Cookie Tables not new to me
Yes, this is a small world. I am originally from Niles, OH and still live in NE Ohio.
When my son and DIL were planning their wedding a few years ago, I was curious about the history of the cookie table. To me, it was an expected part of the menu. I learned that decades long ago (circa Depression), the families might not be able to afford a wedding cake, so family members and friends baked cookies and brought them for the happy couple. This seemed to originate with ethnic ceremonies, but I have observed that people of many religions and nationality cultures have cookie tables. Cookie tables are definitely a regional tradition, roughly stretching from Trumbull Co. (or so) in OH to Pittsburgh, PA and are unofficially the most popular part of the entire wedding!
Until you attend a happy event (weddings, graduations, etc) that have cookie table(s), you probably have no idea how tremendous the displays can be. I found these pictures on websites to demonstrate how massive they often are (these sizes are not unusually large). As you can see, most cookies are fancy and time-intensive to make—very special cookies. One of the most popular and traditional cookie is, again, a regional favorite—the clothespin cookie. It is a bite-sized version of a lady lock. YUM!
This is just one of our very wonderful traditions in this region.