‘Married at First Sight’ Season 11: Bennett and Amelia Celebrate ‘Phenomenal’ Match, Henry and Christina Spell Awkward

MAFS YouTube Screenshot

Millions of Married at First Sight fans have been on pins and needles since last week’s sneak peek of this week’s July 29 episode, “Not the First Time.”  Bennett and Amelia already have one of the most vocal and loyal cheering sections in the 11 seasons of Married at First Sight, long before saying “I do.”  The romantic thespian and the driven dreamer doctor both realized they had met before as they first laid eyes on one another, and this week reveals that the impressions were absolutely positive for both prospective spouses.

Henry and Christina were both all in for love in the arranged marriage experiment, and their pre-nuptial gestures, behavior, and postures were all in accord.   “Let’s do this,” proclaimed the bride.  After the vows, though, this Married at First Sight match misfired on even the simple things– like the bride remembering her groom’s name!

Ultimately, though, this reality show is about more than the fluttery wedding day feelings– it is about the decision to love someone for life.  It takes hard work and commitment to allow love to grow, and all that will surface in weeks to come.  This Married at First Sight celebrated a match that seems heaven- made and another that may require much more compromise and effort. Time will tell.

Meeting before doesn’t change a beautiful ‘Married at First Sight’ wedding day

Amelia whispers to her mom, Polly, “I’ve met him before,” as they start to walk down the aisle.  Bennett has a gleam of familiarity in his eyes, too.  It isn’t until the officiate says the name, “Amelia,” the  Married at First Sight groom says in a later interview, which prompts “all these memories” to flood back.

Bennett corrects that the introduction at the altar is not the first time for the pair, but it is the first time that they will embark on life as partners.  The playwright pledges to “shower you with abundant love whenever the feeling strikes me” and to enjoy whatever song or place that is meaningful to this bride as they explore “the abundant joy” in life together.  Married at First Sight fans were probably already seeing their screens through teary eyes of joy as Bennett closed his words and Amelia began her words in verse.

Amelia expressed her confidence in Married at First Sight, declaring “I knew they’d find me a pretty good fella” to rhyme with her line about their journey together being “anything but vanilla.”  The bride recited her words, not needing notes.  She also came up with wonderful questions for her new husband, such as his favorite ice cream, the year he was born, and he whispered his favorite breakfast during the wedding photos.

A ‘Married at First Sight’ toast and one last wedding day test

“Cool” was the word that Bennett and Amelia both used to describe the impression of the other in their first meetings. Amelia remembered that her groom had taught her about credit cards at Mary’s house, and he remembered that she had come to a show with Mary when he was playing with his band.  Whether the mutual friend, Mary, was a matchmaker or not, this third meeting was a charm for this Married at First Sight pair. Monsters and Critics weighed in on this match in a July 29 profile.

It didn’t take long for the little flower girl, Clover, to accept Bennett as family.  She was calling him “Uncle Ben” before his mom, Deb, knew Amelia’s name!  Amelia didn’t mind giving a reminder during her mother-in-law’s toast, and Deb called the entire affair “demented,” to the glee of the couple.

It was delightful to see these two cozy at dinner, although Ben declined to eat on “cultural vegetarian” grounds.  The groom was entranced by his bride’s crazy and “nuts” adornment for her special day, holding her “floofy” dress in his lap. They were cozy as clams on the dance floor, but before their day was over, there was one last test for the groom.

Amelia describes her family’s tradition of catching a robin egg (a real one– not the chocolate kind) hanging from a pole held by the bride.  The groom must catch the egg in his mouth to bring blessings for the couple.  After a few kind, slow swings Bennett succeeded at the task.  The Married at First Sight, newlyweds donned their traditional New Orleans umbrellas to make their way to privacy on the wedding night.

Not a ‘Married at First Sight’ dream for Henry and Christina

Henry could not have chosen a more perfect present for his bride, Christina, than the bouquet of flowers before their wedding.  “It’s like he already knows me,” Christina tearfully reflected.   She was so anxious to meet her groom that she didn’t want to stop for one last “diary cam,” as production requested, but she did.

Henry had a downright sweet moment with his family before taking his vows.  His dad seemed both surprised and proud of the bold step by his son, and his mom just wanted “a good night’s sleep,” after all the preparation.

Henry walked out to rousing applause from the guests, but he was clearly nervous and trying to plan ahead for every possible problem.  “Just read through everything quickly,” he cautioned to the officiate, frequently brushing his hair with his hand.  Christina was a vision as she walked down the aisle, despite getting her lace train caught in the door.

Stiff was the word to depict the pair at the altar.  They barely spoke a word after giving their names, so the family descriptions came quickly.  Christina is a lover of “spontaneous exploration,” food, gardening, and her dog, Bentley, and a woman who “loves deeply.”  Henry’s intellect and selflessness were highlighted by his family. The last Married at First Sight couple did break out in genuine smiles once the vows were done, savoring relief.

Old boyfriends aren’t the best wedding conversation

It was not a good sign that even after their toast, Christina could not remember “his name,” referring to her groom.   During a later moment, she called him “Luke,” possibly referring to her former long-term relationship.  The dinner conversation wasn’t exactly lighthearted between the two, either. Christina did ask about Henry’s friends and family, but then she explained about her breakup and the “loss” of the experience.  It wasn’t exactly fodder for focusing on the future.

When Christina realized that she wasn’t wearing her earrings, she quickly borrowed her mother’s, as though the omission was a tragedy.  Perfection is impossible, even on a wedding day, just go with the flow.  To her credit, Christina did give a slight boost to her new husband, saying “I see something there” during their talk.

Christina wished for a husband “who knows how to unbutton buttons” as her mom finished off her final look before the ceremony.  It took him a minute, but Henry did come through on helping his new wife with getting out of her dress.

In contrast to the snuggles between Bennett and Amelia, which truly seemed like love at third sight on  Married at First Sight, Christina and Henry did resemble the plastic dolls that Jessica compared her wedding dance with Austin to last season.

Good marriages are hard work

The good news is that Austin and Jessica went for Married at First Sight for the right reasons and didn’t give up when they hit snags.  Perhaps this bride and groom are polar opposites, but persistence may prove that each has qualities needed by the other.  Weddings and honeymoons are the euphorias of the experience—tougher trials and truths will come.  Bennett called his match with Amelia “phenomenal.” Let’s see how he feels in week seven or eight.

For now, every Married at First Sight devotee simply wants to linger in the dream of forever love.  That luxury is possible for a little longer—until the jolt of real-life hits.

Married at First Sight airs Wednesday on Lifetime.

Tresa Patterson

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *