Nine Network’s ‘Married at First Sight’ has been a treat to reality show fans since its premiere. Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven signed up for the eighth season of the Australian television series in 2021 to see if they’d find suitable matches. Paired together, the workplace trainer and radio announcer took no time to ease into their relationship. Their bond grew so strong that viewers were convinced they were looking at a success story. While it has been a few years since the season wrapped up and everyone moved on with their lives, loyal fans of the show have been left wondering whether Melissa and Bryce’s relationship was able to stand the test of time.
Melissa and Bryce Had a Rocky Start To Their Relationship
Melbourne-based Melissa and Canberra-based Bryce were first introduced to each other at the altar. While both seemed to be quite nervous in the lead-up to the special day, nerves were miraculously calmed the moment they laid eyes on each other. A smitten Bryce even said, “Wow, she’s quite gorgeous.” What followed was a fairytale wedding. But soon after, the cracks started to form. While they were hoping to have a romantic honeymoon, Bryce’s admission of Melissa not being his “usual type” led to a devastating blow to her delicate self-confidence. This seemed to be just the start.
Melissa’s confidence was further shattered when, on Confessions Week, all the couples were asked to rank the brides and grooms according to attractiveness, and Bryce placed her on the fourth rank. Despite being hurt, she appreciated his honesty, as Melissa considered it to be an important quality she wanted her potential partner to have. If these weren’t enough, then throughout a large portion of the experiment, rumors were rife of a secret girlfriend Bryce had in Canberra, leading to uncomfortable tensions between him and the other couples.
Even though she was hurt and uncertain of what the future had in store, Melissa stood wholeheartedly by Bryce’s side, thus making the couple stronger than ever before. Despite fellow bridges Rebecca and Samatha raising concerns for her relationship, she made it clear that she didn’t want them interfering between them and wanted them to respect her and Bryce’s relationship. Though their relationship was shrouded in drama throughout the experiment and was rocked by rumors of an alleged “secret” girlfriend, Melissa and Bryce chose to profess their love and support for each other in the Final Vows, intent on wanting to continue their relationship beyond the experiment, through real experiences.
Melissa and Bryce Are Proud Parents to Twin Baby Boys
After wrapping up their stint on the show, Melissa and Bryce’s relationship grew from strength to strength. They chose to move in together and even got matching tattoos to commemorate their union. After enjoying a glorious reel reality show wedding, the couple got engaged in July 2021, during a gorgeous helicopter ride over Melbourne’s CBD. In the same year, they started their own podcast, ‘What Happens After,’ to talk about finding love on reality TV and about their relationship after the show’s wrap-up. The couple, who currently reside in Melbourne, became proud parents to twin boys, Tate and Levi, on October 16, 2021. The boys were born, 10 months premature and were in the NICU for 9 weeks.
In a social media post, Bryce spoke about the couple going through months of therapy after the show wrapped up due to the intense hate they were getting online. They decided to get married in real and officially became Mr. and Mrs. on February 24, 2023. Their nuptials were held at All Smiles, Sorrento, which is located on the gorgeous Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. A thrilled Bryce, in an exclusive interview with New Idea, shared, “I’m just so relieved to be able to call Liss my wife and not my fake wife anymore.” The much-in-love pair also celebrated three years of being a part of each other’s lives on September 18, 2023.
The adorable family of four is also proud owners of pooches Marli, Murphy, and Sonny. The couple has shared all the key milestones of their life on their social media, ensuring fans also become part of their happy and joyous moments. Both Melissa and Bryce are ambassadors of the Miracle Babies Foundation. Melissa is also the creator of the blog ‘Her Second Shift.’ It is a growing community of strong and empowered women where she shares updates and tips on parenting, lifestyle, and trends. Seeing one of our favorite ‘MAFS’ couples together and happy gives us immense joy, and we wish them the best for their lives ahead.
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