A woman was brought to tears when she found a secret message inscribed on her wedding shoes – a present from her mother who died two years ago.
Emma Letts, from Kibworth Beauchamp in Leicestershire, got engaged in 2016 – one month before her mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Letts had hoped her mum would see her marry her fiancé Richard in August 2019, but she died in 2017.
Although Emma’s mum hasn’t been around during the wedding preparations, she left a surprise for her daughter to uncover when she went to collect her wedding shoes from a local shop.
When Emma first got engaged, the 34-year-old put a deposit down on a custom pair of bridal shoes at ‘Lace and Love’ in Leicestershire.
Unbeknown to her, Emma’s mum then paid for them and left a note to be written on the soles, without her daughter knowing.
“Wanted you to have a gift from me on your wedding day,” the message reads. “Your wedding shoes are my gift to you. Hope you have a magical day. Lots and lots of love and big hugs, mum xxxx”
Emma went to collect the shoes last week and discovered the hidden note from her mother. “I had absolutely no idea. My fiancé knew about it,” she told the BBC. “It was just an absolute shock. I was just in bits. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk.”
Amanda Weise, owner of Lace and Love, said: “Sadly, [Emma’s mum] died before they were finished. The bride was so emotional upon receiving them.”
Emma also shared her story on Facebook, adding: “I cannot stop looking at my beautiful shoes. I am totally in love.”
She said she’s received lots of messages of support after sharing her story. “It’s really nice to hear that obviously, what I’m feeling, that other people have gone through it,” she said. “And to know that there are people out there who are planning weddings and not having their mum there.”