In 2016, Emma got engaged to her boyfriend, Richard.
However, just one month after the 38-year-old started the journey towards her wedding, her mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She was given between one and two years to live, and Emma hoped that she could attend the wedding, but she passed away the following year.
Emma, who hails from Kibworth Beauchamp in Leicestershire, is set to get married in August this year, and believed she would be doing so without her mom. Yet with one small act of kindness, her parent is going to be there in spirit, after leaving behind a heartfelt message for her daughter.
Just last week, Emma received her bridal shoes for the wedding, but discovered that her mother had already paid for them. Not only that, but there was a message written on the sole of the shoes to surprise her daughter. The note read:
"Wanted you to have a gift from me on your wedding day. Your wedding shoes are my gift to you. Hope you have a magical day. Lots and lots of love and big hugs, MUM xxxx"
When she received the shoes last weekend, Emma was in complete shock. Her mother had written letters to the rest of her family before she passed away, but she'd always thought her mother ran out of time before she could write one for her - but now she's been proven wrong in the most wonderful way.
"It's been so hard planning a wedding without having her with me, and I have had lots of tears," Emma told the BBC. "I had absolutely no idea, my fiancé knew about it. It was just an absolute shock."
"I pulled out the one shoe and I saw part of the message and I couldn't think who it would be. I started to cry... I was just absolutely in bits. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk. I didn't get a letter, she just ran out of time. So this is special to me."
Amanda Weise was the woman behind the shoes, running the online shop Lace and Love - which customises shoes. She said it was lovely to be a part of a gift like this, explaining how she was contacted by Emma's mother after the initial order had been placed.
"Her mum actually emailed me and said she wanted to pay for the shoes. I said, 'well she's already paid half'. She said, 'can I pay for it all and then you refund her the money when she gets the shoes?'
"I was aware that she was terminally ill at the time. I think Emma was kind of hoping she would see the wedding. From the message that she wrote, I think she did intend for it to be after she was gone.
"It's probably the most emotional pair of shoes I'm ever going to make. Hopefully it will give her a bit of comfort on the day. It will be like walking down the aisle with her mum."
Emma later shared her story on Facebook, and has been overwhelmed by the messages she received.
"It's really nice to hear that obviously, what I'm feeling, that other people have gone through it, and to know that there are people out there who are planning weddings and not having their mum there," she said.
H/T: BBC
