Bride’s heartache as groom dies by suicide four days after wedding
These newlyweds were married for less than a week when their “happily ever after” came to an abrupt, traumatic end. Warning: Distressing
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Warning: Distressing
A US bride has been left heartbroken after her new husband died by suicide after returning home from their “perfect” honeymoon – before sending her flowers from the grave.
Isabel Coles, from Southern Pines, North Carolina, married her husband Christopher in September last year after meeting on a dating app just 18 months earlier.
The 32-year-old said they were “insanely happy” together, and after tying the knot, they chose to head to a beachfront music festival for their honeymoon.
But just 1 day after the music fans returned home, Isabel’s “happily ever after” came to an abrupt and traumatic end, when her army veteran husband took his own life at the age of just 28.
Tragically, the pair had been husband and wife for just 4 days.
“In the morning, he was folding laundry and things were a little weird,” Isabel recalled.
“I asked him what was wrong, and he said ‘nothing’. Then he went downstairs and tried to get out.
“I stood at the front door and asked what was going on. He got out and started heading towards the woods.”
Isabel said she ran upstairs to get some shoes, but by the time she got to the front door, he was no where to be seen.
With the help of Christopher’s parents, they went to look for him, but the next morning his father found him dead in the woods.
“I was shocked, I was devastated. He was great during our honeymoon, we had a great time,” she said.
Just days earlier, the couple had married at a courthouse, and were planning a big ceremony to celebrate with family and friends the following May.
Isabel said during their honeymoon at the Sea. Hear. Now Festival at Asbury Park in New Jersey, the pair were “so insanely happy and in love”.
After his death, Isabel was overcome with guilt for not recognising any signs her husband was struggling.
“My husband was very successful and very driven and motivated and he was such a good person, so looking back I think, ‘Were there signs?’” she explained.
“He was very hard on himself, always pushing himself. There were no signs, it did take me really off guard.
“After he passed, I got an overwhelming amount of messages from people saying we looked so happy and that they always wanted what we had.”
In an unexpected turn of events three months after he died, Isabel was stunned to receive a bouquet of flowers on Valentines Day.
“In February I got a flower delivery from him and I freaked out,” she said. “I contacted the florist and they said he ordered the flowers in September.”
The mum-of-one shared her story online in a viral video which has gathered almost 40 million views.
Isabel claims some commenters have slammed her for sharing her husband’s story, with some cruel trolls going as far as to blame her for his death.
She now aims to raise awareness about mental health and is training to run the Chicago Marathon in October 2025 to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
“Everyone wants a reason why,” she said.
“No one believes that a smart, handsome, successful man who has a great life wakes up one day and decides to end his life.
“He obviously was fighting demons and no one knew about it.”
While Isabel is trying to find light in the tragedy of losing Christopher, she said she struggles with him being gone.
“There’s a part of me that is gone forever,” she explained.
“There’s still so much that I’m dealing with that makes me feel like I’m reliving the moment over and over again which is very tough.
“There are things I do blame myself for but I don’t think we were unhappy.
“He didn’t do it to hurt me, he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. For whatever reason he probably thought that people would be better off without him.”
Originally published as Bride’s heartache as groom dies by suicide four days after wedding
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