Everything You Need to Know About Champagne Towers for Your Wedding
Want to have a champagne tower at your wedding? Here's everything you need to know, from how to build it to how many bottles of champagne you'll need
If you’re planning a glamorous affair, then the wedding trend for champagne towers at weddings might just add the sparkle you are looking for.
Not only will this feature ensure your reception has a pop of luxury, but it’ll create a memorable focal point for your guests, and offers a brilliant photo opportunity too. Plus, who doesn’t love champagne?
Champagne towers have that Gatsby-inspired vibe that looks undeniably cool and chic – there’s probably no better way to serve up your fizz. “Nowadays I’m finding that couples want an interactive and ‘fun’ unique element added into their wedding. Something a little unexpected that isn’t too complicated,” says Poppy of Poppy Sienna Events.
“A lot of my couples are choosing this instead of a cake cutting moment as they always mention that cakes are very much a ‘been there, done that’ and opt for a champagne tower moment and then a dessert table instead. I also find that couples adore the photos that come from a ‘champagne tower shot’, the glamour, the movement, the emotions captured in these photos are timeless.”
Everything You Need to Know About Having a Champagne Tower at Your Wedding
Are Champagne Towers a Good Idea?
Yes! A champagne tower at your wedding is a sure-fire way to create a spectacle – so, if you want something memorable and enjoyable (and delicious), then serving your bubbly in this extravagant way will certainly make an amazing experience for you and your guests to enjoy.
But how easy is it to incorporate into your big day reception? “I’d say it’s very easy to incorporate into your reception. There are a couple of ways that I like to do this,” says Poppy. “Either have it as a feature throughout the reception in pride of place, like a cake would be. Or, bring it out, again how a cake sometimes is, and make it part of your timeline on your wedding day and have an announcement to gather guests around to watch the ‘pour’!"
How Many Glasses Do You Need for a Champagne Tower?
You don’t have to have hundreds of glasses to create an impressive champagne tower – but there are lots of factors to take into consideration.
Firstly – how high is the table you are going to place the tower on? You don’t want the glasses to end up being so tall that you (or your planner/drinks team) cannot reach the top for the pour. So, work out your table height, then measure your chosen glassware and work out how many levels you can comfortably access.
The easiest way to assess how many glasses you need is to work in the decreasing tier system, built in squares. So, if your bottom layer comprises a square featuring six by six (36) glasses, the following layer will be five by five (49) glasses, above this four by four (16) and so on. If you want to avoid finishing on a single glass, a two by two square looks elegant… and is more stable. To work out how many bottles of champagne you need, there are usually six glasses per bottle, but to account for overflow, calculate the total using five glasses per bottle.
If you are sourcing your own glasses, you must ensure that you are selecting glasses that are all exactly the same. If you choose glasses of various heights and dimensions, your tower won’t be stable – and it’ll be easier to topple over, which is probably not the kind of spectacle you are looking for! A top tip is to look out for wider, more open styles of couple glasses – they have more surface area so are easier to build with.
If you don’t want to buy the glasses, you can either speak to your caterer or bar team to see if they have a hire option, or use a specialists glass hire firm. Many venues will have a list of recommended suppliers for this type of thing, or if you are using an event organiser or wedding planner, they will be able to take all the hard work out of it for you.
How Do You Make a Champagne Tower?
Poppy tells us that the process of creating a champagne tower isn’t too complicated – it’s easier than it looks! “Practise in advance of your wedding if you are doing it yourself,” she says. “Otherwise your planner/caterer can do this for you. Just make sure you know how big you’d like your tower and ensure you have enough glasses!”
Essentially, all you need is a sturdy table, glasses and bottles of fizz. It’s wise to have at least a handful of ‘spare’ glasses just in case.
Work out whether you want every guest to be able to have a glass from the tower, or are you happy for some to be served from trays? Think about how many tiers would you ideally like to have. Six to eight layers is the traditional number, but anything from four or five tiers can look amazing, especially if the table and surroundings are styled well (plus the smaller your champagne tower is, the simpler it is to build).
Start by laying out the glasses in a six by six square (for example). Make sure that the edges of each glass touches, which will leave you with a little diamond of space between each glass. Use these diamond spaces as a guide, and place the next layer of glasses on top of these for an even formation. And then repeat the process until you reach the top – then all you need to do is slowly start pouring. Talking of the pour, Poppy has a top tip: “It’s sometimes a good idea to pour a bit of champagne in every glass pre the official champagne tower pour – it just means that the glasses fill up/overflow quicker.”
How to Capture the Perfect Champagne Tower Photo
Of course, some shots of the champagne tower on its own at your reception will be impressive enough, but there are a few guidelines to give your photographer to make sure you make the most of your amazing centrepiece. It’ll be fun to get some shots of the champagne bottles lined up ready to be poured, and of course of the couple waiting eagerly to pour.
“The pour is the most important shot,” says Poppy. “But I always love a champagne spray too before/after the champagne has been poured. It’s another fun shot that you and your guests will love! It’s always nice to get some shots before and after the champagne is poured and the ‘first sip of champagne’ as a married couple, too.”
Getting the pictures perfect is all down to how the champagne tower is styled, too. Florals offer a lovely backdrop, and anything else that suits the theme of timeless, classy and glamorous. “If it is beautiful weather, I always like to do a champagne tower outside with a lovely natural backdrop.”
Want some more glassware ideas? Check out these sparkling ideas…
Best Glasses for a Champagne Tower
Sällskaplig Champagne - £10, IKEA
Gorgeous glasses don’t have to come with hefty price tag – these patterned glasses are a timeless choice. Available in a pack of four, the Sällskaplig Champagne glasses are 14cm tall with a lovely wide base that’s ideal for towers!
Gold Rim Glasses - £17, Habitat
An extra touch of luxury, we adore this glamorous set of four glasses. This is the ideal glassware to add that glitzy touch to your Champagne tower. The Gold Rim Glasses will ensure guests will be sipping champers in style!
Wedding Champagne Tower Kit - £50, Next
With extra tall stems and slim coupe cups, this kit of 12 glasses is a gorgeous mini-tower idea for your wedding. Each glass in the Wedding Champagne Tower Kit is 16cm tall, making it easy to create a tall and impressive feature.
230ml America '20s Champagne Cocktail Saucers - £20.99, Rinkit
Gatsby vibes come as standard with this set of prohibition-chic coupe glasses. Available in a set of six, they are great value too – your guests and pockets will adore this choice!
Lead Free Crystal Cocktail Coupette Glasses - £21.06, Wayfair
An elegant and fuss-free choice, these glasses would suit a pared-back chic arrangement. The set of four glasses are 17cm tall, so you can easily build up an impressive height.
Champagne Flute Stand - From £175, Etsy
Embrace something different with this showstopping spiral Champagne tower. Made from clear acrylic, it's expertly designed for traditional Champagne flutes which will not only sure the bubbles last longer but keep the pour fresh in your guests' minds long after the final toast.
All sorted on the champagne tower for your wedding? Now check out more than 90 unusual wedding entertainment ideas your guests will adore!
