What is a champagne tower, and how does it actually work?
By Samantha · Silverwood Station · Updated June 2026 · 5 min read
A champagne tower is a pyramid of coupe glasses stacked in tiers and filled from the very top, so the champagne cascades down and fills every glass. It is a showpiece moment for weddings and parties, equal parts drink and entertainment. Our tower stands four tiers high with 22 glasses.
The magic is in the stack and the pour. Wide, shallow coupe glasses are arranged in a pyramid, and champagne poured steadily into the top glass overflows evenly down each tier until the whole tower is full.
What is a champagne tower?
A champagne tower is a tiered pyramid of glasses, traditionally built with coupes, the wide and shallow style rather than tall flutes. The glasses are stacked so the rims touch, which lets liquid flow from one layer to the next. Poured from the top, the champagne fills the peak glass first, spills over its edges into the four glasses beneath, and keeps cascading until every glass on every tier is full. It has been a celebration centrepiece since the roaring twenties, and it still stops a room today.
How does the pour actually work?
Gravity does the work, but a steady hand sells it. You pour slowly and continuously into the top glass, letting it overflow rather than rushing it. The wide rim of a coupe is what makes the cascade possible, since a flute is too narrow to spill evenly. Done well, the champagne sheets down the tiers in a clean waterfall while guests watch, which is exactly why it works so well as a toast or an entrance moment. Our team handles the build and the pour, so it looks effortless and nothing topples.
How many glasses and bottles do you need?
Our tower is four tiers and 22 coupe glasses, which is the sweet spot: tall enough for a dramatic cascade, stable enough to serve from safely. For the fizz, plan for roughly three to four bottles to fill the tower during the pour, since a standard 750ml bottle fills about six to eight coupes to tower level. Add a bottle or two more if you want to keep topping glasses up for guests afterwards. To size the rest of the bar around the tower, see our guide to how many cocktails per guest to plan.
When does a champagne tower work best?
It shines at moments that deserve a spectacle: the wedding reception entrance, the toast, a milestone birthday, an engagement, or New Year's Eve. It is as much a photo opportunity as a drink, so it pairs naturally with a photographer capturing the pour. It also gives guests a shared moment to gather around, which lifts the energy right at the start of an event.
How much does a champagne tower cost to hire?
We offer the tower three ways, so you can bring your own fizz or let us handle everything.
| Option | What's included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| BYO tower | Tower, glasses, build and pour. You supply the fizz. | $350 |
| Champagne tower | Tower plus champagne, fully supplied by us. | $750 |
| Cocktail tower | Tower plus a margarita or espresso martini instead of champagne. | $850 |
You can see the tower alongside our other options on the services page.
Champagne tower or cocktail tower?
If your crowd loves the theatre but not the champagne, we build the same tower with a cocktail instead, either a margarita or an espresso martini cascading down the tiers. It is the same showpiece moment with a different pour, and it tends to be a talking point precisely because guests do not expect it.