PHOTO BY WILD NATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

My own wedding was fairly traditional — the ceremony was held in my hometown church and the reception immediately followed next door in the church hall. I wore a white dress, danced to “Butterfly Kisses” with my father, and, most likely, although I’ve blocked it from my memory, did the Macarena at some point.

We didn’t have anything out-of-the-ordinary planned — until a final meeting with our caterer.

A few weeks before the wedding, my parents, who were hosting, wanted to add an appetizer course. As the caterer went through their list of offerings, they mentioned various dessert options, including a cheesecake bar. My cheesecake-loving husband’s ears perked up, and I love any food you can customize, and so a cheesecake bar was added. Martini glasses held the small slices of cheesecake and guests could add chocolate or strawberry sauce, sprinkles, cherries and more. It was one little extra that made my wedding feel special, and I still remember how happy our guests were — and how good it tasted.

Desserts have only continued to get more creative in the years since my wedding. In this issue, we feature donuts, Millie’s ice cream and a candy cart in our story: “More Than Just Cookies,”and you’ll find samples of gorgeous naked cakes here. Victoria Deardorff of Burgh Brides gives tips on all things dessert-related in her regular column, and of course we end with the ultimate Pittsburgh wedding dessert — our cookie table contest winner.

By the way, that cheesecake bar at my wedding did not mean we spent any less energy on our cookie table, which my mother spent months organizing and baking for. No matter how creative couples get with their weddings, I hope that’s one tradition that never goes away.

Weddings Editor Lauren Davidson can be reached at LDavidson@PittsburghMagazine.com.