Married at First Sight: Honeymoon Island featured two couples getting engaged, one pair leaving the show dating, and one woman getting her heart broken during Tuesday night's finale broadcast on Lifetime.
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The majority of the show featured four couples blossoming and deepening their connections.
Brandin Brosh, a 28-year-old clothing boutique owner from Biloxi, MS, was paired with Jona Bienko, a 35-year-old auto broker from Como, CO.
Eric Acosta, a 31-year-old entrepreneur and son of a diplomat from Denver, CO, matched himself with Katie Muller, a 28-year-old in digital advertising from Denver, CO.
Shannon Raddler, a 33-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Atlanta, GA, pursued Kimber Gardner, a 28-year-old medical sales representative from Las Vegas, NV.
And finally, Jada Rashawn, a 27-year-old professional nanny placement specialist and brand spokesperson from San Antonio, TX, was a couple with Chris Perry, a 29-year-old musician, personal trainer and youth counselor from Binghamton, NY.
Married at First Sight: Honeymoon Island, Episode 8 (Finale)
The Honeymoon Island finale began on Day 19, with Jona asking for Brandin's mother, Susan, and father, Brad, for their permission to propose marriage.
Jona said he had met the woman of his dreams and he was very happy with her. Jona insisted his feelings were "not artificial" and the experts had done a fantastic job gathering cast members with similar goals, values and desires.
"I know this is an insane situation and you don't know me, but I am looking for a wife. I would like to commit my life to your daughter," Jona told Brandin's parents via Skype.
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Based on what Brad had heard about Jona, he said, "Why not give it a shot?! If she says 'yes,' she will be totally committed to you, and all I can say is congratulations and you have our blessing. We are happy for you."
On Day 20, Dr. Jessica and Pastor Cal told the cast members their three-week honeymoon was about to come to an end and they needed to decide whether they were ready to get married and could see themselves marrying their partners on the island.
Shannon was feeling "nervous and scared," as he didn't know what decision he was going to make.
Brandin admitted it was "kind of crazy" to have fallen for a guy so fast. She wasn't sure she was ready to commit to a man after knowing him for only three weeks.
Meanwhile, Eric and Katie's relationship had not reached a physical level. Although Katie's romance was moving slower than the others, she could definitely envision a future with Eric.
As for Kimber, she didn't believe Shannon was going to propose to her because she doesn't want to welcome children. Kimber really cared for Shannon and didn't want their relationship to end.
And Jada got emotional talking about her relationship with Chris with the other girls. She revealed she had sex with Chris the previous night and if he wanted to propose to her at the end of this journey, she would totally say "yes."
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Eric admitted an engagement was on his mind and he was "falling in love with Katie," but he was still sleeping on the couch, which was "a big red flag."
The guys acknowledged Jona was crazy about Brandin and they just hoped she was on the same page, and then Shannon announced he "never had this type of connection" with anyone else.
However, Shannon wasn't entirely certain she's "the one," especially since they hadn't gotten to date in the real world. He was confused.
Chris then told the group that he wanted to introduce Jada to his family and to his daughter in person. Chris said he wasn't ready to get married and "that's it."
Later that day, Chris and Jada enjoyed a romantic picnic on the beach. Chris told the cameras he was falling in love with Jada but feared merging their lives together after the show since he currently resides in New York and she lives in Texas.
Kimber and Shannon also took a walk on the beach and enjoyed a romantic meal by the water.
Kimber and Shannon had instant chemistry and attraction on the show, but the couple needed to decide whether they had what it would take to sustain a relationship long-term.
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Kimber felt she could be herself around Shannon and that he made her feel safe and comfortable in her own skin. She just hoped Shannon reciprocated those feelings.
On "Final Decision Day," all of the men were given an opportunity to go shopping for engagement rings. Eric began having second thoughts, but Jona was still gung-ho about popping the question -- even if he got rejected and ended up with nothing.
Although all of the men looked at rings, Jona was the only man shown buying one for his love interest. Chris was struggling to decide whether to get engaged or walk away with nothing at all, and Eric wondered whether he could go from "couch to commitment."
"Final Decision Day" on Day 21 then came down to each couple making a decision about their future in a beautiful floral-decorated gazebo.
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"I adore Shannon. My feelings for him are so real and so strong, but if I left Honeymoon Island without Shannon, I would be heartbroken and devastated -- because Shannon is perfect for me," Kimber said in a confessional.
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Once they met face to face, Shannon told Kimber that he felt she was his soul mate and he couldn't envision a future with her. On the same page, Kimber said Shannon had surpassed her expectations and she didn't want to stop looking at him, touching him and laughing with him.
"I don't want this to come to an end. I don't want to leave this island without you. I don't know how this is going to look in the future, but I want to have a future together. Will you marry me?" Shannon asked.
Kimber replied, "Yes, I want nothing more than to go on this journey with you."
Shannon said it was the best decision he had ever made, and Kimber was so thrilled to leave Fiji with this amazing man by her side.
Eric was then shown meeting with Pastor Cal because he needed some serious advice about his relationship. While Eric really liked Katie and called her "a rare find," he worried she had "friend-zoned" him.
When it became time to commit to Katie on the island, he grew frightened and decided to leave alone. Eric felt "relieved" about the idea of being single and not having to lead Katie on anymore. With that being said, he simply left Katie a note and decided not to meet with her in person to break up.
"It hurts," Katie said in tears. "I think he wasn't ready to commit because I wasn't willing to let him into my bedroom. I want someone to like me for more than that. I feel blindsided and humiliated to be honest, but I'm still open to finding love... I'm not going to let anyone close me off. I wish Eric the best."
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Afterward, Chris was shown meeting with Jada in the white gazebo. He needed to make sure Jada was "The One" before he felt comfortable enough to bring her into his daughter's life.
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"I can confidentally tell you right here that I am falling in love with you," Jada explained.
Chris said Jada's presence made him feel warm and vulnerable. He came to the island and found exactly what he was looking for in Jada, but then Chris confessed he was worried about being able to make things work outside of the show and in real life.
"But I want to at least try... I'm so glad I met a beautiful black queen, and there's no better choice for me. You are everything I want in a woman and I am in love with you," Chris told her, before taking out a ring.
Chris admitted he wasn't ready to get engaged but he asked her to accept a "commitment ring" so they could continue their journey together after Honeymoon Island.
Jada was so glad to have found a romance rooted in God and in love, and she expressed how thankful she was to have joined the cast of Honeymoon Island.
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The episode concluded with Jona and Brandin's final decision. She was "freaking out" a little bit, but she clearly had strong feelings for Jona.
Jona had completely fallen in love with Brandin and had no doubts about proposing to her; however, he had no idea what her answer was going to be.
Upon meeting face to face, Jona promised to put Brandin's needs before his own and do everything in his power to always be there for her. He promised to listen, be patient and kind, and love her unconditionally.
"I promise to never stop striving to be the man that you deserve. So with that, I'd like to make one last promise to you, and that promise is that all the promises I've made are no longer tied to our time here on this island," Jona told Brandin.
"I need you to know I'm committed to following through with them for the rest of my life... I want to spend the rest of my life with you and there is no doubt in my mind that you are my forever."
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Both individuals were on Cloud 9, and Brandin confessed it was "crazy" her roller-coaster journey on the show ended with an engagement.
Brandin gushed about how Honeymoon Island was an "absolutely incredible experience" and she felt "so lucky."
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
