Most couples who get engaged over Christmas work out, somewhere in January, that 2027 is too soon. The venue they want is gone, the summer Saturdays are gone, and planning a wedding in six months while working full time is nobody's idea of fun. So they land on 2028, which feels like a long way off.
From where I sit, it is not. We are already holding 2028 dates. The popular venues in the Cotswolds, Sussex and the Home Counties book 18 to 24 months out for peak Saturdays, which means a June 2028 wedding is being booked right now. Here is how to use the time well.
Winter 2026 to 2027: The Three Big Decisions
Everything else waits on these.
- Season and rough guest count. Summer Saturday, autumn Friday, winter midweek? Eighty people or one hundred and eighty? These two numbers set the budget and the venue list, and they are the only decisions you cannot outsource
- Budget, honestly. Total, and who is paying for what. Have the awkward conversation in January, not in a venue office with a contract on the table
- Venue. Book viewings now. For a summer 2028 Saturday you are already at the 18-month mark. Ask every venue the one question that changes everything else: do we have to use your caterer?
Spring 2027: The One-a-Day Suppliers
Some suppliers can do several weddings a day. Some can do exactly one. Book the second kind first, because when their date is gone, it is gone.
- Caterer. 12 to 18 months out for anything over a hundred guests, earlier for a peak Saturday. We hold one wedding a day; a good caterer will hold a date for you while the venue confirms. I have written about how early is early and the answer for 2028 is "about now"
- Photographer. Same logic, same window
- Band or DJ, if music matters to you
- Celebrant or registrar. Give notice with the register office in good time; it is a legal step with its own timetable
Summer and Autumn 2027: The Shape of the Day
With the date, venue and food settled, this is when the day takes shape and there is no rush.
- Tastings. Ours happen about a year out, and this is the point to go with a list of questions
- Dress, suits, rings. Allow six months for anything made to order
- Florist, cake, stationery, transport, hair and make-up
- Save the dates out by the end of summer 2027 for a summer 2028 wedding, earlier if people are travelling
- Guest accommodation, if the venue is remote. Block-book rooms before the invitations go
Winter 2027 to 2028: Invitations and Numbers
Invitations out four to five months ahead, with a reply date six weeks before the day. That gives you a real guest number for the caterer, the venue and the seating plan, rather than a guess. Finalise the menu now. Decide on the children's food and timing. Confirm the evening food.
The Last Three Months
- Final numbers and dietary requirements to the caterer at six weeks
- Timeline for the day shared with every supplier at four weeks. Ours includes when the fire is lit, which is earlier than you think
- Site visit with the caterer and the marquee company if it is a field wedding
- Final payments, seating plan, a run-through with whoever is coordinating the day
- Then stop. The last fortnight is for doing nothing useful
The couples who enjoy the planning are the ones who make three decisions fast in the first two months and then let the rest arrive slowly. The ones who struggle try to make forty decisions in January and find the venue went while they were choosing napkins.
- Cai
A Word on 2028 Prices
Most suppliers, including us, quote at today's prices for a booking made today, and hold them. Booking early is not just about the date. It is the cheapest the wedding will ever be.
If 2028 is your year and you want to know what a fire feast would look like for your numbers, get in touch. We will hold the date while you sort the rest.
Founder & Head Chef
Cai Ap Bryn
Eat Game Awards 2024 and 2025 Winner, PDS 1 & 2 qualified deer stalker, and the fire behind Game and Flames. Cai has been cooking wild game over open flames since 2016, catering weddings, events, and festivals across the UK.
