Cookie Table?

CaliSunn · October 2010

Hey girls! I just heard about the Pittsburgh Cookie Table today from gmc22, and I'm in love with the idea!

How many of you are keeping with this tradition? How will you set up the table? Are you buying the cookies or having family make them?

byoung0520 · October 2010

It's a pretty big and common tradition in these parts....eastern, pa should I say. I live in Philly and people look at me like cookie table, huh? I myself didn't know too much about the tradition until my grandmother mentioned it. And when I think back to it, my Aunt had cookies GALORE at her wedding. Anywho, I am keeping on with this tradition and I'm not sure if I had much of a choice in that. How can one deny cookies at a wedding? Especially when you're grandmother is the one making them?? Yes, so my grandmother has hired out her card table lady friends to do certain cookies as well as herself and other women in my family They've all started baking back in early September(she's put the cookies in the freezer since then just to keep them fresh). We'll have 1200 cookies(not one single one bought from a store) and they will be displayed on an 8 foot table and put out at cocktail hour. Our caterer said they will tray our cookies so we don't need to worry about them..they'll replenish it when it's getting low as well. They'll be for everyone to snack on when they feel like a little sweet treat. I purchased bags off of ebay(the tin foil tab bags, kind of like coffee bags or bakery bags) and will be putting them out on the table for any guests who want to take a treat home. I adorned the bags with tags that say" Homemade treats, sweets for the ones we love" which was a free download by the way on one of the wedding websites. Our wedding is at Armstrong Farms so the cookie table will be placed out on the deck by the bar area....

king26 · October 2010

It's a huge Pittsburgh tradition. I make cookies for every member in my families wedding. For my wedding I had 80 guests and ended up having 120 dozen cookies-it was insane! I baked some, my mom did, my cousin, all of my bridesmaids, and a few of my friends offered as well. Homemade is usually what people have on their cookie tables, although I've seen people buy specialty cookies to put on as well. It's a huge part of any Pittsburgh wedding and people really look forward to it!

KimWard · October 2010

My mom isn't much of a baker, nor am I, so we had her co-worker's SIL make them (we order cookies from her for the holidays, so know that they are delicious). We picked them up the day before and took them to the hall as part of the set-up. They refrigerated the ones that needed it. The cookies were arranged on trays and pedestals for the reception, along with the groom's cake on that table as well. We had about 5 cookies per person, and it was the perfect amount- not too much left over, but enough for DH and I to sneak some off for ourselves at the end of the night. We also had containers for guests to take some home.There's an explanation of the tradition that brides often display- I'm sure one of the other ladies has it.

amy727 · October 2010

byoung, I'm also from Philly and I got the same reaction. People didn't understand why I was baking cookies for a wedding.

I plan on keeping with the tradition. My aunts love baking so they will all be made by friends/family.

CaliSunn · October 2010

My problem is that no one is from Pittsburgh. Everyone is from Lancaster or Cleveland travelling equal distance to the school Paul and I graduated from. So I doubt anyone will go with it, not to mention how do we keep them fresh?

byoung0520 · October 2010

@Amy; ha, even my FI's mother who is from Lancaster didn't know about a cookie table tradition with the Pittsburghese people

) I'm like wow, you guys are really missing out. I don't think they realize how big we're talking...I think she might have thought we're talking about a few batches of chocolate chip cookies or something. They'll see soon enough come 6 days. Where in Philly? I'm north of Philly in the 'burbs...

@ Cali; my family started baking these cookies a few weeks ago. And when they're done with a batch, they freeze them until the day before. Freezing them will keep them fresh. I have not lived in Pittsburgh since junior high school but both of our families are rooted there(some of them, not all of them) and we ourselves have a lot of people traveling including ourselves for our wedding. Being from there, I've grown up with the cookie table tradition...amongst the women in my family and all the baking they've done for this tradition. If you feel like Pittsburgh is a part of you and you want to incorporate this tradition with your wedding then go for it. I've only really seen it as the bride's family who does all the baking for the cookie table...I could be wrong and things could have changed. But normally it has always been the bride's family that goes all out for this....and if your family is traveling and you still want to do this, you can hire out people to bake cookies for you. If you live in Pittsburgh, all you need to do is ask someone you work with or a friend from there and ask who knows people who likes to bake cookies for a wedding cookie table! I'm sure you'll find a few people

) If not, you can contact some local bakeries...you'll find a pretty good list of the most common cookies to have on google if you search Pittsburgh cookie table....

jrsygrl10 · October 2010

we bought ours from the bakery-they had a package that included the wedding cake, cookies and cakes/pies. my baby sister got married yesterday and they purchased their cookies also. we're not much for baking, so the idea of making 70dz cookies is not appealing to us. we've been to weddings in OH that had cookie tables.

Hope61 · October 2010

I'm having one at my wedding--in Toledo, OH. We met and live in Pittsburgh, and he's been here since he was 12. I think I'll make a sign for the table with a brief explanation of the Pittsburgh tradition, because most of our guests will be from all over Ohio. I'm planning to ask my aunts, sisters, grandma, and mom help make the cookies.

LaFemmeRousse · October 2010

We definitely had a cookie table! For our wedding of 230 people, we had about 100 dozen cookies and definitely had a lot of leftovers. We bought all of them- no one in my family bakes! We just picked them up in airtight containers from the baker about two days before the wedding and my wedding venue kept them fresh (in the freezer?) until the wedding day.

I displayed them on a large table next to my candy buffet, grouped in kind with others of the same type. I framed the Post-Gazette "story of the cookie table" and had it out as an explanation, since most of our guests were from out of town.

amy727 · October 2010

byoung, my MIL is thinking the same thing. Her first thought was well do you still have cake if you are having cookies. She thought they maybe replaced the cake.
We also live north of Philly near the Plymouth Meeting/Norristown area.

gmc22 · October 2010

Just wanted to add that my FIs family is from Philly and didn't know anything about the tradition, so I am going to print out an exerpt from (I think) the pittsburgh post gazette explaining the tradition so that the Philly guests can read and understand why it is so important to our family to have the cookie table - I can forward you the article if you'd like!

kristenrmu22 · October 2010

We are only having 55 guests and a dinner only reception. I am not sure if I will be holding up with tradition...not sure if it will be weird with the type of wedding we are having. Lucky for me we have time to decide. I do love the idea as I love cookies!

jmbahr · October 2010

My brother just got married and his bride tried to buy all her cookies. The gesture actually insulted my mom. The bride relented and let my side of the family bake half of what was there. So at my wedding next year, people are already planning what they are going to make. For a 200+ BBQ wedding, we're planning for 120 dozen cookies. And, I asked one of my mom's best friends to coordinate everyone's efforts so we don't end up with all chocolate chip cookies. I did have to explain the tradition to a few out of towners (my fiance and I lived in New Jersey for a while), and all of those friends are so excited to contribute.
It's a really nice tradition. It lets everyone feel like they hepled make the day extra special for the couple. Oh, and I just found out that they do it in Texas, too.

Pirata13 · October 2010

We did do a cookie table! My mom, aunt, SIL and friend made some, the rest we got from a local independent bakery who makes amazing cookies. It was great!

kristenrmu22 · October 2010

Haha I just talked to my mom about a cookie table ..should we do one even though we were only having a small dinner only reception. She said "You have to have a cookie table we still are celebrating your wedding and marriage" It was so cute and sweet.

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