Married at First Sight featured Katie Conrad and Derek Sherman, Taylor Dunklin and Brandon Reid, and Jessica Studer and Austin Hurd all tying the knot during Wednesday night's Season 10 episode on Lifetime.
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An unprecedented five pairs of strangers were matched by returning Married at First Sight experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Calvin Roberson, and Dr. Viviana Coles to marry on Season 10 of the Lifetime reality series.
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Katie, a 25-year-old mental health professional from Woodbridge, VA, was matched to marry Derek, a 26-year-old cyber security engineer from Maryland.
Jessica, a 31-year-old nurse manager from Oak Harbor, OH, was paired with Austin, a 31-year-old network technician from Maryland.
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Taylor, a 27-year-old research scientist from Pittsburgh, PA, was matched with Brandon, a 34-year-old sales manager originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands who was raised in Washington, D.C.
Mindy Shiben, a 34-year-old figure skating coach from Frederick, MD, was selected as the wife to Zach Justice, a 32-year-old fitness professional from St. Mary's, GA.
And Meka Jones, a 25-year-old category analyst from Baltimore, MD, was set to wed Michael Watson, a 31-year-old education director from Washington, D.C.
Wednesday night's Married at First Sight episode featured three of the five weddings, and the spotlight first centered on Katie and Derek at the beginning of the broadcast.
Katie said she wanted to get married because she was ready to settle down and start a family. She felt pressure to get pregnant sooner rather than later because she's a Type 1 diabetic.
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Katie's ex-boyfriend, however, wanted her back, which had been "stressful" and shocking for the bride, who wasn't sure whether to go through with the extreme televised experiment.
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Derek wanted to find true love more than anything in life, so he was also ready to take a leap of faith. Derek hoped his wife would knock him out of his socks but also be loving, caring, kind and giving.
Derek's mother was initially not supportive of his decision to marry at first sight because she was raised Catholic and has conservative views and religious beliefs, so it meant the world to have his mother at his wedding.
Derek's mother predicted his wife would fall madly in love with her son because he is handsome and has "a heart of pure gold." She just prayed Derek's wife would like her as well.
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Katie's father was nervous and experienced a mix of emotions, as Katie was struggling with her own doubts. Katie said she needed to make up her mind and be confident in that decision before walking down the aisle.
Derek had his own reservations, but he intended to put his whole heart into the process and do whatever it takes to make the marriage work.
"My hope is we see each other at the altar and we are just blown away by each other, but I'm scared maybe we won't have the connection I wanted to have," Katie said in a confessional.
"After my ex reached out, I was feeling a little confused. But, you know, I would rather move forward with somebody I know is going to be on the same page as me and I know I can grow those feelings with him... If we are a great match and things end up working out, this could really be a fairy tale."
Katie therefore decided to walk down the aisle with her father by her side, and when her nervous groom laid eyes on her, he appeared very pleased.
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Both Katie and Derek were all smiles and said "wow" when they first saw each other. Derek told his future wife that she looked beautiful.
Katie learned from Derek's family and friends he planned to be her rock who would support and encourage her with his big heart. Derek also enjoys adventures and ordering the most exotic thing on restaurant menus.
Derek discovered from Katie's family and friends she never gives up, is honest and loves dogs. Derek also found out in that moment his wife is diabetic and often gets low blood sugar.
In Derek's vows, he said he hoped this would be the first and last time he gets married. He promised to give Katie his heart and be her No. 1 fan and best friend.
Katie teared up at Derek's beautiful words, and then she in turn told her future husband she would be grateful for their memories, make him laugh, and encourage his hopes and dreams.
Katie and Derek shared a kiss at the altar, and she called him "so cute." She thought he was tall, dark and handsome, and Derek agreed to be her puppy's father.
Katie loved Derek's genuine and honest eyes, and Derek could tell she had a lot of love to give. Derek therefore had hope they could fall in love and maintain a love that will last forever.
The couple kissed many times throughout the night and they both felt comfortable doing so.
"My wife is just melting into my arms, and it's a really cool feeling. I like it a lot," Derek told the cameras.
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The second couple to get married at first sight was Taylor and Brandon.
Brandon's stomach was tied up in knots with nerves, but dating the traditional way did not give him the results he had been looking for. Given family is so important to him and his father was not in the picture, he couldn't wait to be a good husband and father to his future children.
Brandon hoped his bride would be curvy, long-legged, smart, and ambitious with long hair.
Meanwhile, Taylor couldn't wait to quickly fall in love with her husband. She wanted a soul mate whom she could travel with, but she also looked forward to daily activities such as walking her dog hand-in-hand.
"What happens if she makes a mad dash for the exit once she sees me?" Brandon vented to the cameras.
Taylor's loved ones seemed to agree Brandon looked handsome. Taylor hoped her future husband was going to be tall but also "caring and passionate."
When Brandon saw his wife walk down the aisle, he thought she was beautiful and acknowledged he couldn't have been happier. As for Taylor's thoughts, she told her guests with enthusiasm, "He looks good!"
Taylor's family and friends told Brandon that Taylor loves to cook, watch sports and is "the perfect mix of everything." Brandon learned she juggles school while making sure to spend time with her loved ones and care for her "four-legged son Tyson."
Brandon was told Taylor is the epitome of beauty and brains.
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Taylor discovered Brandon is very blunt -- which may or may not work in his favor -- and had been looking for a partner with "both substance and beauty." Taylor was told Brandon would fight every night to prove his love.
When the couple exchanged vows, Brandon excused himself for not being good at delivering speeches, especially after a few panic attacks. Brandon promised to be patient and become a better man because of this learning experience. He hoped to smile, grow, laugh and dream together.
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Taylor said God brought them together and they had been matched for a reason. She vowed to be committed to finding out what those reasons were, and she looked forward to building a better life together than what they would have had as single individuals.
The pair shared a sweet little kiss after becoming husband and wife, and their family and friends cheered them on.
Taylor and Brandon got to know each other a little better over a couple of glasses of champagne, and they agreed the decision to marry at first sight was crazy. Taylor told Brandon that she wasn't going to run away as he cracked nervous jokes.
"He seems a little awkward. Does this man even like me? Does he? I have no idea," Taylor questioned.
Brandon learned Taylor works a few different jobs but "makes time for fun," and Brandon shares he sells beer, which is similar to Taylor's job of hosting events for bourbon.
Brandon shared he had lost his brother to gang violence years ago when he was very young.
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The fact Brandon was willing to be so vulnerable and open up early was a good sign for Taylor, who has no siblings.
Taylor said she loves going out after work for dinner and drinks, and then Brandon assured her that he's not a homebody, although he loves video games.
"She looks amazing and breathtaking," Brandon said.
During their professional photos, Taylor was a little uncomfortable and wouldn't let Brandon kiss her. She was totally out of her element, but she was optimistic she'd become more at ease around him with time.
The third couple to wed in the episode was Jessica and Austin.
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Jessica felt anxious and her heart was skipping a beat, but she couldn't wait to just meet her groom and get the marriage started. And Austin was just so glad to have the support of his family, especially his beloved mother.
Jessica hoped her husband would be physically tall with brown hair and a beard, and her biggest fear was someone in the relationship lacking an attraction to the other person.
"I hope I'm not immediately disappointed when he's blonde-haired and doesn't have a beard or anything," Jessica told the cameras.
It seemed like Austin's expectations weren't high, as he just wanted a woman who wasn't going to run at the sight of him. Austin's mother had higher expectations and wished he had been matched with the perfect woman and partner.
Jessica couldn't wait to travel and have adventures with her future husband, and Austin anticipated his wife would be very independent.
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When Austin met Jessica, he told her that she looked beautiful but kept repeating, "Hi."
Austin was told Jessica loves to travel, has a pure soul and would be an amazing partner. Austin also found out Jessica is a twin sister with a niece and they'd never have a dull moment together in life.
Jessica learned Austin is a passionate man who takes care of his family and is a loyal friend and loving uncle, brother and son. Austin's loved ones also claimed he's fun, funny and loves football.
Austin said in his vows he looked forward to discovering each other's strengths and weaknesses. He'd promise to be there for Jessica through thick and thin and always respect her as his equal. Austin also planned to make her laugh often.
"We can be perfectly imperfect together through this unexpected blessing," Austin said.
Jessica revealed she cares passionate about family, friends, adventure and marriage. She vowed to commit to the marriage, respect Austin, and forgive him for little mistakes. Jessica promised to be open-minded and practice patience whenever possible.
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Jessica revealed she doesn't take the word "love" lightly, but she had every hope they'd grow in love with each other.
The couple kissed at the end of the ceremony, and their first conversation comprised of small talk -- including age, favorite alcoholic drink and birthdays -- as well as nervous giggles and jokes.
Austin felt sparks when Jessica walked down the aisle, and he seemed to appreciate she was "quirky."
"He's not what I would have pictured, but he's easy to talk to," Jessica said in a confessional. "He must be an inch or two taller than me... so phew! Relief."
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The newlyweds were awkward in their own ways but comfortable enough to kiss during photos in front of their guests.
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The three married couples were then shown enjoying their first dance as spouses.
Katie said it "felt right" being in Derek's arms and she was impressed by his dancing skills. He also called her "gorgeous," and Katie felt confident in her decision to go through with the wedding.
Brandon struggled with the dancing, but Taylor still had fun with her awkward groom on the dance floor. She assured him that he looked good, and Brandon said he ended up having a great time and the moment was "beautiful."
When Jessica danced with Austin, she said he was getting "cuter by the minute." Austin's nerves were dissipating, and he was glad she has a great sense of humor.
Later on, Derek expressed it didn't bother him at all that Katie has diabetes, and he shared his bucket list with his wife. Both spouses had dreamt of going to Thailand, so they talked about traveling there together.
Each reception continued with dinner and best man/maid of honor speeches.
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The episode concluded with Meka and Michael preparing to wed.
Michael was about to become the first member of his family to get married, and Meka couldn't wait to meet the love of her life. However, Meka admitted she's a perfectionist and needed everything to go perfectly on her wedding day.
Meka unfortunately wasn't feeling confident or beautiful in her wedding dress, so she started to cry.
The episode ended with a cliffhanger in which Meka was breaking down emotionally.
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