What is a wedding corkage fee?
What is a wedding corkage fee?
A corkage fee is commonly charged by the bottle at many wedding venues & hotels for any alcohol to be provided by the person and not the establishment. This enables you to bring in a selection of your desired drinks at no cost, thus ensuring that you can enjoy a favourite wine on your big day.
Why do wedding venues charge corkage?
(Despite the misleading title, corkage actually has nothing to do with the cork in the bottle!) The corkage fee is a service charge applied for chilling/storing bottles in advance, staff serving the wine, use of the venue’s glassware, potential breakages, disposal of glass bottles and VAT.
What is a corkage price?
Corkage is a service charge that is levied by venues for opening and serving bottles of wine, sparkling wine, champagne and even spirits that are bought externally by customers with the intention of consuming them on site. Some venues charge per head but most will charge per bottle opened on site.
How much does wine cost for wedding?
Sommeliers say that couples spend, on average, $25 to $70 per bottle. Based on 100 guests, a couple would need to provide around 140 bottles for a 60-minute cocktail hour and five-hour dinner and dance party. This would put the wine bill at between $3,500 and $9,800, before adding in other bar costs.
How can corkage fees be avoided?
Consider one restaurant that waives its corkage fee on “Wine Wednesdays.” Another restaurant waives corkage fees on American wines and charges it for all others. Another instance where you might waive the corkage fee is if a customer brings in a very special bottle of wine and shares it with you.
How much should I budget for alcohol at my wedding?
To start, a good rule of thumb is to assume the average guest will consume two drinks during the first hour and then one drink for each hour thereafter. The cost of an average open bar at a wedding can account for 10 – 20% of the wedding budget.
How much alcohol do you need for 100 guests?
How much alcohol do you need for 100 guests? For a 4 hour party with 100 guests, you will need approximately 400 drinks: 160 beers, 144 glasses of wine (29 bottles) and enough for 96 individual cocktails (amounts will depend upon what type of cocktail you serve). If you aren’t serving wine, plan on 240 cocktails.
What is a corkage fee?
Corkage fees are generally there to help pay for the staff who will pour the wine, glassware costs (breakage and such) and a portion of the liquor liability insurance. Corkage for my daughters wedding was slated to be $560…the week of the wedding, the Food & Beverage Manager decided to waive the fee for us!
How much to charge for corking at a bar?
Most wine bars in my area only charge $2-3. The caterer has no right to be charging a corking fee if they are not corking, nor providing the wine. You need to look over your contract with your caterer, or find a new one.
Can a caterer charge a corking fee without providing the wine?
The caterer has no right to be charging a corking fee if they are not corking, nor providing the wine. You need to look over your contract with your caterer, or find a new one. Have them remove this fee from all services, since the venue is charging it.
