Wedding · reception · corkage
Corkage: is bringing your own wine worth it?
The venue charges a fee per bottle opened if you bring your own. Is it worth it? It depends on three prices, and the break-even point takes ten seconds to work out. The answer may be “take the venue's wine”.
The calculation
Prices incl. VAT, per 75 cl bottle. Compare like with like: the wine the venue would offer you instead of yours, not its entry-level wine.
What to negotiate before you sign
- The fee applies to bottles opened, not bottles brought. Otherwise you pay a fee on cases that leave unopened. Get it in writing.
- Sparkling often has its own rate. A fee of €8 for wine and €15 for champagne is not unusual. Ask for both figures.
- Service and glassware. Does the fee cover service, chilling and glasses? If you have to hire the flutes separately, add them to the calculation.
- Storage. Delivering 100 bottles the day before takes up cold space. Some venues charge for it, others refuse delivery before the day itself.
- A fee per person also exists. When it's worded “per guest”, convert it: €5 per guest for 100 guests, with one bottle per head, comes to €5 per bottle. Often cheaper, sometimes more expensive.
How much is a corkage fee in France?
Between €3 and €15 per bottle at most venues, estates and restaurants that accept it. Under €5, it's a goodwill gesture; above €12, the venue is politely telling you it would rather sell its own wine. Champagne is negotiated separately, often at double.
At what price does bringing your own wine pay off?
When your purchase price plus the fee stays below the venue's price. With an €8 fee and a bottle at €22 on the list, you come out ahead as long as you buy for under €14. The calculator shows this threshold on your figures. To know how many bottles to put in the calculation, go first to how many bottles.
When should you take the venue's wine?
When the difference is small and the logistics aren't worth the trouble: delivery, storage, taking away the leftovers, discussing the fee. A difference under 5% is no difference. And if the venue or the caterer already works with a wine merchant, ask for their price before deciding: it's sometimes the same bottle.
Is corkage legal?
Yes. It's a service priced freely, like the hire of the venue. It must appear in the contract, with its unit. What isn't acceptable is adding it after signing or applying it to bottles you didn't have opened.
And the rest of the wedding?
Corkage is just one line in the budget. The wedding wine page does the full calculation: drinks reception, meal, party, budget per guest.