Has anyone here been to a wedding with one? Anyone ballpark how much would it cost to have a "hosted" cigar bar (where a shop would staff up for the reception to cut and light for guests)? I assume cigars would probably be additional based on brands selected to bring out. :cbig:
Wedding Cigar Bar?
- Thread starter hoser45
- Start date
I am the banquet manager at a very nice country club here in Washington and on a conservative estimate I have worked about 20 weddings over the past 4 years. I have never once had a cigar bar but have seen many cigars smoked. The method used for weddings is for the groom will bring a box of his choice and pass them out to the attending men who smoke cigars. The wedding usually has 2-3 kegs + ~40 bottles of wine for a 150-200 person wedding so people get drunk and don't care what they smoke. The cigars are usually passed out after the meal but before the first dance. The men all go outside the pavilion and spend about 15 minutes smoking then put them out and get back to their dates/tables. No real need for quality choices or a bar when its usually a 15-30 minute time slot that all the men smoke together and bullshit with the groom. But that's just what I have personally seen, im positive cigar bars have been done before.
I think I agree with the Pyromaniac. I'm getting married in October and plan to have a couple of boxes on the balcony with a chalk board written description of each cigar. Probably corona or PC size because I know people will only smoke for 30 minutes, tops. I'll probably have some flavored smokes for my bride and her friends that might want to join in. I will have something special for myself and my groomsman, but otherwise don't spend a ton on the smokes. Just my $.02
I know http://www.cigarfactoryneworleans.com/ does parties. Not sure where you plan to have the wedding but you could give them a call to get a ball park of the cost.
Volusianator
BoM Nov '07 & Jan '09
I've DJ's weddings for the past 20 years and every time I've run across a cigar bar, it's been at a private country club. Contact the Mgr of your banquet facility and see if they'll let you do it, then contact your local B&M for pricing of staff and cigars.
Two things that come to mind:
Smoking indoors is prohibited in many if not all places.
If your guests to choose to smoke outside, they will not be inside for the reception. (this was one of my wife's pet peeves when we had our wedding)
Smoking indoors is prohibited in many if not all places.
If your guests to choose to smoke outside, they will not be inside for the reception. (this was one of my wife's pet peeves when we had our wedding)
Fwiw, I highly recommend having a box of either Natural Dirt or Tabak Especial Claro on the table - both are extremely popular with uninitiated smokers and you will be able to get a lot of women to join you in the experience by offering a box of these.
I just attended a giant New Year's bonfire and had about 20 of the gals herfing right along with us well into 3 am in the morn. We went thru a box of LPs, a box of Undercrown and one each of Natural and Tabak Especial. It was a great time!
So my recommendation for any non-cigar event cigar menu is:
- Traditional box(es) you love in the Medium to Full range.
- Traditional box(es) you love in the Mild to Medium bodied range.
- Box(es) of Natural or Tabak Especial - you will be surprised by how many people, both guys and gals, who would otherwise not smoke at all will spark these.
Some folks are purist and might argue the infused cigars are a bad idea, but I would argue that they really are missing the point. A wedding is meant to be a celebration with your family and friends and the more people you can get to join you in smoking cigars the better a time that everyone will have. Getting those bridesmaids a'herfin and a'boozin is a good time for all. :>
I would steer clear of having something just for the "special" smokers, nobody likes to be excluded or feel like they weren't offered the same experience. Save those cigars for your cigar junkie-only herfs. My point is whatever cigars you offer, be sure to offer them to everyone.
Hope this helps,
Steve Saka
Prez, Drew Estate
I just attended a giant New Year's bonfire and had about 20 of the gals herfing right along with us well into 3 am in the morn. We went thru a box of LPs, a box of Undercrown and one each of Natural and Tabak Especial. It was a great time!
So my recommendation for any non-cigar event cigar menu is:
- Traditional box(es) you love in the Medium to Full range.
- Traditional box(es) you love in the Mild to Medium bodied range.
- Box(es) of Natural or Tabak Especial - you will be surprised by how many people, both guys and gals, who would otherwise not smoke at all will spark these.
Some folks are purist and might argue the infused cigars are a bad idea, but I would argue that they really are missing the point. A wedding is meant to be a celebration with your family and friends and the more people you can get to join you in smoking cigars the better a time that everyone will have. Getting those bridesmaids a'herfin and a'boozin is a good time for all. :>
I would steer clear of having something just for the "special" smokers, nobody likes to be excluded or feel like they weren't offered the same experience. Save those cigars for your cigar junkie-only herfs. My point is whatever cigars you offer, be sure to offer them to everyone.
Hope this helps,
Steve Saka
Prez, Drew Estate
I agree. This was brought up by the maid of honor and said infused cigars for the ladies would be a good idea, thus, I need to invest in a box. lol
Bring your own cigars to control cost and quality of cigars. Steve made an excellent point that 3 different body types of cigars will include anyone interested to smoke in celebration of your special day.
Congrats.
Congrats.
coastalgriff
Educated Redneck
I considered a roller, but ended up with a box of heavy body and a box of light body smokes. Worked out just fine. I did have a lot of light smokes for a while.
SkinsFanLarry
Craft Beer Addict!
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Craig is right and it adds a nice personal touch to the event!
keinreis
BoM Oct '11
I decided against cigars at my wedding. If I started smoking I would not want to do a 15 min smoke, and put it out, and even a short smoke takes more time then I had. You end up with less free time during the reception then you think you would.
coastalgriff
Educated Redneck
Amen, I had a ranch back then and men and women that smoked walked down behind the hay barn on the creek and lit up. Of course there was an extra keg of shiner down there.
Drew Estate Java is also a really good choice 2 try 2 get the non-smokers involved. Or maybe Maker's Mark Cigarillos.
A really good Padron or Davidoff or maybe Lost City or GOF just for Groomsmen because I think a celebratory cigar (especially for the biggest celebration of your life) justifies, even quintessentially requires, a pricier more exquisite smoke than any normal occasion.
Aside from that, for obvious reasons, my mind always seems to wander toward Romeo y Julieta for weddings... is that gimmicky? LOL
I bought 4 boxes of a cigar I like. 3 boxes are going to be stored and each year on our anniversary I will pull one out and smoke (hopefully we last 60+yrs!). We are doing a destination wedding in Dom. Rep. and each guy will be given one cigar as part of their wedding favor. We're getting custom bands for all the cigars. The cigars that are left we will bring to our reception we have when we get back home and whoever wants one can snag one.
Getting a box of something infused for the non traditional smokers is a great idea I will explore!
Getting a box of something infused for the non traditional smokers is a great idea I will explore!
I'd get a few boxes of cheap Padrons
Wow! That is such a great idea! I really wish I had read this before I got married now. :disappoin
We did save 1 of ours & keep the cigar, guest book, pen & other decor in the cigar box as a keepsake & we light our unity candle every yr on our anniversary & sit down with a bottle of Asti - which is also what we had at our wedding (althoug it's kind of my go-2 4 any special occasion).
Tobacco Giant
Conn. Broadleaf Slayer
How can you be certain they'll still be good at that point?
Agreed. What we did instead was herf after the rehearsal dinner... it was nice because it was less-attended and more low-key. That way I got some quality herf-time with my brothers, buddies, and father-in-law on the night before the craziness.