Married at First Sight star Amber Bowles has opened up about the moment she picked out her wedding dress with her previously-estranged mother by her side.
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"I never thought she would be there," Amber said of her mother during a Wednesday appearance on Married at First Sight: Unfiltered hosted by Jamie Otis.
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Amber, a 27-year-old eighth grade English teacher from North Carolina, grew up with her identical twin sister, father, and often times, aunt.
When Amber was around four years old, her mother came out as a lesbian and moved to Massachusetts to find acceptance.
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Amber and her mother seemingly had a strained relationship through the years as a result, but her mother was thrilled to be there for her daughter when Amber picked out her wedding dress, as shown on the premiere of Married at First Sight's ninth season.
"I didn't think she would hop on a plane for one afternoon of wedding dress shopping, but she did, and that meant the world to me," Amber told Jamie of her mother on Unfiltered.
"I think it definitely took us in the right direction for [rebuilding] our relationship."
Amber ended up choosing a form-fitting, sleeveless, lace gown with a high neck and low back. The dress slightly flared out at the bottom and was embellished with crystals.
Amber acknowledged it was an emotional moment to select her wedding dress, and having her mother there made it even more special.
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"For me, it was getting real," Amber recalled of that day. "I really want marriage and I really want forever, and trying on that dress was me getting closer to my forever."
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Married at First Sight expert, Pastor Calvin Roberson, echoed Amber's comments when explaining why women tend to get emotional while trying on wedding gowns during the Unfiltered broadcast.
"I think Amber said it, [trying on a dress] makes it real. I mean, it's all fantasy -- this whole thing seems surreal, like, 'Okay, you're getting married. Alright. I don't know the person and so it seems like a dream,'" Pastor Cal explained.
"Then, all of a sudden, I'm getting a dress, I'm getting a tuxedo, I'm getting a wedding ring. And it's like, 'Whoa, wait a minute! This is not a joke! This is the real deal.'"
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Pastor Cal called it "an emotional overload" for bride and grooms-to-be.
"So it's no surprise there were tears," he noted. "I'm surprised the guys weren't crying!"
Amber tied the knot with Matthew Gwynne, a 32-year-old professional basketball player from Raleigh, NC, for Married at First Sight's currently-airing ninth season.
Matt didn't even inform his parents he was getting married, so they did not attend the wedding. Matt claimed his family ties suffered after his parents decided to file for divorce after nearly three decades of marriage.
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In addition to Amber and Matt, this season of Married at First Sight also stars Deonna McNeill and Gregory Okotie, Elizabeth Bice and Jamie Thompson, and Iris Caldwell and Keith Manley.
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