A Wedding Venue Tailor-Made For Cigar Lovers
Cigars and celebration go hand-in-hand. Premium smokes are a common sight at graduations, in locker rooms after triumphant victories and, of course, weddings. But how often do you see a wedding venue with a built-in cigar lounge? Look no further than The Booking House in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The venue, a former warehouse built in 1884, has a dedicated smoking retreat and was used for decades by General Cigar Co. to store tobacco.
The warehouse served General Cigar for roughly 50 years. Today, cigar lovers know General as the producer of such big brands as Macanudo and CAO as well as the non-Cuban versions of Cohiba, Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch. This particular warehouse, however, was never used to actually make cigars. Its main function was to ferment, store and prepare shipments of tobacco leaf grown in Lancaster County. The warehouse’s immediate proximity to railroad tracks allowed it to seamlessly move tobacco shipments in and out, from local farmers to small cigar rolling operations nearby or to brokers based in New York City, who would further distribute the leaf. Eventually, the warehouse ceased its cigar operations and for years functioned as a storage facility.
In 2012, J.P. Perron and his wife, Michele, purchased the space, but the idea of converting it into a wedding venue was not on their radar. Perron, who long made a living in construction, originally bought the building for storage. In 2013, his wife suggested a much-needed renovation to the space, but Perron was hesitant. He figured a renovation would have to involve creating some kind of revenue angle to justify the investment. They began to brainstorm, before eventually deciding to convert it into a wedding venue. Perron had, in the meantime, learned the history of the warehouse and its cigar roots. The cigar lover knew then a lounge must be included as part of the venue. The rest of the conceptualizing, he says, was mostly the work of his wife, calling her the “creative eye” of the business. The first wedding was held at The Booking House in 2014.
The space is the living embodiment of industrial chic, with exposed brick and the original character of the warehouse fully alive, blended with loads of modern charm. The Booking House, which is roughly 15,000 square feet, is a true one-stop-shop for an entire wedding celebration. There are dedicated spaces for all the needs of a wedding day: separate rooms for the bridal party and the groomsmen; independent spaces for the wedding ceremony; reception; cocktail hour; and a built-in bar room. Perron says that during peak season, Saturday weddings often book out 18 months in advance. According to Perron, couples hail from Pennsylvania, New York City, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Virginia and beyond.
The high demand likely has something to do with the venue’s most unique feature, the cigar lounge, or what they call The Crow’s Nest. It’s on the third floor and is roughly 1,200 square feet. It’s technically the room allocated for the groomsmen to get ready (or, better yet, sit and wait) during the hours leading up to the ceremony. But this is no ordinary room. It’s a fully-ventilated cigar hangout with a cabinet humidor, leather chairs and couches, a flatscreen TV, a surround sound system, a kitchen and a bathroom. It’s the only place in the venue where smoking is allowed, specifically cigars and pipes only, which Perron was able to legally allow given it’s a private venue. “It has turned into more of a hit than I thought it would be,” says Perron. “But I think it comes off as really unique and people are intrigued by it.”
The Crow’s Nest isn’t only for the groomsmen: the wedding party is free to open it to all of the guests during the reception. The choice to do so, or not, is at the couple’s discretion. “When they decide to have a wedding in our space, they book the whole building and that space is for them to use at will,” says Perron. “They can utilize the space however they like.” Perron keeps the cabinet humidor stocked with some well-known brand names, such as Perdomo or Montecristo, but most of the inventory is in the form of unbranded cigars he purchases that then get a Booking House band slapped onto them. He offers the cigars for sale to groomsmen and guests who aren’t packing, but visitors are free to bring your own cigars.
When The Crow’s Nest isn’t servicing marriages, it has an ideal group of caretakers year-round who’ve found a special sense of community within its confines. J.P. Perron and a group of cigar-loving guys from Lancaster County, meet every month in the lounge for an evening of fine cigars. Back in 2014, just as The Booking House was opening up, a buddy of Perron’s, Bob Hadfield, approached him and suggested starting a cigar club. He told Perron to invite three friends, and he would do the same. “We did that, and that’s been going on for 10 years and we call ourselves the Crow’s Nest Cigar Club,” says Perron.
The group meets on the second Wednesday of every month over cigars, food provided by Perron and a proper pairing, whether that be Bourbon, Scotch or wine. “It’s supposed to go from 5:30 to 9:30, but sometimes we’re there till midnight,” Perron says with a laugh. “It’s where we kick back with good cigars, swap stories and build friendships that go way beyond the lounge.” To become a member, you must get sponsorship from two Crows, or current members. Perron estimates they have around 25 total members, with typically 18 to 20 people showing up for each meeting. He says the group is quite diverse, from various career fields and ages, ranging from mid 30s to 70s. There are annual dues of $150, as well as a similar annual deposit for Perron to supply food for each meeting. The rules are simple: what’s said there stays there, have a good time and don’t sell to other Crows.
“One guy told me the group gave him a sense of belonging he hadn’t felt in years,” says Perron. “For us, it’s not just about cigars, it’s about community.” Perron means that when he says it too. The centerpiece of the room is a big wooden table that was actually fashioned from an old trap door found in the attic. The table seems to be the natural gathering place for groomsmen and wedding guests, who often hang around it sharing a moment. It’s where Perron says the cigar club finds themselves as well. Perron built the table with his son, Isaac.
Perron’s son passed away a year and a half ago. To honor him, Perron’s buddies from the Crow’s Nest Cigar Club surprised him with a brass plaque in the center of the table that reads “crafted and built for the Crows Nest by Isaac and JP Perron.” It’s a gesture Perron won’t soon forget, and one he says reflects the sense of community among this group of cigar lovers. “I probably couldn’t have made it through what I went through without those guys.”
Learn more about The Booking House on their website.
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