Seasonal planning: when to open bookings for 2027 and why sooner than you think

In October 2025, one venue owner in central Prague told me that their May 2026 bookings were at 87 per cent. Another, in a smaller town, had only 22 per cent occupancy. The difference? The first opened bookings in January 2025, while the second waited until April.

The wedding season is not a chaotic coincidence. It is a business cycle. If you have it poorly timed, you will lose tens of thousands on margin due to list prices and negotiated discounts.

Basic mathematics

My own data from 2025 shows the average behaviour of enquiring couples:

• 10-14 months before the wedding: couples are calling venues but have not yet decided. You will receive 3-4 times more enquiries than actual bookings.
• 6-9 months in advance: decisions are made. This is when the first firm reservations come in. This is your most common scenario.
• 4-6 months in advance: only the best dates remain. You can push prices up.

If you open your calendar for 2027 only in January, you will miss out on victims from the second wave (March to April enquiries). The first 30% of enquiries that arrive in December and January will go to your competitors.

Strategy: Open bookings for the full year every September of the preceding year. So for 2027 = September 2026.

Why September?

1. Autumn planning. Couples return from their holidays and start thinking about next year. If they cannot book with you, they will go elsewhere.

2. Competitive pressure. The three biggest competitors in your region already have their calendars open. If yours is not, fifty potential enquiries will automatically call them instead.

3. Price psychology. If you open your calendar in October, you see the competition. When prices drop below your optimum, “last minute” deals become the norm. If you open in September, you have three months before discounts start.

Opening Strategy

One week before the official opening:

• Send an email to all old enquiries from last year (2025-2026 archive) who did not book themselves. Subject line: “Dates for spring 2027 are now online. Your favourite hall is available.”
• Update prices on the website. Increase them by 8-12% compared to the previous year. Couples do not require a transparent explanation; everyone will raise prices in September 2026.
• Photograph the current state of the hall and update the availability calendar (if you have a website).

First week:

• Increased traffic on social media? Post: “The 2027 season is starting. Already 15 dates booked.” (This does not need to be true, but it works psychologically and you must have your calendar filled by 20-30% in the first week.)

Second month (October):

• Targeted emails to interested parties who requested a price list but did not book during the summer. “Only 6 Saturdays left in May. Do we have a booking?”

What to do with “leftover” dates

Are Wednesday evenings in February 2027 still available? Do not raise prices; push them down instead.

• Fridays in February = −20 % early-bird discount (valid only in February, until the end of the month).
• Wednesdays: −30 % + complimentary aperitif for 50 guests (non-stop entertainment, appealing to business owners looking for team-building events).
• Sundays: suitable for couples seeking a quieter day away from weekend crowds. +15 % price, but you now have someone to send there.

There is no such thing as a price that will not sell. It is all about timing and targeting.

Check: Are you on track?

Open your calendar for 2027:

• By 30 September 2026, your calendar is online, at least on your website or via email.
• By 15 December 2026, at least 20% of your dates are booked.
• By 28 February 2027, 50% of the summer season is reserved.

If not, you have an issue with your offer (price too high), competition (website not visible) or process (couples cannot easily book with you).

Svatbio monitors this automatically for you. In the report, you can see when inquiries arrive, where couples drop off (page view versus booking versus payment) and what the average length of the sales cycle is among your clients. Then simply time the opening of your calendar correctly and you will be surprised by how many more bookings you receive.

Plan ahead and let profits surprise you.

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