eek I caused a 150 corkage fee last night wwyd

[alittlethyme]

Was at a wedding last night. Each of the tables we're named after a spirit and they had a bottle of whatever on the table. I was a bit tipsy and didn't know many people, so cracked open some whisky without noticing that it had a label on the other side saying drinking this would be a 150 fee. I only had a few mm and screwed the lid back on tightly after I realise d the fee.

One aibu to think 150 a bottle is a stupid amount?

Two should I go back to the hotel today sober to try and get a reduction in the fee as was barely touched?

Three should I pay whatever the charge is?

How can it be a "corkage" fee if the hotel doesn't even open and serve it. They are charging £150 to take a £15 bottle of whiskey from the shelf and "arrange" it on a table . The hotel are utter wankers for having something like this available and your hosts are utter muppets for agreeing. Is it £150 per bottle or £150 even if you went through every bottle in the room?

at Boom!

I honestly don't know what I'd do. It's such a lot of money. In reality I'd prob pay to avoid the b&g paying. But I'd forever be annoyed with them about it!

I think that's utterly ridiculous.

Let the, very stupid, Bride & Groom sort that one out with the hotel.

I have to agree with Jackie that this is really the stupidity of the bride and groom, as at least one person doing what you did was almost inevitable.

I don't think it's at all comparable with Dayglo's example, where it would have been entirely apparent to anybody that they were taking the mickey.

Allthetyme, did the b & g bring the bottles for decoration and will be taking them away again? You may be lucky and the hotel won't notice that one bottle is open and charge the corkage?

If the hotel took it off the table, I don't think they could have spotted it was open. Surely they would have left it on the table if it were opened for you to finish drinking. I think you have dodged this one!

That's really odd.

Frankly, I would just pretend I'd never seen the label - I bet other people did the same. It wouldn't even occur to me to check.

The hotel didn't provide the whiskey so the corkage is 150 because it's potentially:-

1litre bottle has 40 25ml servings. That's 40 times the price of a grouse, say 3quid so 120pounds lost from the bar.

The hotel do it as otherwise everyone would put alcohol on the table and the bar would make nothing all night. It's the same reason as why you can't bring in your own bottle.

The B&G obviously don't rate you A list or you'd have Ben on the Gin table. Stupid idea for table decorations. Any booze within a 5 mile radius of outer wedding would have been unsafe with DH's friends.

I'd expect the corkage fee not to be per bottle but for the whole event? And if the bride and groom didn't want them to be opened then they should have told everyone. I think they would have already paid the £150 as part of their fees so won't be costing them extra. And surely the bride and groom brought the bottles with them as that's what the purpose of corkage is.

So the whiskey belonged to the bride and groom. The hotel charged you if you opened it and had a sip.

I don't understand. It didn't belong to the hotel and they did not open it and presumably the bride and groom took it all home anyway if all the bottles belonged to them.

Why would they be charging you for a sip of whiskey?

I understand corkage but this is not really corkage.

let the B&G sort it...how ostentatious and Weddingzilla of the pair of them.

It will be a valuable life lesson.

Been and our, not Ben and outer ffs

That was the worse wedding reception idea of all time.

Can't blame the venue for charging corkage, they want to make a profit on their own booze. The bride and groom should have run a mile from the idea once it became OBVIOUS that guests would be (tipsily) opening their "table decorations" without noticing the corkage warning label.

I doubt the hotel even noticed. They would be massive wankers if they actually levy the charge.

Maybe the bride and groom put the labels on hoping to recover some of the money they'd paid for the reception? Did it say who to pay?

Ok, stupid suggestion - but no more stupid than putting un drinkable drinks on a table at a wedding reception.

I'd only own up if questioned. If they didn't notice there's nothing to say they won't accept payment if you own up.

I have never heard anything so ridiculous. If drinks are put on the table at a wedding they should be free for the guests to enjoy.

Why on earth didn't they use empty bottles and fill them with cold tea or something? Or better yet, have a normal centrepiece.

I doubt that the hotel will have noticed. They perhaps just put the note on to stop people drinking the whisky instead of the hotel alcohol and it seems to have (mostly) worked if you were the only one to open the bottle. I wouldn't say anything. If the bride and groom do have to pay it's their own fault as they chose the centre piece and didn't warn people not to drink from it.

Add me to the chorus of 'what a fucking stupid idea'.

If the b&g really did not want to pay this cargo they could have:
A) not agreed to it in the first idea
B) filled bottles with coloured liquid for decorative purposes
C) taped the top of the bottles so they couldn't be easily opened
D) advised all guests before not yo imbibe the table decorations as repute doors ring as bottles if alcohol that were there to be drunk, they were actually no such thing.

This was always going to happen. Always.

I'd say it was an honest mistake and and leave it....surely the B&G would have had to expect to pay that fee for most, if not all, tables! It's their problem, not yours.

I'm sorry but hahahahaha - very silly of the b&g!

'Repute doors ring' = 'despite appearing'. Obviously.