Bride Receives Card On Her Wedding Day From Her Father From Beyond The Grave

A bride received a letter and card from her dad from beyond the grave on her wedding day. Freya Rosati was just 11 when her dad, Philip Hargreaves, died from esophageal cancer at the age of 53. The two were very close but understanding his fate, Philip wrote nine cards for Freya, eight for birthdays, and a final one for her wedding day in the weeks before he died.

Freya,now 32 years old and a self-professed “daddy’s girl”, she was determined to involve her father as much as possible on her big day. Little bits and pieces of their 11 years together were everywhere from the music to the decor. Having enjoyed a holiday to Antigua, Freya had steel pans play her aisle-walk music. Photographs of Philip and Freya bedecked a ‘memory tree’ which sat at the front of the wedding venue.

But it was her mom Theresa reading the card to wedding guests in lieu of Philip’s father-of-the-bride speech—that left everyone in tears. Freya said “Even looking at his handwriting on that card, it really just felt like he was there, and it was so nice. It was such a sad moment but so important to me that the card was read out.”

The message Philip wrote is as heartwarming as the circumstance in which it was read. “I wish I could be standing next to you, the proudest dad in the world, to walk you down the aisle to the man you love, and to the next chapter in your life. Today is your day, enjoy everything about it. Laugh and cry. Be happy and confident. Face everything full-on. You will then succeed in your life together. You gave me some of the proudest moments in my life with your sense of humor, intelligence, understanding, and caring nature. Don’t ever change. Love you forever, dad.”