Champagne Glam · sabrage-champagne-tower opening

Champagne Tower

A sabre takes the neck clean off the bottle and champagne cascades, tier by tier, down a tower of crystal coupes in a candlelit salon.

A milestone birthday invitation photographed by candlelight. In a dim Parisian salon of umber walls, an arched pier-glass and far-off candles, a four-tier tower of thirty crystal coupes stands on a mirrored silver plateau over ivory linen; every glass is rendered with real refraction, rim highlights and the candlelight caught in its bowl. One tap and a bottle with a gilt-framed label bearing the guest of honour's name is raised into the light, a polished sabre glides up its seam and the neck flies off cleanly; the bottle turns and pours, and the champagne rises in the top coupe, spills over the rims and fills the tower tier by tier as the room dims and the glasses glow gold, throwing caustics across the silver. Inside: a note from the hosts on heavy cotton card, gilt numerals on black lacquer counting down to the first pour, a toast where your coupe clinks theirs, gilt-framed menu cards for each part of the evening and a reply card with a gilt monogram.