How to Make a Wedding Champagne Tower

A champagne tower is top of the list when it comes to adding elegance and luxury to a wedding, and constructing one is easier than it seems. Here's everything you need to know to plan, build and pour a breathtaking champagne glass tower.

Step one: Determine how many glasses you'll need for your champagne tower

The number of glasses you'll need depends on how many tiers you desire (or the size of the tower). Many soon-to-be-married couples base this on the number of guests expected to attend, but there are no set rules; the size of your champagne tower is completely up to you.

Once you've decided how many tiers you'd like, you can determine how many champagne glasses you need for your tower using a bit of light math. There's one glass on the top (1x1=1) and four on the next tier (2x2=4). From here, keep adding levels that are one number bigger, multiplied by itself (3x3, 4x4, 5x5), until you reach the tier height you desire. Next, add up the number of glasses for each level to determine how many glasses you need.

Step two: Choose the right glass

The optimal glass for a champagne tower is a champagne coupe as it offers a sturdy frame and width. At Waterford, we have an extensive range of beautifully crafted crystal Champagne Coupe Glasses that provide an unmatched elegance.

Specially designed to deliver luxury and excellence, Waterford's expert craftsmanship is cut deeper for a lasting impression, giving you the power to celebrate in style and entertain with confidence. With multiple designs available - from contemporary, delicate finishes to intricate crystal cuts - you're sure to find the perfect glass for your wedding champagne tower.

Step three: Build your tower

To build your champagne tower, start by arranging your bottom tier on a sturdy table in your desired location. Wedding champagne towers are built by creating squares that get smaller as the tower rises, eventually leaving a single glass to sit on top.

When placing your levels, each glass should touch its surrounding glasses and form symmetrical diamonds of negative space between each glass. Glasses on the next tier are placed directly in the center, where four lower glasses come together to create this diamond.

To finish your tower, continue placing levels until you have just one diamond and one glass.

Step four: Have your moment

It's finally time to have your moment. When pouring the champagne, ensure you pour directly over the top of the first glass. Pour slowly to create a steady stream that's beautiful to watch and not too forceful. Continue until all cups are filled, but if they're not entirely full, it's completely okay to top them off individually.

Things to consider when building your champagne tower

A champagne tower is all about the visual spectacle, so you'll need to fill your tower while wedding guests are watching and have plenty of champagne to fill each glass.

How much champagne will you need?

Most bottles of champagne fill 5-6 glasses, so you'll likely need a few bottles to fill your champagne tower. We've worked out the first six tiers for you:

5 glass (2 tiers): 1 bottle

14 glasses (3 tiers): 3 bottles

26 glasses (4 tiers): 6 bottles

51 glasses (5 tiers): 11 bottles

87 glasses (6 tiers): 18 bottles

You'll also need extra bottles of champagne to refill the glasses afterward.

When should you fill the tower?

While this is often a personal choice for newlyweds, many couples find filling the champagne tower is a fantastic way to begin wedding speeches. During this time, guests are seated and attentive, and the waitstaff is able to hand out champagne ready for celebratory toasts.

Other excellent times to fill the wedding champagne tower include the conclusion of speeches and after cutting the cake.