5 Things To Consider As You Plan Your Cookie Table

Ah, the cookie table. It’s a hallowed wedding tradition in cities such as Youngstown and Pittsburgh. This dessert spread, often made up of homemade cookies and small treats from invited guests, traces back to Great Depression times, where wedding cake was simply too expensive. Today, the community-driven cookie table remains a staple for weddings in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

As a Y-Town native, myself, I believe weddings across the globe should take part in this. Frankly, there is nothing classier than serving your guests peanut butter blossoms, sugar cookies, clothespins, thumbprints, macarons, mini cheesecakes…and literally any other item they could want. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that seemingly endless cookies and snacks pair well with all those signature cocktails. If you’re working on a cookie table at your venue, especially one unfamiliar with the cookie tradition, here are a few things to consider ahead of your big day,

1. Who is setting up your cookies?

Believe us…cookie logistics are very important to iron out well ahead of the big day. Aside from coordinating which neighbor or family member is baking what, you should absolutely chat with your venue about their dessert table policies.

For example, many venues may provide additional tables, linens, etc., for your cookie table. However, they may have a clause in their contract that states they do not handle “outside” food. The same notion goes for catering staff who may only handle their own items for safety purposes.

Additionally, while your wedding planner or day-of coordinator may go out of their way to help you set up desserts in a pinch, it’s definitely not a customary task for a wedding day. Of course, vendor contracts vary, so make sure to iron these out in advance.

If your vendors can’t help with cookie tables, assign a family member or friend who is not in the wedding party to help with cookie table maintenance. This can mean delivering baked goods to the reception space early, setting out cookies on trays, replenishing the table throughout the night, etc.

2. Do any of your cookies require refrigeration?

If your treats contain creams, custards, fresh fruits, and the like, have a plan to keep them cool until serving. Should your venue have a full kitchen, check if you can share refrigerator space with your catering. team during the early part of the day.

If you don’t have access to a fridge at the venue, perhaps your home or hotel fridge can hold a small amount of cookies. And if a cooler is the best option, then go for it! If worse comes to worst, implore your home bakers to abstain from making certain recipes. You certainly can’t go wrong with an abundance of chocolate chip cookies, right?

3. Do you need to cover your cookies?

If you’re having an outdoor wedding, you may want to invest in glass, plastic, or mesh covers. Chat with your venue and caterers to see if they have any options or advice from previous weddings.

4. Do you still want a wedding cake?

If you want to offer both cake and cookies, you can tell your baker to make a wedding cake to feed half the size of your final guest count. Realistically, not every attendee will want a slice of cake if crinkle cookies are available, too. However, if your guests are sweet tooths like me, they’ll dabble in both cake and cookie territory.

5. Do you have an end-of-night plan?

Let’s be real…you are probably going to be left with boxes upon boxes of cookies at the end of the night. (This is ideal for morning-after munchies, but can be a pain to put away.) The easiest way to get rid of a surplus of goodies is by leaving out to-go boxes or bags for guests. And honestly, this is the ideal party favor!

Having your caterer or family members pre-fill to-go boxes for guests during the last hour of your reception can be a major help, too.

With the leftover cookies, decide ahead of time if you just want to toss them, offer them to vendors, or box them up and put them in your car. Pro tip: Have your cookies brought to the venue in cardboard boxes. The remaining empty boxes can just be tossed…Take it from me…someone who had to navigate shoving several empty plastic storage containers in my car while a little tipsy post a friend’s wedding. However, your venue and wedding vendor team may offer clean-up packages that make load-out easier. For example, Elliot Events offers end-of-night packaging help with decorations, florals, and desserts for a small fee.