A cookie table is a wedding tradition in Western Pennsylvania where in addition to a wedding cake, a large table with different cookies is presented to guests at the wedding reception. Cookies are generally prepared by family members in advance of the reception.

Rooted deep in the history of Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Eastern Ohio lies the beloved cookie table. To the folks in these parts of the country, a wedding without a Cookie Table is like having a wedding without the Bride and Groom – pointless! The Wedding Cookie Table has strong ethnic and religious ties, linked mainly to European immigrants of Catholic descent – particularly present in industrial areas that housed Italians, Greeks, and other Europeans.

Although the beginning of the Cookie Table is debatable, it is believed that this sweet sensation has been around since the Great Depression. It has been implied that the Cookie Table grew in popularity during this time because it offset the cost of purchasing a wedding cake, due in large part to the family and friends who baked for the wedding.