In a heartwarming celebration of love and literacy, a Chicago couple has marked their marriage by giving the gift of books to children, rather than asking for traditional wedding presents.
Katy Coffey and Brian Werle met later in life, after raising their children and moving on from earlier marriages. Their story began quietly, reconnecting through mutual friends and growing close over the years. Last March, they took out a marriage license at the Cook County clerk’s office, and two weeks later, they were married on Coffey’s birthday. The ceremony included her son and his childhood friend performing “All You Need Is Love.”
But what made their celebration stand out wasn’t just the vows—it was the books.
Instead of creating a wedding registry filled with household items, Coffey and Werle asked their guests to buy children’s books. They planned to donate the books to a center serving young children. Their goal: to inspire curiosity, imagination, and joy through reading.
“Reading was really important in both of our households,” Coffey explained. “We read every day, every night.”
Her daughter Rosie even has tattoos of beloved childhood book characters, including Harold from *Harold and the Purple Crayon* and Strega Nona. Coffey, meanwhile, has boxes of children’s books stored away, waiting to be passed down to future grandchildren.
Through Rosie, who works at Start Early, a nonprofit focused on early childhood development, the couple connected with Educare, a learning center for children up to five years old in the Washington Park neighborhood. They reached out to Educare for a wish list of books, then partnered with Women & Children First, a well-known independent bookstore in Andersonville, for additional recommendations.
They built a book registry that included titles like *The Rainbow Fish*, *Julian Is a Mermaid*, *The Color Monster*, and *Being You*. Guests used a QR code included in the wedding invitation to purchase books, which were sent directly to Coffey and Werle.
At the wedding, the couple displayed the colorful books on a table alongside place cards. Soon after, they delivered 62 books to Educare.
“It felt really good,” said Werle.
Their gift was more than symbolic. It was a meaningful investment in young lives—giving children access to stories that reflect who they are and who they can become.
“What we want,” said Coffey, “is for the next generation to feel loved and celebrated, to be proud of their diversity, and to feel seen.”
In a time when hope often feels in short supply, this gesture offered something powerful: love shared not just between two people, but extended to a community of children, one story at a time.
