A bride has been left devastated after her new husband killed himself the day following their ‘perfect’ honeymoon – before sending her flowers from beyond the grave.
Isabel Coles, from Southern Pines, North Carolina, married her husband Christopher Coles in September 2024 after meeting on a dating app a year and a half before, and the pair were ‘insanely happy’.
The newlyweds chose to go to a beachfront music festival at the Asbury Park in New Jersey, for their honeymoon as music was a big part of their relationship.
But upon returning from the seaside festival, 32-year-old Isabel said her husband began to act ‘weird’ and refused to tell her what was on his mind.
The 28-year-old reportedly left the house the morning after the honeymoon with a handgun and walked to a nearby forest despite his wife’s attempts to stop him.
The army veteran was reportedly found the following morning, on September 18, having taken his own life.
Isabel said her husband did not show signs of struggling and was folding laundry the morning before his death.
In a final heartbreaking twist, Isabel was stunned to receive a bouquet of flowers from Christopher months after his death – as he’d arranged them to be delivered while he would be away with the military.
Isabel Coles married her husband Christopher Coles (pictured together) in September 2024 but days after they got back from their dream honeymoon, he tragically took his own life
Isabel said she and Christopher were ‘so insanely happy and in love’ when they went to the ‘Sea.Hear.Now’ Festival for their honeymoon.
‘Music was a huge part of our relationship, it was the perfect way to celebrate our marriage,’ she said.
After they flew home, Christopher ‘stayed up all night’ putting together the guest information for their wedding reception.
The couple had just married at a courthouse in September but were planning a big ceremony to celebrate with family and friends in May.
‘In the morning, he was folding laundry and things were a little weird. I asked him what was wrong, and he said ‘nothing’,’ Isabel recalled.
‘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. I ran upstairs to get shoes on and realised he had taken his handgun.’
After his disappearance, Christopher’s parents came from Georgia to help look for him and his father found him the next morning.
‘I was shocked, I was devastated. He was great during our honeymoon, we had a great time,’ Isabel said.
Isabel was stunned to receive a bouquet of flowers from Christopher (pictured together) months after his death – as he’d arranged them to be delivered while he would be away with the military
Isabel said Christopher was keen to get married in September before his deployment the following month and he proposed to her after finishing running a marathon (pictured)
The newlyweds (pictured) chose to go to a beach-front music festival at the iconic Asbury Park in New Jersey, for their honeymoon as music was a big part of their relationship
‘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?”
‘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.’
Isabel said Christopher was keen to get married in September before his deployment the following month and proposed to her after finishing running a marathon.
Isabel claimed they would often spend months apart due to Christopher’s job and that he would write her letters every day.
‘He wrote to me every single day where he was telling me about his day, almost like talking to me. He would ask me about my day knowing that I couldn’t respond,’ Isabel said.
‘My husband had just come back at the end of August and wanted to get married in case something happened to me or him.
Upon returning from the seaside festival, 32-year-old Isabel said her husband began to act ‘weird’ and refused to tell her what was on his mind
‘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,’ Isabel (pictured with Christopher) said
‘He was training for a marathon and I supported him through that. After he was done running the marathon he dropped down on one knee and proposed to me.
‘He said he could never have accomplished what he did without the love and support from me.’
On Valentine’s Day this year, Isabel received flowers that had been pre-ordered by her late husband before his death and ‘freaked out’.
‘I contacted the florist and they said he ordered the flowers in September because he knew he would be deployed and travelling back around Valentine’s Day,’ she said.
The mother-of-one shared her story online on a viral video which has gathered almost 40 million views.
Isabel claimed some commenters have slammed her for sharing her husband’s story and blamed her for his death.
Isabel now aims to raise awareness about mental health and plans to run the Chicago Marathon in October 2025 to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
‘Everyone wants a reason why. No one believes that a smart, handsome, successful man who has a great life wakes up one day and decides to end his life,’ Isabel said.
The mother-of-one shared her story online on a viral video. Isabel (pictured) claims some commenters have slammed her for sharing her husband’s story and blamed her for his death
Isabel (pictured with Christopher) now aims to raise awareness about mental health and plans to run the Chicago Marathon in October 2025 to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
‘There are people in my life that say I had something to do with it. I know it’s not true, my husband and I were very happy. No one can change that or take that away from me.
‘There are things I do blame myself for but I don’t think we were unhappy or that I did it. He obviously was fighting demons and no one knew about it. I’m not doing well; there’s a part of me that is gone forever.
‘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.
‘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.’
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit www.thecalmzone.net/get-support