Wedding dessert tables have come a long way. What used to be a station reserved for a traditional cake has now grown into displays full of sweets and treats that guests can choose from. Among these add-ons are macarons, donuts, and cupcakes—sometimes, these desserts even replace a cake altogether. However, there's another classic bite-sized confection that can easily be personalized for your big day: cookies.
Though cookies aren't necessarily a novel idea—we've seen these sweets on many a wedding dessert spread—they shouldn't be overlooked. They come in diverse shapes, sizes, and flavors, which means cookies can be transformed to suit any celebration theme (while pleasing hungry wedding guests in the process!). Looking for ways to integrate these treats into your dessert table? Incorporate your color palette by icing your cookies with complementary frosting or ask your baker to create state-shaped bites that pays homage to your event's location. For a truly sentimental touch, add your wedding date or a custom monogrammed to these mini-confections.
Still in need of wedding cookie inspiration? Look to your event's paper goods for ideas that feel cohesive. A deer and a bison were featured on this celebration's suite, so Jasmine Lilly Creative painted the two animals on his-and-hers cookies. Although there's nothing wrong with serving simple milk and cookies (like many couples did ahead!), there are plenty of fresh, fun ways to encourage your guests to indulge in delicious treats on the big day. Another benefit? You can even use them in other elements of your event (think place cards and favors).
Silhouettes
We've seen plenty of creative wedding cookie ideas, but these silhouette iterations take the cake. This bride and her father purchased custom cutters from Victor Trading Co.—made in her and her fiancé's likenesses—and made the treats themselves.
Mini Cakes
If you can't part with the idea of a traditional wedding cake completely, take note from Pavlov's Lab and stack cookies on top of one another to mimic mini confections.
Greenery
Throwing your wedding outdoors? Make like Sweet Appetite Cakes and use the surrounding foliage as inspiration for your cookies' decorations.
Place Cards
Mark each attendee's place with a personalized macaron for a tasty pre-dinnner treat. Laura Hooper Calligraphy wrote guests' names on these white Buttercream Bakeshop sweets.
Flowers
Dried flowers and herbs are simple, colorful additions to cookies with plain white icing, like these by Sheila Mae.
Fortune Cookies
Encourage good luck for all on your wedding day by passing around frosted fortune cookies. Lucky Girl made these take-out classics with personalized messages from the newlyweds inside.
Cookie Favor
Greet guests with a little dessert before their main meal by placing a cookie on each of their plates. These were baked by Buttercream Bake Shop.
Two Ways
For an extra personal touch to your big-day treats, ask your baker to incorporate both your wedding date and initials onto various cookies, like these Růže Cake House confections.
Color Palette
Cookies are just another delicious way to play up your event's color palette—just look to these pink heart-shaped versions by The Whimsical Cake Company that look right at home on this blush tablescape.
Milk and Cookies
When brainstorming the perfect wedding dessert bar, don't overlook childhood favorites—like good old milk and cookies.
Printed
Asking your baker to print (not pipe!) images onto these mini confections makes for a truly one-of-a-kind design. Lelé Pâtisserie used green floral photos on these hexagonal versions (the pattern also matched this couple's cake!).
Tinder Cookies
Here's an unexpected way to incorporate your "how we met" story into your celebration. The Createrie decorated these treats with the Tinder logo and the word "like" as a nod to the online dating app, which is how this couple first connected.
His and Hers
A double signature cocktail isn't the only way to integrate a his-and-hers element into your big day, as evidenced by Danai's Cakes bride and groom cookies.
Stamps and Hearts
Two Sweets Bake Shop proves stamps aren't just for your event's paper goods—they also look great on the dessert table, too. These shortbread cookies' postage motifs were complete with the word "love" and the couple's wedding date.
Dogs
If your furry friend can't make it to your big day, honor them by serving animal-shaped treats. Elle's Belles brought these Black Labrador confections to life.
Mismatched
Guests will appreciate a broad cookie flavor choice—but they'll be even more impressed by treats topped with various designs, especially if they turn out like this colorful spread by Hands on Sweets. Though no one sweet matched the next, they were all united by a common thread: pressed flower accents.
Mustaches
Who says your big-day treats can't double as whimsical photo props? Nadia & Co. created these mustache cookies, which definitely made for funny wedding pictures.
Textured
These flower-painted Dolce & Gâteaux cookies are proof that icing can be as artistic as it is delicious.
Matching Flowers
Reinforce your dessert table's floral arrangements in an unexpected way by painting mini blooms onto square cookies, like Sweet and Saucy did here.
Escort Cards
Here's proof that cookies are more than just a dessert. These chocolate chip options—baked by the bride's brother—also served as escort cards at this celebration.
Ring-Shaped
A large engagement ring-shaped cookie, like this one by Sugar Crush Sweets, pays homage to your sparkler is the sweetest way possible.
Toile-Pattered
Planning a formal affair? Try something like Buttercream Bake Shop's elegant toile-patterned sugar cookies for your elevated dessert table.
Terra-Cotta
Terra-cotta is a must-have for any desert-inspired celebration. So if you're looking for a way to add it to your dessert menu, bookmark these T Bakes cookies that were styled to look like pieces of tile.
Monogrammed
Your custom monogram isn't limited to your big-day paper goods. Sogi's Honey Bakeshop incorporated this couple's Happy Menocal cypher onto their celebration's treats.
Marbled
These marbled Rose Cakes confections would look right at home on a modern dessert table.
Botanical
These Buttercream Bake Shop treats prove that you can seamlessly interpret any theme through cookies. Jeweled scarab beetles and protea flowers adorned these botanical-inspired sweets at this garden wedding.
Scrabble Tiles
Cookies are always delicious, but you can also make them entertaining. At this celebration, guests played a mini version of Scrabble with these Nutmeg Bake Shop treats that spelled out "love."
Cookie Wall
Not only can you get creative with the different types of cookies you serve, but also with how you display them. Six varieties of Ruby Lou's Treat Co. treats were served on shelves on this food wall—guests were encouraged to grab and snack.
Minimalist
For a modern event, serve white frosted cookies topped with just your initials to add to your minimalist vibe. These treats were made by Elly's Sweet Tooth.
Milk Cartons
Know what's better than serving milk and cookies at your wedding? Offering cookies that look like milk cartons, like these by Sugar Crush Sweets.
State-Inspired
A state-shaped cookie is a delectable way to represent your wedding's locale. Elle's Belles created these California-inspired treats for this Napa Valley celebration.
Champagne
Serve celebratory Champagne in more than one way on your wedding day. Bee'in Creative With Cookies did just that by baking cookies in the shape of the classic big-day drink that were topped with funny directions: "Pop, Fizz, and Clink."