The Cookie Table – A Pittsburgh Wedding Tradition
Every bride-to-be has her checklist of essentials for the big day. The perfect venue, gown, photographer, hairstyle, centerpieces, favors, menu, and gifts for her bridesmaids are just a few items high on the list of any bride’s priorities, whether she’s sharing her special day with only the nearest and dearest family, or celebrating her nuptials with what can feel like the whole world. Any bride hailing from the Steel City, however, knows that no wedding is complete without a cookie table.
To many of you, this may seem like a no brainer, while brides not native to Pittsburgh may be scratching their heads thinking, “Cookie table? Why would you have cookies with all that wedding cake?” The cookie table is a tradition, in some form or another, spanning throughout parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia stemming from European immigrants, of primarily Catholic descent. The cookie table has a presence in industrial locations that were inhabited in part by ethnic groups consisting of Italians, and Greeks among other Eastern European immigrants.
Because Pittsburgh is the melting pot that it is, the cookie table has had a sturdy foothold in local culture for generations upon generations, traditionally prepared by the bride-to-be’s close female relatives and sometimes the women of the groom’s family, working together to lovingly bake hundreds, even thousands, of cookies of various styles such as pizzelles, baklava, lady locks, nut cups, buckeyes, thumbprints, biscotti, Italian anise drops, and cherry cheesecake cups.
As traditional as the wedding cookie table is, it can still be made your own in many ways. Some brides now embellish their cookie table with candies of their wedding colors, such as M&Ms and jelly beans. Some cookie tables are made available throughout the day, while others are presented after the meal. On occasion, smaller plates of cookies are placed at each guest table to snack on during the meal before the full cookie table is revealed. Many couples even have the foresight to provide Chinese take-out boxes, or plastic baggies with ribbon so that their guests may take cookies home with them for later, which prevents any cookies from being wasted in the rare event that there are any left over at the end of the celebration.
No one has successfully pinpointed when or where the cookie table originated, though one interesting theory implies that the cookie table grew in popularity in the states during the Great Depression as a way to combat the financial hardship of purchasing a wedding cake, because the burden was distributed among close family.
No matter where it began, it is here to stay in Pittsburgh, embraced as an unquestionable wedding staple, allowing us to indulge in our rich cultural.
Not All Wedding Cakes Are Equal
Your dream dress has been found, the invitations are being printed, and the florist has ordered up the perfect blooms, now your attention has turned towards the ultimate confection – your wedding cake.
Generally, you should order your wedding cake 4 to 6 months prior to the wedding date. If you already have your heart set on a cake designer – by all means contact them before this time period to reserve your date. If not, consider attending local bridal fairs to see sample work from area designers, or ask other vendors you are utilizing to make recommendations. Often your caterer or banquet facility can recommend fine bakers that they have worked with in the past.
When choosing a private cake designer or bakery shop, there are many aspects to consider before making your final selection. Brides should always make it a point to view photographs of the designer’s recent work to weigh in on quality and workmanship of the finished products. Also ask for references from past brides utilizing their services. This is your best guide regarding how accommodating, professional, and reliable the baker is. And, above all, schedule a cake consultation to include product tasting.
During your cake consultation, there are several key areas that should be considered and discussed:
- Design style – take photos/magazine clippings of design elements that you like.
Beautiful Wedding Cake
- Size or number of tiers – this is usually based on your estimated number of guests.
- Types of frosting – buttercream, fondant, royal icing.
- Cake flavors and fillings – ask to taste a variety.
- Accents – fresh flowers, gumpaste flowers, edible beading.
- Cake topper styles – traditional, fresh floral, sugared fruit.
- Pricing and delivery fees.
Keep in mind that your reception venue may charge a cake cutting fee. Call ahead to see if there will be a fee for cutting the cake, and don’t be shy about negotiating the fee or even having it removed entirely. You are probably already paying the facility pretty well, so it’s worth a shot. Otherwise, this fee usually comes out to about $1 per slice, so whatever it will be remember to include that amount in your budget.
This post contributed by Jody Wimer.
From Favors to Food: Common Bridesmaid Duties
Let’s assume you’re here because one of your closest friends just asked you to be in her upcoming wedding. Exciting, right? Sure, the nuptials may be months away, but you still have a few bridesmaid duties you’ll be called upon to do. Depending on the bride, she may or may not ask that much of you. On the other hand, she could have a long list of bridesmaids’ responsibilities just waiting for you to complete.
In order to be prepared for the strain, hammering out some kind of a time-line and responsibility list well in advance is always a good move. As the day approaches, the jittery bride-to-be may get a little stressed and hard to reach. Here are some typical bridesmaid’s responsibilities that may be asked of you.
A Bridesmaid’s Responsibilities
1. Buy the dress: One of the primary bridesmaid duties is footing the bill for the dress you’ll wear. Hopefully, the bride will have chosen something that fits within everyone’s budget. However, you’ll want to purchase your dress in advance in case it needs alteration work or something similar.
Occasionally, some brides choose one style of dress – not an ideal situation for bridesmaids with different body types. Embellish your dress with a cute jacket if sleeveless doesn’t suit you or wear body-shaping undergarments for dresses that are too tight or too short.
Wedding Favors
2. Assemble favors: The bride may ask your help with putting together or dreaming up the wedding favors. These kinds of bridesmaid duties are a great project on which all the girls can help! Based on the wedding’s theme or colors, you can come prepared with some ideas in mind and share them with the group. If it’s more of a project night, bring some goodies like cookies, wine, or popcorn for the group to enjoy while you assemble.
3. Organize gifts on the wedding day: Ideally, each bridesmaid should have unique bridesmaid duties on the day of the wedding. As part of the other thousands of bridesmaid’s responsibilities which have to get done, the bride may ask you to organize the gifts as they are placed on the table and perhaps direct guests to sign the guest book or answer questions about the night’s festivities and the venue’s facilities.
4. Greet guests on the wedding day: Similar to the above task, a bridesmaid or two should stand guard at the front entrance, smiling and greeting guests as they enter. They should also coordinate these efforts with the groomsmen, who will then usher each new arrival to their table at the church, venue, or reception.
5. Arrive early or on time: In order to keep up with everything that’s going on that day, make sure to arrive when the bride asks you to. It’s obvious it’s going to be a long day, but if you’re rushing to the ceremony or reception with ten minutes to spare, someone else will have picked up the slack and performed your bridesmaid duties alone.
6. Carry the bride’s essentials: Managing the bride’s essentials is one of the most important bridesmaid duties. One of the bridesmaids should keep track of all the bride’s essentials. The maid of honor ideally attends to her train while she walks around, perhaps even arranging it for pictures. The other bridesmaids should have tissues on hand, extra makeup, safety pins, and whatever else will keep the bride looking flawless throughout the wedding day.
7. Offer direction to wait staff at the reception venue: It’s a given that everyone will be running around to make sure the wedding reception flows smoothly. Part of the bridesmaids’ responsibilities should include directing the wait staff in regards to table placement, the cake, the food (whether it be buffet or sit down), drinks, and any protocol. Make sure signs clearly delineate who sits at which table. Verify that the speakers aren’t too close to any one table.
Bridesmaids at a Wedding in Pittsburgh, PA
8. Collaborate with the other bridesmaids: The night before, create a game plan with the other bridesmaids to ensure you are all on the same page as far as each bridesmaid’s responsibilities. Assign roles and duties so that everything goes off without a hitch during the actual ceremony and reception.
9. Ensure the bride’s dress is ready to go: Someone will need to be in charge of making sure the dress is pressed, fresh, and ready to go. If it needs alteration work, take it and pick it up. If it needs to be dry cleaned, make a stop at the dry cleaners as well!
10. Provide moral support: Offering a shoulder to cry on or some friendly words will go a lot farther than you could think – and is often more valued than perhaps any of the other bridesmaid duties. She is stressed and tired of planning day after day – being a friend is the most important thing.
Carrying Out Bridesmaid’s Responsibilities with a Smile
Sure, all these bridesmaid duties may be a lot of work and a little stressful to boot. Just remember that the bride decided to honor you with the responsibility of standing up for her on her wedding day. Cherish your bridesmaid’s responsibilities and take lots of pictures!
This post contributed by Cherie Johnson.
Featured Advertiser
