Awkward with a capital A was the theme for one of the last weddings on season 12 of Married At First Sight Australia, one that saw a Kiwi bride plummet to the floor after being dropped by her husband during their first dance.
The shocking moment near the end of episode five saw Kiwi consultant Jacqui, 29, fall over and land on her back after her new husband Ryan, 36,attempted to do a dip manoeuvre during their dance.
“You’re going to have to catch me though,” Jacqui told her groom before he lost his balance and sent the pair tumbling to the floor.
But the disastrous drop wasn’t the only awkward moment in last night’s show, with Jacqui, 29, initially hesitant because her new husbandRyan didn’t meet her ultra-high standards.
I don’t think we’ve met two characters as interesting as Ryan and Jacqui yet.
Ryan is a man who describes himself as having a “warriors' mentality with modern self-awareness”, and Jacqui seems to have done every extracurricular activity under the sun, including being crowned “Miss New Zealand”.
Both are so self-aware and set in their ways about what constitutes perfection that finding harmony between them on paper seemed either hopeless or a case of opposites attract.
But despite glimmers of romance and possible connection, things ultimately fall flat and a series of comments and actions lead to what was an incredibly hard watch.
“He wasn’t blonde and he hadn’t shaved, which is a big turn off,” Jacqui tells producers.
The ceremony seemed like a bit of a one-way street, with Ryan pouring adoration on his new bride while she nitpicks at the things he didn’t do right.
While he may be a believer in “instinctive chemistry”, outsiders might think his senses were a little off.
“This is the weirdest wedding ever,” a bridesmaid said, probably voicing what was on everyone else’s mind.
Ryan and Jacqui's wedding was awkward from the get-go. Photo / Warner Bros Discovery
Off camera, Jacqui is upset because her new husband didn’t take her hand when they left the aisle. Moments later when producers ask her if she thought the pairing would last, she says it will.
After the shocking first dance drop, Jacqui seems to take it in her stride, but a “protective” (his own words) Ryan begs producers to cut the scene from the show to protect his new wife’s dignity.
The scene was clearly kept in, and it remains to be seen how the pair will react moving forward.
Judging by this rollercoaster wedding, Mafs fans will be on edge wondering whether the Kiwi and her new beau will find common ground or go down the route that Eliot and Lauren and Tim and Katie have found themselves travelling, making for a cautionary tale.
In happier news, loveable larrikin Tony, 53, was paired with DJ/fitness instructor Morena, 57.
It was nice to finally have some (somewhat) natural-seeming comedy on the show, as Tony’s ragtag bunch of groomsmen skulled “jet fuel” and shaved him with a hatchet (yes, a hatchet) in anticipation of the big day.
Morena, whose infectious zest for life and love of her family shine through, endured years of an unkind relationship.
I may be jumping the gun here, but unkind doesn’t seem like a word that matches Tony’s personality, so here’s hoping we see a successful couple emerge in the coming days and weeks.
“I’ve never met a man with the energy to match mine, but I think I’ve hit the jackpot,” Morena gushed.
And in the words of the groom himself: “I couldn’t stop smiling” he said of the joyful, somewhat normal wedding which included heartfelt vows, dancing and people genuinely having a good time.
Morena and Tony's chemistry and spectacular wedding gave me hope for the future of the show. Photo / Warner Bros Discovery
Despite comments from Tony’s cousin Steven that Morena “didn’t fit” the profile Tony usually dated and that he didn’t see “chemistry and sexuality”, I think most viewers would beg to differ.
Immature and ill-minded observations seem to be a theme on this show, and Steven stirred unnecessary drama in what was ultimately a nice wedding.
Family values and fun were the main themes at Tony and Morena's wedding. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery
With all the first-round weddings now over, I can only imagine what kind of drama is set to occur at the infamous cocktail parties.
My friends tell me they’re worth grabbing the popcorn for, and with the diverse range of couples and storylines in play this season, they might be right.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
