Apart from maybe New Year’s Eve, weddings are the quintessential occasion for a celebratory cigar. Indeed, it’s particularly common for the groom and his groomsmen to enjoy a special cigar to celebrate the big event.
In this very guide, you will discover our ultimate recommendations for the Best Cigars For Weddings:
- Davidoff Winston Churchill
- Plasencia Reserva Original
- La Aurora 1903 Emerald
- Davidoff Signature
- Ramon Allones Superiores LCDH
- Montecristo Artisan Series Batch II
- Cohiba Siglo III
- Montecristo Línea 1935
- Perdomo Champagne
- Por Larrañaga Panatela
You can use the links above to jump ahead. You can also head to the menu below to see what else is covered as well as our other guides.
What Are The Best Cigars For Weddings?
Before you discover the Top 10 Cigars For A Wedding, we would like to highlight that our favourites haven’t been featured in a particular order of preference. Each cigar we’ve listed has its own qualities for which you should consider it the wedding you are attending.
Similarly, feel free to leave a comment if you have a personal favourite or feel that we left something out!
In This Guide
Other Special Occasions
Other Top 10 Cigar Guides
Related Guides
- Filler: Piloto, Olor-Piloto, Estelí, Condegas
- Binder: Mexican San Andrés
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
- Preferred Vitola: 4.5 x 41 Petit Corona
- Assembly: Tabadom [Dominican Rep.]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Medium
- Smoking Time: 50 Minutes
- Pricing: $11.40 / Single [Buy Now]
Named after the quintessential cigar smoker, the Winston Churchill is one of Davidoff’s most celebrated blends. Indeed, behind the iconic band is a wonderful blend of Dominican tobacco bound by a Mexican San Andrés leaf and an Ecuadorian wrapper.
While it can be an expensive choice, we’re particularly fond of the Petit Corona, which can be picked up for $11.40. Although small, it still offers a delightful experience. Furthermore, it may be a more convenient size for non-smokers or if there isn’t a dedicated outdoor smoking area.
"A classic premium cigar, the original white label Winston Churchill is the perfect celebratory choice with a variety of vitolas for different budgets."
- Filler: Nicaragua Puro
- Binder: Nicaragua Puro
- Wrapper: Nicaragua Puro
- Preferred Vitola: 4¾ x 52 Robusto
- Assembly: Plasencia [Estelí, Nicaragua]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Medium
- Smoking Time: 50 Minutes
- Pricing: $7.90 / Single [Shop On CigarPage]
An exciting blend that we were delighted to have first sampled at the Estelí factory with Nestor Plasencia himself, the Reserva Original is one of the only 100% organic cigars on the market. Beautifully decorated with white and gold bands, it’s fitting for a wedding.
Furthermore, its fruity palate features gourmand notes of spices, which is the perfect pairing for a variety of beverages and dishes. Like the Winston Churchill above, it goes remarkably well with Champagne, which we hope is plentiful at a wedding!
- Filler: Barrel-aged Dominican Cibao Valley, Peru, Brazil, Nicaragua
- Binder: Barrel-aged Dominican Cibao Valley
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra
- Preferred Vitola: 5 x 54 Perfecto
- Assembly: La Aurora [Dominican Republic]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Medium
- Smoking Time: 50 Minutes
- Pricing: $21 / Single [Buy Now]
Another premium option, La Aurora’s 1903 Emerald is a fantastic choice for such an occasion. Given that it’s delivered in a beautiful metal tubo case with its unique perfecto shape, it also leaves guests with a touching keepsake.
As a medium-bodied blend, it’s ideal for seasoned cigar enthusiasts. However, we’ve also noted it among our favourite cigars for beginners.
Furthermore, a wedding is often an even steeped in tradition. Indeed, the 1903 is a historical cigar as it pays homage to the brand’s original creations when it first launched in the early 20th century.
Another Davidoff classic, the Signature line has many beautiful vitolas. However, it’s hard to look passed the N°2. This was both Zino Davidoff and Dr Scheider’s morning cigar of choice and is nothing short of an elegant expression of the blend.
If the bride or another other women will likely want to smoke a cigar on this special occasion, it would actually be our first choice. Its slim profile is particularly flattering and the white and gold band is well-suited for the event. Nevertheless, it’s a great blend for weddings in any vitola.
- Filler: Cuban Puro
- Binder: Cuban Puro
- Wrapper: Cuban Puro
- Preferred Vitola: 5.63 x 54 Corona Gorda
- Assembly: Partagás [Havana Vieja, Cuba]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Medium
- Smoking Time: 70 Minutes
- Pricing: $14.70 / Single [Buy Now]
If you wish to offer Cubans for the special day, why don’t you walk a road less travelled? While Cohiba and Romeo y Julieta tend to be more popular choices, your guests will appreciate this change of pace.
Ramon Allones may not be as well known but that doesn’t make them inferior whatsoever. In fact, we’ve sampled many Superiores and have found that they regularly perform better with a superior draw and a rich yet balanced flavour profile.
- Filler: Piloto Cubano, Olor, Tairona
- Binder: Indonesian Java
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
- Preferred Vitola: 6 x 54 Toro
- Assembly: Tabacalera de García [DR]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Medium
- Smoking Time: 70 Minutes
- Pricing: $18 / Single
The Aristan Series II is nothing short of a unique blend. Besides classic Dominican and Ecuadorian leaves, it also features Colombian Tairona as well as an Indonesian Java binder! The resulting experience is creamy yet quite spicy, which offers something for everyone.
Additionally, the MSRP is a little on the pricey side. However, it can be found for much less if you scour the internet. We’ve seen boxes of 15 Toros going for just under $100!
- Filler: Cuban Puro
- Binder: Cuban Puro
- Wrapper: Cuban Puro
- Preferred Vitola: 6⅛ x 42 Corona Grandes
- Assembly: Partagás [Havana Vieja, Cuba]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Mild – Medium
- Smoking Time: 50 Minutes
- Pricing: $15 / Single
We suppose that it was inevitable to eventually include a Cohiba in this list. After all, it’s a special occasion! Nevertheless, it’s probably not the one that experienced cigar enthusiasts expected.
Indeed, we’ve opted for the Siglo III for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s a classic Cohiba blend, which is a very popular and recognisable choice. Secondly, it probably offers the best value for money compared to the smaller, short-lived vitolas and larger, expensive sizes.
Finally, it’s a solid size, which will provide most people with a smoking experience that isn’t too fleeting.
A relatively recent release by Cuban standards, the Línea 1935 is said to be Montecristo’s strongest blend yet. However, don’t let this put you off as by general standards, it’s more of a medium-bodied cigar.
While we prefer the Maltés Toro vitola, the smaller Dumas robusto may be a better wedding choice. If you’d like a Cuban with a contemporary look and feel, this would be an excellent choice.
- Filler: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
- Binder: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
- Wrapper: Connecticut
- Preferred Vitola: 6 x 54 Toro
- Assembly: Estelí, Nicaragua
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Mild – Medium
- Smoking Time: 60 Minutes
- Pricing: $6.50 / Single [Shop On CigarPage]
An affordable option with a very appropriate name, Perdomo’s Champagne blend has been a major success for over a decade since it was released in 2008. As it’s quite sweet with aromas of molasses and caramel, it might be an excellent post-dessert choice with what’s left of the eponymous beverage.
With its liquorice finish, you’ll be surprised at how this blend is rather morish. Therefore, we’ve suggested the Toro given that it offers excellent sub-$10 value for money.
- Filler: Vuelta Abajo, Cuba
- Binder: Vuelta Abajo, Cuba
- Wrapper: Vuelta Abajo, Cuba
- Preferred Vitola: 5 x 36 Panatela
- Assembly: La Corona [Havana, Cuba]
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Mild
- Smoking Time: 40 Minutes
- Pricing: $3 / Single
Here’s an excellent choice if you want to supply a large quantity of cigars but you’re on a modest budget. At only $3 a stick, this is one of the cheapest good-quality Cubans on the market. Bear in mind that it is what is affectionately known as a “Cuban Sandwich” so it’s made from both short and long filler.
However, its flavours and the overall blend may indeed surprise you! Nevertheless, it may be hard to find in the USA given that it’s Cuban. Therefore, an alternative easy-to-find New World option would be the Rocky Patel Renaissance Connecticut. They’re crafted only from long filler but available at a very similar price point.
What Are The Best Cigar Types For Weddings?
In short, selecting the perfect cigar for a particular wedding is a can of worms. After all, there is a lot to take into account from the number of guests and their tastes to the season and the time of day!
If none of the cigars above take your fancy, we’ll walk you through how to choose a cigar for a wedding so you can find some alternatives.
Season & Time Of Day
First of all, we’d like to touch on the time of the day and the season. A cigar that’s great for the morning won’t necessarily be the best choice in the evening. This is because our palate and perception of flavour changes throughout the day.
We’ve already explained this in detail on several guides and we provide links to them in the paragraph below. However, in a nutshell, our palate is more sensitive in the morning and will eventually require more stimulation from fuller-bodied cigars as it’s exposed to stimulation throughout the day.
This is why full-bodied cigars tend to be the preferred choice in the evening. Therefore, depending on when you might be smoking the cigars, you might want to refer to the following guides:
Nevertheless, even if the cigars are planned for the evening, a full-bodied cigar might still not be the best choice!
Taking The Guests Into Consideration
The secret to choosing the perfect cigar for a wedding is knowing your audience. This can be said when preparing any meal or beverage for a crowd but it’s especially the case for cigars.
There’s a high chance that some guests may wish to try a cigar but have little experience. In fact, it may even be their first cigar! Conversely, there may be a crowd of well-versed cigar enthusiasts. Arguably, this is even more challenging as they may be harder to please!
In either case, you could play it safe and select some crowd-pleasers that work for just about anyone. Easy options of this ilk would be Cubans like Cohiba or Romeo y Julieta. However, they’re expensive, hard to find, and some guests might feel like you’d be showing off.
We’d recommend giving people a choice. It shouldn’t be a curated assortment of cigars in low quantities, though. A typical downside of this is there’s always going to be a more popular cigar, which run out almost immediately.
Instead, give people a choice between two cigars with different bodies and flavour profiles. If they’re from different brands, you may run into the popularity contest issue. However, you can instead choose two from the same brand so nobody feels like they’re missing out.
Therefore, newcomers can opt for a mild and balanced cigar while enthusiasts can have the full-bodied flavour bomb if they want.
How Many Cigars To Buy For A Wedding
If you’re still struggling to narrow things down, ask yourself how much you are willing so spend. By setting yourself a budget, you’ll become more aware of what’s possible and what isn’t.
Firstly, figure out how many people you’d like to give the opportunity to smoke. This will help you establish how many cigars you’ll need and you can then determine the possible cost per cigar. After all, they can be expensive. Yet, if you’re smart, they can be quite cheap too.
Do you want to have cigars available for all the guests? If so, big spender, how many guests will be attending? A good rule of thumb is to then buy one cigar for every two guests as it’s rare that more than half will have one.
Meanwhile, it might be just for a select group of people such as the groomsmen and the couple’s close family. If this is the case, you’ll probably be able to splash out and buy more premium cigars. We recommend deciding on a number of people and then adding 50% to it.
For instance, if there will be 10 people in the group, buy 15 cigars just in case. We always overlook somebody and this will also account for any plugged cigars, which is always a crushing disappointment! And there’s always that one person who sneakily pockets one for later…
Mind If I Smoke?
If you’re not organising the wedding, be sure to contact the wedding couple beforehand and ask if you can bring cigars. If they’re anti-smoking fascists, it might be best not to waste your time and money in bringing any at all. However, if you’ve come this far and you’re reading this guide, that’s unlikely to be the case!
However, can then venue allow for smoking in any way at all? Weddings can take place in all sorts of places and not all of them allow smoking. Therefore, check beforehand to see if something can be arranged.
After all, you don’t want it to result in an awkward huddle of people desperately trying to enjoy their cigars in a cramped smoking space or under the rain. Similarly, if smoking outdoors is the only option, check the weather forecast!
Wedding Cigar Pairings
As mentioned above, it’s worth contacting the person organising the wedding beforehand. When you do, you can ask them what drinks are on the menu. There might be an open bar, which makes things easier. Meanwhile, the open bar may only allow a limited selection of drinks.
If this is the case or if there’s a fixed wine list, it’s worth choosing the cigars that offer the best pairings. While we find cigar pairings to be an exciting subject, it might be frustrating for you.
Therefore, we’ll try to make things simple. The chances are that event will be serving Champagne or some form of sparkling wine. There may also be a choice between red or white wine.
Indeed, there are lots of varieties and it would require a whole guide to cover it in detail. However, below is a quick reference that you can use to get by:
- Dry Sparkling Wine [e.g. Champagne]
- Medium-Bodied Dominican or Cuban [e.g. Davidoff Winston Churchill]
- Sweet Sparkling Wine [e.g. Prosecco]
- Mild-Bodied Dominican or Cuban [e.g. Davidoff Signature]
- Light-Bodied Red [e.g. Beaujolais, Pinot Noir]
- Medium-Bodied Nicaraguan or Dominican [e.g. Plasencia Reserva Original]
- Full-Bodied Red [e.g. Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon]
- Full-Bodied From Most Terroirs [e.g. Montecristo Línea 1935]
- Dry White Wine [e.g. Chablis, Chardonnay]
- Mild/Medium-Bodied Dominican or Cuban [e.g. Avo Syncro Ritmo]
- Sweet White Wine [e.g. Sauternes, Riesling]
- Medium-Bodied Dominican or Cuban [e.g. Ramon Allones Superiores LCDH]
To make things easier, we only referred to cigars that are listed in the guide above to avoid confusion. Of course, there are plenty of others that can be used and we are over-simplifying the topic for your convenience.
For instance, a light-bodied red could also go well with a full-bodied Dominican such as the Davidoff The late Hour. Meanwhile, we’ve omitted Honduran cigars, which often have a general reputation for being full-bodied.
Finally, we’re currently working on some cigar pairing guides but they’re not finished yet. We’ll be sure to update this page once they’re online to provide future readers with more detailed information.
How Did We Rank These Cigars?
All of the above cigars have been reviewed or formally tested at the very list. In order for you to have a reliable list, we’ve not included anything that we’ve just enjoyed or haven’t even tasted.
In fact, we pride ourselves in providing accurate recommendations rather than just picked out a few favourites.
All of those that have been reviewed or formally tasted went through the Bespoke Unit Cigar Formula. We created this matrix so we could provide cigars with accurate scores. This was in development since 2017 following our continued frustrations with arbitrary scoring in the cigar journalism industry.
You can see it’s first use in our review of the Avo Nicaragua in August 2019 and we’ve included it in all reviews since then.
As a result, we were able to use the quantified scoring for putting together these guides. Therefore, you can be certain that our guides have been assembled by conviction rather than guesswork.
What Next?
Firstly, did we miss anything out? Feel free to let us know in the comments below! Otherwise, now that you’ve seen the best cigars for weddings, why don’t you also check out our related guides below?
Cigars Contents
