oversees The Bump’s editorial strategy and execution.
  • Lauren has a degree in magazine journalism and lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
marykate callahan the knot
MaryKate Callahan
Director, Content Strategy
  • MaryKate oversees The Knot’s affiliate and e-commerce content strategy
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, MaryKate worked as a copywriter for a boutique ad agency
  • MaryKate has a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Communications from Fairfield University
Esther Lee - Deputy Editor, The Knot
Esther Lee
Deputy Editor
  • Esther is the Deputy Editor of The Knot. She currently leads all content on The Knot Wellness, focusing on financial, relationship, and mental wellbeing.
  • She oversees The Knot's travel vertical (honeymoons, destination weddings, bach parties), as well as overarching features and trends.
  • She proudly serves on the Advisory Council of VOW For Girls, focusing on ending the injustice of child marriage around the world.
kim forrest the knot
Kim Forrest
Senior Editor
  • Kim writes and edits articles for The Knot Worldwide, specializing in etiquette and planning advice
  • Kim manages freelance writers for The Knot Worldwide
  • Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Kim was Associate Bridal Editor at Washingtonian magazine and Associate Fashion Editor at Conde Nast’s Brides Local magazines
Hannah Nowack The Knot Senior Weddings Editor
Hannah Nowack
Senior Editor
  • Hannah writes and edits articles for The Knot Worldwide, with a focus on real wedding coverage.
  • Hannah has a passion for DE&I and plays an integral role in ensuring The Knot content highlights all voices and all love stories.
  • Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Hannah was the Social Media Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings.
Naomi Rougeau
Naomi Rougeau
Senior Fashion and Beauty Editor
  • Naomi writes and edits articles for The Knot Worldwide, specializing in fashion, jewelry, and beauty.
  • She brings over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and creative consultant.
  • Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Naomi was the senior fashion features editor at ELLE Magazine, where she also oversaw the publication's living and travel sections.
Emily Platt - The Knot Senior Manager, Commerce Content Strategy
Emily Platt
Senior Manager, Commerce Content Strategy
  • Emily is a strategist and editor who specializes in shopping content
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Emily wrote for Martha Stewart Weddings
  • Emily has a bachelor's degree from Vassar College
Samantha Iacia - The Knot wedding style expert
Samantha Iacia
Editor
  • Samantha writes articles for The Knot Worldwide, with a speciality in wedding decor, trends, and fashion
  • Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Samantha was a features and weddings contributor for The Baltimore Sun
  • She is based in Washington, D.C. and holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism
cathryn haight the knot
Cathryn Haight
Editor
  • Cathryn is an editor at The Knot, where she focuses on all things planning—from inspiration and design, to traditions, to invitations.
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Cathryn spent years as a food editor
  • Cathryn holds a bachelor's degree from Trinity College and a certificate in publishing from Columbia University
sarah hanlon entertainment and celebrity editor the knot
Sarah Hanlon
Entertainment & Celebrity Editor
  • Sarah is the Entertainment & Celebrity Editor for The Knot, with special focuses on pop culture and celebrity wedding news.
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Sarah was a contributing writer for Bravo at NBC Universal.
  • Sarah has a degree in journalism and resides in New York City.
lauren whalley headshot
Lauren Whalley
Fashion Editor, Beauty & Inclusivity
  • Lauren writes and edits articles for The Knot Worldwide, with a specialty in fashion, beauty and size inclusivity.
  • Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Lauren worked in wedding editorial for Brides, Style Me Pretty and Enaura Bridal.
  • Lauren studied public relations and advertising at the University of Central Florida.
tres dean Associate Menswear Editor
Tres Dean
Associate Menswear Editor
  • Tres writes and edits articles for The Knot, with a specialty in menswear and suiting.
  • He brings over a decade of expertise in the field garnered as a writer, editor, copywriter, and trend specialist.
  • Before joining The Knot he covered menswear for publications including GQ, AskMen, Men’s Health, Sharp Magazine, Highsnobiety, and Spy.
Naoimh O'Hare - The Knot Associate Commerce Editor
Naoimh O'Hare
Associate Commerce Editor
  • Naoimh writes articles for The Knot Worldwide, specializing in shoppable roundups from gift guides to wedding fashion
  • Before working on editorial content, Naoimh wrote storefront descriptions for some of The Knot Worldwide's many wedding vendors
  • Naoimh studied creative writing at the National University of Ireland, Galway
chapelle johnson the knot associate editor
Chapelle Johnson
Associate Editor
  • Chapelle writes articles for The Knot Worldwide. She covers all things wedding-related and has a personal interest in covering celebrity engagements and fashion.
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Chapelle was an editorial intern for Subvrt Magazine.
  • Chapelle has a degree in English writing from Loyola University New Orleans.
emily rumsey the knot editor
Emily Rumsey
Assistant Commerce Updates Editor
  • Emily helps maintain and update e-commerce content for The Knot
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Emily worked as a website editor and manager for The Paleo Diet®
  • Emily holds two bachelor's degrees in Journalism and International Affairs with a Chinese minor
sofia deeb headshot
Sofia Deeb
Assistant Fashion Commerce Editor
  • Sofia writes and edits articles for The Knot Worldwide with a specialty in fashion and e-commerce.
  • Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Sofia was a writer for Santa Barbara Life and Style Magazine.
  • Sofia studied cultural anthropology and journalism at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Editorial Policy

The Knot and our parent company The Knot Worldwide hold a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This extends to all of our couples regardless of gender, religion, race or sexual orientation. 

Especially in regards to race and specifically Black lives, we know that every article we publish is an opportunity to change unconscious bias, which is a result of years of systematic racism and oppression. We have the opportunity to influence and change perceptions and stereotypes through what people see and read. We want to change how the majority see the minority by elevating and celebrating Black and minority voices and stories in our content and our product. We are committed to long term sustainable change, so if you think we could be doing better, please share your thoughts and suggestions by emailing us at together@theknot.com.

We love being able to showcase a diverse range of couples and people through our Real Weddings. Interested in being featured? Learn how to submit your wedding for consideration.

Our team is proud of the work that we do for our couples every day. With each article we write, we adhere to journalistic ethics and standards. Whether we're digging into the latest safety guidelines for weddings amid COVID, or determining which old school etiquette rules you can finally throw out the window (like, ahem, one partner shouldering all the wedding costs), we're conducting the research, the expert interviews and doing our due diligence to serve you accurate, reliable and, most importantly, helpful information and inspiration that you can trust.

In the Press

The Knot editors have been featured in a number of media outlets, tapped for their wedding industry expertise and knowledge. Here are some more recent examples.

  • CNN | Man-made diamonds are the new engagement ring trend
    "Another factor fueling the preference for synthetic diamonds: They're less expensive than mined diamonds. They can cost as much as 30% less, said Shelley Brown, The Knot's senior fashion and beauty editor. Lab-made diamonds and other gemstones have pushed into the mainstream in the last four to five years, she noted."

Affiliate Disclosure

In some of our articles, we will include third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life's biggest moments. Purchases made through links on those pages may earn us a commission. Whenever you're on one of these articles, we'll be sure to let you know with a similarly worded disclosure at the top of the page.