What Exactly Is Corkage?
Corkage is a service fee charged by venues for opening and serving bottles of wine, sparkling wine, champagne, and even spirits purchased elsewhere but intended to be consumed on the premises.
Many locations across the UK provide corkage as a service, which is a little-known fact. However, only a small percentage will actively push or offer this service to their clients and customers. And it’s easy to understand why…
Naturally, corkage fees differ from one wedding location to the next. Some places charge per person, although the majority charge per bottle opened on the premises. On average, the charge for a bottle of wine will be £12.00-£15.00, £15.00-£20.00 for a bottle of Cava or Prosecco, and £20.00-£35.00 for a bottle of champagne. The cost of a bottle of spirits will be between £40.00 and £60.00.
These prices may appear to be excessive, but with some smart preparation and excellent sourcing, you can usually save hundreds of pounds on your drinks bill! And that’s wonderful news for a lot of couples who are having trouble managing their finances.
Why People Use No Corkage At Their Wedding
You can get a great bottle of Cava or Prosecco for £8.00 or an award-winning bottle of Champagne for £12.00 if you buy it from one of the high-street supermarkets. A decent bottle of wine can be had for as low as £4.00.
Many wedding venues charge between £20.00 and £25.00 for a house bottle of wine, £30.00 to £40.00 for a bottle of house sparkling wine, and £65.00 to £65.00 for a bottle of house champagne.
Now it’s time to get down to business…
Let’s imagine you’re having a wedding with 100 guests and you’ve calculated that you’ll need a typical 1/2 bottle of Champagne and 1/2 bottle of wine per person (two glasses for the reception and one for the toast). There are 50 bottles of champagne and 50 bottles of wine in all.
Costings With No Corkage
50 bottles of the venue’s cheapest house Champagne, priced at £60.00, will set you back £3,000.00, while 50 bottles of the venue’s cheapest house wine, priced at £20.00, will set you back £1,000.00.
The total cost of drinks with corkage at the venue is £4,000.00.
50 bottles of personally sourced, award-winning £12.00 Champagne will set you back £600.00, while 50 bottles of your preferred wine will set you back £200.00. With corkage fees of £20.00 per bottle for Champagne and £12.00 for wine, the total service charge for Champagne will be £1,000.00 and £600.00 for wine.
The total beverages bill, with no corkage, is £2,400.00.
Conclusion
It is evident that when you use the no corkage option, you can make significant savings! And not only that, the drinks you will be serving your guests are completely your choice, and the leftovers are yours to take home with you.
