Glass hire is a practical option for event organisers who need large quantities of matched glassware without buying it outright. Wedding organisers, outside caterers, corporate event planners, and private venues all hire glassware regularly. Buying glasses means storing hundreds of items between events, replacing breakages, and running a commercial dishwasher before and after each occasion. Hiring removes all of that: you take delivery of clean glasses and return them after the event. Add the Send It Back Dirty option and there is no washing required at all, and accidental breakages are covered by the minor damage waiver.
The glassware hire range covers the glasses needed for most events:
Glasses are available in case quantities, so you can hire the exact number you need rather than rounding up to a larger order.
The number of glasses to hire depends on what you are serving and how long the event runs. Use these as a starting point.
Seated dinner: Allow 2 to 3 glasses per guest. One for water and one or two for wine or fizz. If you are serving red and white wine separately, count on guests using one of each.
Drinks reception (up to 2 hours): Allow 2 to 3 glasses per guest. Guests tend to put glasses down and lose track of them, so extra stock prevents the bar running short.
Full bar service: Multiply the expected number of drink types by your guest count, then add a 15% buffer for breakages, misplaced glasses, and guests who want a clean glass for a different drink.
Champagne toast only: One flute per guest plus 10% contingency. For 100 guests, order 110 flutes.
If you are combining a reception with a sit-down dinner, calculate the two stages separately and add them together.
Most wedding setups need at least three glass types: flutes for the reception and toast, wine glasses for the meal, and a general service glass (hi-ball or tumbler) at the bar. If you are serving red and white wine, having separate glasses for each avoids the compromise of a universal glass. Paired with crockery hire and cutlery hire, a full table setting can be sourced from one order.
Award dinners and gala evenings use the same glass types as a wedding dinner. For drinks receptions and exhibition stands, wine glasses and hi-ball glasses cover most requirements. Our hire stock is clean, unbranded, and consistent in appearance, which suits corporate settings well.
Birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, and garden parties rarely need the full range. A mix of wine glasses, flutes for a toast, and hi-ball glasses for spirits or soft drinks covers most preferences. For a large outdoor event, bar equipment hire is worth looking at alongside glassware.
Outside caterers often need large quantities of glass across multiple events in a week. Bulk hire in case quantities works well for this, and the Send It Back Dirty option (see below) removes the need for on-site washing facilities after each event.
Hired glassware, crockery, and cutlery can all be returned unwashed through the Send It Back Dirty service. Stack the used items back in the original cases and leave them for collection. There is no requirement to rinse, sort, or stack to any particular standard. We wash and inspect everything at the warehouse. This service is not widely available from equipment hire companies, and it removes one of the more time-consuming tasks from your post-event breakdown.
All glassware can be ordered online with live stock availability. Delivery covers England and Wales, with charges from £40 depending on distance from our depot. Full details are on the delivery charges page. A minor damage waiver is available to cover accidental breakages during your event, removing the need to count and report every item on return.
