Goin’ to the chapel? You’ll need some good cigars

Let’s start with budget. In most cases the request will give me an idea of what they want to spend. Usually, because it’s a wedding they’re willing to spend a little more, and the order may even include a special box just for the groom. But I recently received an email from one groom who was looking for something a little more budget-friendly because, even though he was an avid cigar smoker, most of the guests he’d be handing out the cigars to were only every-once-in-a-while smokers. In another instance, the groom wanted to buy a box for each of his groomsmen. Now that’s what I call “brothers of the leaf.”

The takeaway here is, if you’re going to buy cigars for your guests, groomsmen, future father-in-law, whomever, just because your wedding is one of the biggest days of your life, there’s no need to go overboard. You’ve probably already spent a small fortune on the food and the music alone. So be practical. You’re not going to impress someone who doesn’t smoke cigars on a regular basis with a Davidoff cigar, a Padron Anniversary 1964, or a Fuente Fuetne Opus X. Besides, they won’t be able to appreciate the finer points of those cigars.

Note that you don’t have to go for a whole box either. Determine how many cigars you’ll actually be handing out. Maybe all you need are a few 5-packs.

What follows is a list of good cigars by price category. Since I tend to get carried away with my recommendations, I’ve limited myself to three selections per range in various strengths. I know I’ll get comments saying, “Why didn’t you include such-and-such,” so please feel free to contribute your own recommendations in the comments field.

$100 – $180/box

CAO The Sopranos Associate

Romeo y Julieta Reserve Real Churchill

Avo XO Noturno

Under $100/box

Rocky Patel Rosado Lonsdale

Perdomo Lot 23 Toro Maduro

Oliva Serie O Robusto

Under $75/box

La Floridita Fuerte Robusto

Don Tomás SE Connecticut #500

Maxx Traditional Corona

Finally, be careful about the strength you choose, too. As noted above, if most of your giftees are not regular cigar smokers, you don’t want to choose cigars that will knock them out. On the other hand, you don’t want to give them something too light either. You most likely know who you’re going to give the cigars to, so be sure to take their preferences into account. Most importantly, have a great time and congratulations! (_[ca]__{{{