corking fee

This means we are paying for a corking fee twice, once from our venue and once by our caterer (who won't be corking our wine). the venue is the only one in town that will hold the amount of guests we have so we can't really find another venue in our town and they didn't seem to eager to change they're policy on the wine. so for our 220 guest we are looking at $400 just in corking fees. that isn't even the price of wine. and the stupid part is our venue is only $350 to rent. my fh is super stressed about it. i told him we have 14 months to figure it all out but it's just a bit disheartening this being our first weekend of really getting out there and getting wedding stuff started and already we've hit a brick wall.

How can your caterer charge a corkage fee if he is not corking it?

Also, corking fees are for when you bring in an outside wine, not when you buy the house wine from the venue. Something is not right here....

The caterer includes it in their plate amount. the venue said if we want for ex. 2 bottles of wine on each table we have to pay $5 per bottle extra for the wine to be open on the table. i know stupid as hell. i'm not upset with the caterer by any means its the venue.

Would it be easier to have a bartender serving the wine? You could have a list of the available wines on the bar.

That is the strangest thing I've ever heard. Anyway you can buy it yourself and have the caterer deduct that from your menu? I mean, if you will end up paying twice then maybe trying to avoid the caterer.

My venue is charging $10 p/bottle but when I asked if they served apple cider ... of course they do not!! Just some dumb venues.

Personally, I think you are getting screwed on both ends here.

The venue can be instructed to purchase a certain 'brand' of wine, and you buy the wine from them. There may be a small markup, but you can have your own wine. They have a right to charge a corking fee for the wine you purchase from them. I do think a $5/bottle corking fee is pretty high though. 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. Have them remove this fee from all services, since the venue is charging it.

My fh wants it on the tables with dinner for toasts and says he's never been at a wedding where they didn't have wine and he wasn't about to be the first. i really could care less i'm not much of a wine drinker. i was thinking about just having sparking cider or something and solve the whole damn thing that way but fh doesn't ask for much when it comes to the wedding so i will grin my teeth and deal with the stress of the wine i guess. gesh what we don't do for love i tell ya. lol

Our corkage fees were $15/bottle, and we brought in outside wine for each table.

I still don't see how the caterer has a right to a corkage fee.

The funny thing is we aren't even having it in a high class resort or anything we are having it at the local curling arena (of course the ice will be out at that time). with the caterer it's a flat rate wine or no wine. i guess you could say if you have wine it's a free bonus i really shouldn't have said we were being charged twice it's just why pay the venue the corking fee when caterer will do it and it's included in their fee. if that makes sense.

I don't see it either, I mean.. it would be like the baker charging for cutting the cake when in reality they are not doing it.

I'd talk to your caterer. That fee should be negotiable, especially if the venue is charging it as well.

The venue's corking fee may exist to help them cover their insurance liability, when alcohol is allowed at events annual liability rates increase significantly.

Does the venue have a liquor license? If not, they would not be able to purchase wine and it would have to come from the caterer (under their license.)

The caterer should NOT be charging you a corkage fee. They should simply mark the wine up to the amount that they need to make their profit and expenses.

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! Very cool!

*Our venue has a liquor license (please keep in mind I live in Ontario Canada so it's different everywhere) they want us to buy the wine from them, have it placed on the tables at dinner and charge us $5 for each bottle that is on the table just for the corking fee.

*Our caterer has informed us that included in our dinner package would be the corking for any wine that we brought into the wedding ourselves.

*We wanted to make our own wine. Pay the $50 to have our own "liquor license" to serve wine at our dinner and have the caterer cork it for us at no extra charge (because they include that in their duties for a function if it is needed)

It's all a pain in the ass. Just put a bottle of Jack Daniels at the head table and let the rest of the guests drink water for all I care.

I know we have a LL were i work part time and we can loose it if we allow outsdie alcohol in...some stupid rule

It has nothing to do with their liquor license being compromised, their bar would be closed as long as the wine is on the tables. that's why we would need our own liquor license which is stupid. if i were to invite friends over for dinner and choose to serve wine for dinner i wouldn't need a liquor license I understand our wedding isn't at our home but we aren't charging people to drink the wine or to come to the wedding it doesn't make sense. the venue isn't worried about not making enough off their bar. it's only one hour their bar would need to be closed.

OK- here's the deal from what I'm reading. Your caterer is charging a corking fee for wine you purchase and bring in. You're technically not purchasing the wine- the venue is! It's the same as your guests ordering from the bar.

However, as a non-wine drinker (it gives me horrible headaches)- I'd suggest having the bar open during that time as well for people who don't care for wine.

Yes the venue won't allow us to purchase our own wine to bring in. the bar will be open through dinner. this is the reason they have changed their rules about bringing in your own wine is because they don't want to have to lose money on closing the bar for an hour.