Source: Kinetic Content / Kinetic Content
Last night, the season 11 premiere of “Married At First Sight: The Matchmaking Special” aired on Lifetime.
There we met the men and women who had been selected to participate in the experiment and heard the experts share why they believed they would (and wouldn’t) be good matches for one another.
At the end of the episode, we learned that 26-year-old Miles, a school administrator (and his friend Woody) had been matched.
Miles is set to marry 30-year-old Karen, who said during the matchmaking special that in her last relationship ended when she learned her boyfriend had fathered another child. Lovely.
So, needless to say sis might be a little guarded.
As we reported earlier, those feelings came to a head when she learned the identity of her groom before her wedding day, which is the entire premise of the show.
We had a chance to interview Miles about his experience participating in the show and how he felt about Karen knowing his identity before they said “I do.” See what he had to say below.
.MN: Why did you both decide to participate in Married At First Sight?
Miles: Karen and I were both looking for long-term partners that we could build with. Family is really important to us and we both were looking to build a strong, joyful foundation with someone before starting a family.
What fears did you have about the process, once you learned you had been accepted?
I had so many concerns; rational and irrational as soon as I knew I had a match. “Who is she?” “Have I met/dated her before?” “Have my friends met or dated her before?” “What if we don’t like the same music?” “What if we don’t like each other?” So many “what if’s” went through my head but once we met, a lot of those fears subsided.
What had your dating/relationship history been like before the start of the show?
I have been fortunate to be in some really good relationships up to this point. My last relationship ended a little over two years ago and I spent a lot of time over that span reflecting on how I can be better in relationships and what I want in a lifelong partner. I’ve casually dated in that time frame and am grateful that I was able to learn from people and about myself.
Your bride knew who you were—or knew of you before your wedding. Did you know her identity before the wedding as well? Or did you recognize her after the ceremony?
She did! I’m kind of jealous she had a leg up on who I am before coming down the aisle. Luckily I’m more than my social media pages! I recognized some of her friends as I came down the aisle so I was a little nervous but I’d never seen or heard of her before we met and married which was refreshing.
These days, culturally, getting married in your twenties is becoming less and less common. Did your family and friends express any reservations about you getting married so young?
I think the reservations my family had was more connected to the method in which I was getting married and not my age. I feel like age isn’t an indicator of maturity or readiness to be married and my family understood that I was ready and this was what I wanted so they were very supportive.
The new season of “Married At First Sight” airs tonight at 8 pm on Lifetime.
