Culture

‘I was in the room at MAFS wedding – one behind the scenes secret left me stunned’

By Cally Brooks

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'I was in the room at MAFS wedding - one behind the scenes secret left me stunned'

One very lucky Married At First Sight fan got the chance to attend one of the on-screen weddings in person and has revealed what really goes on behind the scenes of one of E4’s most-loved reality shows. The iconic reality show returned to screens on Sunday, September 21, as dozens of singletons marry a complete stranger at the altar . One couple who hit it off almost immediately was Nelly Patel, 30, and Steven Springett, 34, who had one of the show’s more unique ceremonies to date. Paying homage to her Indian upbringing and culture, Nelly was brought into the ceremony on a Doli carriage adorned with flowers as husband-to-be Steven watched on in amazement. The investment banking manager appeared to hit it off with dentist instantly, setting themselves up to be one of the strongest couples so far. Entertainment writer Ashleigh Rainbird was invited to witness the wedding in person, revealing several production secrets that viewers often don’t get to see. The wedding aired on Monday evening as part of the 10th series, with the couple then jetting off to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for their honeymoon. And while the wedding took all of a few minutes on screen for viewers, in reality it goes on a lot longer for those witnessing it in person. “The size of the crew is enormous,” she said via the Daily Mail . The ceremony took place in a pavilion at the 16th Century manor house North Mymms Park, just a short distance from London. And while viewers get to witness their vows once, their family and friends hear them on repeat. “They exchange pre-written vows, and I’m struck by how often the grooms call their bride ‘beautiful’ without having seen them,” Ashleigh writes. “But then – at the risk of spoiling some of the magic of TV – they do the entire thing again.” It’s probably no surprise that the production of such a large-scale show requires multiple takes, but for those witnessing the nuptials it can be a lengthy process. There are also producers flooding the venue, which – spoiler alert – was actually used to film three of the weddings but made to look like three different venues. “I witness producers coordinating the movements of Nelly’s bridal party and Steven’s groomsmen via walkie talkies so none of them get a single peek at one another – an urgent warning comes over the airwaves alerting the team that the bride’s parents are set to pass up a stairwell,” Ashleigh explained. Later on in the episode, fans watch the moment father-of-two Steven tells his now-wife that he has children, to which Nelly is thankfully unphased. Though an investment banker now, Steven had been on the path to becoming a pro-footballer when he was attacked outside a nightclub and forced to abandon his career dreams. Nine men savagely kicked and punched him over a past college dispute in his early 20s, leaving him with a fractured cheekbone, shattered teeth and a broken nose. He has since undergone reconstructive surgery, abandoning his career as a footballer in the aftermath. “You can only hide behind a mask for so long,” he said. “I had to change my profession… I was in my early 20s, and being a young adolescent male, it’s a horrible age.” Married At First Sight will air tonight on E4 at 9pm.