Married At First Sightis one of the fewreality showsthat boasts a hopeful audience. Although there are always reality naysayers thatenjoy the chaotic dramamore than the happy endings, the vast majority of MAFs viewers live for aromantic endingfor couples brave enough to get married to a complete stranger. No matter how challenging the season, there are usually couples that refuse to give up on fate and will say yes on decision day. Out of those couples, some of the relationships don’t make it to the reunion and even more don’t make it to the one-year mark after the cameras have stopped chronicling their every move.
For those couples that remain married, fans wait with bated breath to see if they will take their marriage seriously and move past being a reality couple, into being a “normal couple”. Taking that next step towards normalcy is usually one the fans equate to the couple moving out of the newlywed stage and onto the next phase of building a life together. One of the biggest signs of that progression is starting a family.Out of the 11 couples thatLifetime.com reports have remained married, 8 have started families. To the delight of the MAFS fan base, most couples update their followers with social media posts announcing when they are expecting and later when their bundles of joy arrive.
Married At First Sight
8Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie
Unlikethe typical MAFS couples,Deonna McNeillandGreg Okotieimmediately realized why the experts paired them and worked to build a healthy relationship during the often difficult six weeks after meeting one another at the altar. The two met during MAFS Charlotte and both came from close-knit families. Although Deonna was raised by both her parents and Greg was from a single-parent home, both were committed to the marriage and believed in the expert’s process of finding compatibility.
Greg worked in STEM research and Deonna enjoyed a fulfilling career. Through the rest of their castmates' ups and downs, Deonna and Greg remained solid, and it was no surprise that they chose to remain married on decision day. The year after they married, the world shut down for COVID and Deonna and Greg were one of the couples highlighted on MAFS Couple’s Cam: The Next Chapter. Fans enjoyed a fun sneak peek into Deonna and Greg’s quarantine life. A year later, the duo, who initially wanted to wait to have children, announced they were pregnant. A year later in February 2021, their son,Declan Okotie, was born.
7Bobby Dodd and Danielle Bergman
1 Boy and 2 Girls
BobbyandDaniellemet during season 7 in Dallas, TX. Like Deonna and Greg, the couple had very few if any hiccups during their six-week courtship after meeting at the altar. The couple gave an anti-climatic yes on decision day but delivered the biggest surprise of the season when they announced they were expecting at the reunion.
After a touch-and-go first pregnancy, Danielle delivered a beautiful baby girl the couple namedOlivia Nicole Doddin February 2019. Olivia became a big sister a little over a year later when her brother,Robert Elvin DoddIV, was born in December 2020. The couple announced #3 in their growing family a few years later withSavannah Ann Dodd, born in September 2023.
6Doug Hehner and Jamie Otis
1 Girl, 1 Boy, and Twin Boys
Doug HehnerandJamie Otisare one of the couples branded with theMarried At First Sightfranchise. The couple met during season 1, and their love story is one that proves the age-old question of compatibility versus physical attraction. The debut season was filmed in the Big Apple and consisted mostly of couples with a great chance at finding compatibility. When Jamie first saw Doug, she was less than impressed with his physical appearance. Not only was Doug happy with Jamie, but he also resigned himself to being patient and trusting the process.
As the two got to know each other over the six weeks after their wedding, Jamie started to appreciate Doug’s character and the way he treated her. Soon these variables overshadowed her initial feelings about his looks. The experts bragged about the couple on decision day, eager to prove the social experiment could work if taken seriously. With ten years under their belt, Jamie and Doug continue to be a model couple in the MAFs universe. Their first daughter,Henley “Gracie” Grace Hehner, was born in August 2017. Gracie became a big sister three years later when the couple welcomedHendrix Douglas Hehnerin May 2020. In 2024, the couple announced they were expecting twins. Their twin boys,Hawkins Tyler HehnerandHuxley James Hehner, arrived in September 2024.
5Jephte Pierre and Shawniece Jackson
Jephte PierreandShawniece Jacksonmet during a tumultuous season in Boston. Although the two were attracted to one another at the altar, their relationship was filled with extreme ups and downs throughout their time on MAFS. For much of the Boston season, Jephte’s conservative persona clashed miserably with Shawniece’s more affectionate one. By decision day, viewers weren’t almost split down the middle, betting on the two staying together or washing their hands of one another and going their separate ways.
Surprisingly, the two opted to keep working on their relationship on decision day, even though they’d endured some painful disagreements and said some hurtful things to one another. The couple’s dedication to one another paid off, and they welcomed a baby girl namedLaura Denise Pierrein August 2018. Jephte and Shawniece’s stark personal differences weren’t rectified by the title of parents, and the two continued struggling in their personal relationship. For a short time after Laura was born, the two spent some time apart trying to figure out if the marriage was rectifiable. Thankfully, the couple worked it out and Laura Denise and her parents remain a happy trio.
4Austin Hurd and Jessica Studer
Austin HurdandJessica Studerlooked the part of a perfect bride and groom from the moment audiences saw them together at the altar in Washington, DC. Both tall, athletic and blonde, and 31 years old, the couple immediately stood out as the most down-to-earth pairing among their wildly toxic co-stars.
Jessica, a nurse manager, grew up on a Christmas tree farm and Austin, a network technician, was looking for the type of connection he witnessed his parents share. The two immediately became a model couple during Boston’s chaotic season, eager to leave the rest of the drama behind and start their life together. Their first son,Westin Paul Hurd, was born in November 2021, and they welcomed another baby boy,Everett Brooks, in August 2024.
3Briana Myles and Vincent Morales
There was a 50/50 chance thatBriana MylesandVincent Moraleswould work from the time they met at the altar in Atlanta, GA. Vincent hailed from a traditional family and was reluctant to look at life through a different lens than the one afforded him during his 27 years on earth. His bride at first sight, Briana, had her own mind and wasn’t going to shrink herself to fit into Vincent’s narrow box.
Briana helped Vincent open up to new experiences, and he became her constant in an ever-changing world. Audiences held their breath on decision day but exhaled in relief when the two were the only couple in Atlanta that decided to stay married. The two are fan favorites on social media and welcomed a beautiful baby girl in January 2023 namedAury Bella Morales. Her little sister,Kai Myles Morales, would arrive just over a year later in November 2024.
2Ashley Petta and Anthony D’Amico
Ashley PettaandAnthony D’Amicojust made sense as a couple from the very beginning.“I think I knew right after I met him that it was gonna work,“Ashley shared withUS Weekly, “We just clicked.” Her husband felt the same chemistry and, according to him, even their family and friends connected almost immediately. “It was kind of crazy. We were clicking really well. Our families were clicking really well. I said to myself, ‘Holy cow. Is this actually happening like this?’” Anthony recalled.
With almost nine years of marriage under their belts, the couple is a shining example that the MAFS formula, when paired with the right bride and groom, can be a beautiful thing. Ashley and Anthony were in sync in terms of starting their family and welcomed their daughter,Mila Rose D’Amico, in January 2019. They welcomed another baby girl,Vaeda Marie, in February 2021. Ashley says Anthony is the best girl dad on the planet.
1Woody Randall and Amani Aliyya
WoodyandAmanihad to be one of themost spirited couples on MAFS, which makes sense as they were a part of the eclectic New Orleans cast in season 11. Fans of the show were shocked to see Woody, a bonafide player in his intro interview, immediately threw out his players' handbook when he saw Amani at the end of the aisle. Amani was a bit more introverted than her new husband, Woody, but the opposites were immediately attracted, and the two became #couplesgoals not just for the rest of their cast, but also for MAFs fans.
Woody and Amani couldn’t agree on purchasing a pooch, but the two gave the audience a happy ending when they announced on their second wedding anniversary that they were expecting. Their sonReignwas born in June 2022 and his brotherRai Zahirmade an appearance in November 2023.
Keep Reading:‘Married at First Sight’: The Most Terrible Spouses in the Show’s History
