There was an article in the New York Times awhile back talking about a popular tradition in Pittsburgh of having a cookie table at the reception with homemade traditional family cookies. The mothers, grandmothers, and sometimes aunts would pitch in to make hundreds of cookies for the reception (in addition to the wedding cake).
I dismissed the idea at first because I'm not from Pittsburgh and have never seen it done. However, FMIL really likes the idea and I'm starting to warm up to it. I'm known as the baker in my family and traditionally make my late grandmother's cookie recipes to give to my extended family each Christmas. Our wedding is a week before Christmas, so I think it might be a nice touch to make my grandmother's cookie recipes for a cookie table. FI's grandmother is also a big baker and usually makes a ton of Christmas cookies as well.
Has anyone else done this or seen this done? How many cookies per guest would you make? Would you put them out with the cake or afterwards?