'Married at First Sight' premiere recap: Six strangers prepare for their weddings -- Dresses, rings and parties!

Married at First Sight premiered with six Boston-based individuals preparing to wed a complete stranger for Season 6 of the Lifetime reality series, from shopping for ceremony attire to celebrating bachelorette or bachelor parties.


The six participants who agreed to marry at first sight are Jaclyn Schwartzberg, a 29-year-old teacher turned sales representative; Ryan Buckley, a 29-year-old firefighter; Molly Duff, a 25-year-old commercial insurance adjuster; Jonathan Francetic, a 28-year-old U.S. Army veteran and former financial associate; Shawniece Jackson, a 29-year-old entrepreneur and cosmetologist; and Jephte Pierre, a 26-year-old second grade teacher.

Matched by Married at First Sight experts Dr. Jessica Griffin, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Pastor Calvin Roberson, Jaclyn will be shown marrying Ryan, Molly will walk down the aisle to Jonathan, and Shawniece will become a wife to Jephte.

The experts matched Jaclyn and Ryan because they both share a special energy and optimism in life, and they both have very active lifestyles.

Jaclyn loves trying new sports and eating healthy. Her last boyfriend passed away from an undiagnosed autoimmune disease about two years ago, and she was hoping to find someone just as wonderful.


Meanwhile, Ryan is a hardworker and wears many hats as a firefighter, construction worker and landlord. He just can't wait to have a family of his own and find his soul mate for whom he could bring home flowers and cook breakfast.

Jonathan and Molly were paired because Jonathan would love to be part of a close family like Molly's, and Jonathan will open Molly's eyes to new adventures.

Molly's father passed away when she was 18-years-old, and she watched her mother struggle for years afterward. Molly is therefore very close to her mother and two sisters, but she's the only one of her close friends without a man in her life. Molly admitted she's not the best at picking out men and doesn't trust her own instincts, but she's totally ready for commitment.

As for Jonathan, he teaches scubadiving and has a skydiving license, but he actually quit his job in finance to appear on Married at First Sight.

The U.S. Army veteran watched his parents' marriage dissolve into a messy divorce, but the experience taught him exactly what he wants and does not want in a long-term partnership. Jonathan joked he's looking for a best friend whom he also wants to have sex with, and hopefully, she grows to love his cat Dawn.


And as for Shawniece and Jephte, they both come from unusual backgrounds of having extremely large families of at least 10 siblings. Jephte asked for a bride with a bright smile and a big heart, and Dr. Pepper was convinced she had found him that woman.

Shawniece said she wants a man who would make her feel like they are "in this together," someone she can depend on. And Jephte's ideal partner is caring, funny -- and most importantly -- patient, because Jephte considers himself pretty reserved and quiet for the most part. 

The cast learned they had been chosen for Season 6 of Married at First Sight only two weeks before their wedding day.

In that amount of time, the six individuals shopped for a wedding dress, tuxedo or suit and also celebrated their respective bachelorette or bachelor parties with family and friends.

The men also picked out wedding rings for their wives-to-be, and vice versa. Jonathan splurged on a band for $1,000 considering he was unemployed at the time, and Ryan proudly purchased an expensive band with diamonds for $2,300 in order to make his future wife happy.


Jephte and Jonathan, however, gave Ryan a hard time about how his wife's ring size is 7.5.

Ryan didn't seem to find their jokes funny, telling the cameras that women can have all different ring sizes and he was looking forward to getting to know his wife's personality. He said it didn't matter what she looked like physically or whether she's taller or shorter than him.

The episode concluded with the grooms in each wedding walking down the aisle on their wedding day and waiting for their brides to arrive.

Each bride's family and friends got to check out the guys to be married, and everyone seemed impressed with the men chosen. The wedding guests all seemed to think Ryan, Jephte and Jonathan were handsome guys.

"I'm very nervous. The anxiety is setting in," Molly told the cameras, as she stunned in a sleek, form-fitting wedding dress.


"Marrying a complete stranger is nerve wracking, but the reward and the payoff of it could be phenomenal," Jonathan said. "I'm freaking out right now."

Jephte said before tying the knot, "I just want to meet her. I want to see her. I want to put a face to everything I've been thinking about -- what her smile looks like, what's her personality -- I just need to find out. I'm nervous, scared and excited."

Shawniece told the cameras in her sexy gown, "I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm getting married at first sight, but I'm happy. This is something from God, and He's just guiding me."

Ryan acknowledged it's crazy to marry a complete stranger, but he was very excited about the opportunity.

"I'm getting married to someone I don't even know... Am I worried? Am I scared? Of course I am. But meeting my wife for the first time is going to mean everything to me," he said, "and I'm hoping that I'm the man this girl has always been waiting for."


And Jaclyn, who selected a wedding dress with a sparkling bodice, admitted she was "terrified" to say "I do."

"I don't know what to do because what if it doesn't work out?" Jaclyn noted before meeting her match. "But this is what I've been waiting for. This is what I've always wanted. My heart is pounding; my whole body is trembling. What am I doing? Is this the right decision?"






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski