Forget the cake, I'm here for the cookies

It was actually a line item in the contract with my wedding hall vendor - a table for cookies had to be provided. I can't imagine a wedding in Youngstown without one. Friends from around the country are in awe by this tradition, but it's expected, if not demanded, in Youngstown.

My wedding closed out with close to 250 dozen cookies. Do the math. The saddest part was that I have no idea where the leftovers went. I'm guessing the wait staff enjoyed homemade treats for days, if not weeks.

(The photo is the only evidence of my cookie table that I can find. Being a firefighter, the groom's cake was a hit as well.)

The New York Times has all the news on cookie tables that's fit to print, except to say it gets it wrong on the origin of the cookie table. Pittsburgh has nothing on Youngstown and I said so three years ago. Those out-of-towners who have no idea what I am talking about need to read the article below.

* The Wedding? I’m Here for the Cookies (New York Times. December 15, 2009)

N.E. Ohio is "haven" for wedding cookie tables!

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society has just opened a new exhibit entitled 'Mahoning Valley Weddings: Romance, Ritual and the Cookie Table.' My favorite aspect of the exhibit was this tidbit: The Mahoning Valley is a "haven" for the cookie table. Unknown to many areas throughout the country, this wedding tradition appears to be most popular in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

Check out http://www.mahoninghistory.org/Exhibits/mvwpics.stm for more information.