When Nadia Howard and Ashley Smith decided to tie the knot, they wanted a unique way to share their special day with the people who created their love story, so they gifted their guests with their own.
The newlyweds found a touching way to thank everyone who attended their wedding by gifting each of them a book that had a special connection to them.
The books, which the couple had wrapped in paper to match their color scheme, not only contained a sweet note explaining why they chose the story, but also their table number.
The heartfelt idea came to life thanks to the couple, who shared it in a video shared on TikTok, at their wedding in Bedford, England.
The clip, which has been viewed more than 140,000 times, shows the adorable touch in detail.
Newlyweds Nadia Howard and Ashley Smith found a touching way to thank all the guests who attended their wedding by gifting each of them a book.
The couple had set up a bookshelf with all the novels wrapped in pastel-colored paper with their names and table numbers carefully printed on the spine.
Once their guests found their names in the book, Nadia and Ashley wrote them a letter explaining why they chose that particular book for them.
“We both love to read, so a bookshelf was perfect for our day,” Nadia explained in a TikTok video.
During preparations for the wedding, the couple searched their personal collections and charity shops for the perfect book for each guest.
There were no specific rules; some choices were based on hobbies, while others were simply books they thought they would enjoy.
“It was fantastic to see the guests’ reactions when they walked into the room and saw the bookshelf,” she added.
Nadia and Ashley made the makeshift covers themselves, using a paper cutting machine to create the letters for the names.
“It wasn’t hard once we got used to it, but it did take quite a while!” they wrote in a comment on TikTok.
Once their guests found their names in the book, Nadia and Ashley wrote them a letter explaining why they chose that book for them.
TikTok users loved the creative and heartfelt idea, as one wrote: “If someone made this and I could go to the wedding and open it and it was a book I liked, I would cry.”
They added that they deliberately did not use tape or adhesive so that the books could be donated or given away if guests did not like them.
“We folded our covers in such a way that we didn’t use tape so the book wouldn’t get damaged,” Nadia explained.
“We also wrote our message on the covers rather than on the book itself, so guests could easily gift or donate it,” she continued.
“A lot of generic wedding gifts get thrown away,” Nadia said. “So I hope this idea doesn’t create more waste than that, but instead gives a new life to some second-hand books.”
TikTok users loved the creative and emotional idea.
“If someone did that and I could go to the wedding and open it and it was a book I liked, I would cry,” one user said.
“This is truly magical. I would have loved to attend this wedding. Great job!” another agreed.
“This is absolutely beautiful,” another person commented. “True inclusion in someone’s special day is when they think about your experience as much as their own and you know those books and memories will last forever.”
“I’m very happy with the result,” Nadia said. “It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it in the end.”
