Yes, The Marriages On 'Married At First Sight' Are Legally Binding (2024)

Yep, your ring finger must be bare. Since the whole purpose of the show is to get hitched, you have to be single during the casting process. Gotta admit, this one makes a lot of sense.

In the first season of Married At First Sight, the concept wasn't revealed to prospective contestants until late into the interview process. At first, all that was shared about producer Chris Coelen's (the same mastermind behind Love Is Blind) project was that it was a social experiment for singles wanting to date.

This show isn't for the faint of heart, and it's geared towards people who are looking for a long-term commitment. That's why you must be at least 25 years old to apply.

To make the couple's marriage as manageable as possible, the show picks a different city to focus on each season, so that newlyweds aren't starting off their marriage long distance.

As the series has grown in popularity, people have become more and more interested in getting cast on the show. Now, all it takes is an online submission to find your soulmate.

Once the location for the season is confirmed, producers spend months in advance scouting for prospective singles. The producers reach out to people via dating apps, social media, or in person at local bars in an attempt to find the best possible cast.

If a singleton's application makes it past the first round, you're contacted to set up a phone or Skype interview before proceeding to the next round.

Experts are able to match personality, psychical attraction, and emotional compatibility through a series of questions. "It was a 500 question questionnaire that goes through your likes, your dislikes, all the intricate pieces of information about you. Your religious views, your political views, what you find attractive, your sexual history, whether you are sexually active," former contestant Melissa Sherwood told Cosmopolitan UK.

Part of the casting evaluation looks at the participant's past relationships. Whether or not you've had your heart broken, if you're open to love, and what your meaning of love is are all questions the counselors might ask.

"We do extensive background checks," the show's psychologist Jessica Griffin told the New York Post. After filtering for issues such as substance abuse problems and criminal histories, the experts start to look for less obvious red flags that someone isn't ready for marriage, such as not being able to talk about your feelings or say "I'm sorry."

Not only is your past up for examination, but your psyche as well. "We're looking at things like their psychological testing, their core values," one of the show's marriage counselors, Pastor Calvin Roberson, told ET.

Individuals on MAFS really put their faith in the experts and their scientific evaluations. Some of the quantifying methods they use include calculations like height and shoulder-to-hip ratio.

Well, within reason. Jamie Otis previously looked for love The Bachelor and Bachelor Pad. However, serial reality fame hunters are deemed a "red flag" by the relationship experts. "If their profile said they had applied for Big Brother or MasterChef, we put them to the side," expert Sabina Read told news.com.au.

It's hard, but important. "Having cameras in front of you everyday for eight weeks can be a little crazy at times," contestant Anthony D'Amico told Mike Staff Productions. "Ashley told me after filming one day that I was way more affectionate after the cameras were turned off."

Once you're cast, the big rule comes into play. And, yes, the couples on Married At First Sight enter a *legally* binding union at the ceremony and everything that comes with it.

During an interview with TheWrap, Coelen revealed how the producers juggle the legal paperwork required for a wedding, while keeping the matches a secret. It turns out, each person provides their individual information and the marriage license is signed after the ceremony takes place.

The honeymoon is super important for MAFS couples. Production sends them on an all-inclusive trip to help them get to know one another before returning home and starting their lives together.

The couples put a lot of faith in MAFS producers. Not only do they pick their spouses and plan their weddings, but they also keep the honeymoon plans a secret until their first day of marriage. So. Many. Surprises.

To keep contestants from finding each other online and interacting off camera, their social media accounts are hidden before the show starts filming and even afterward for a period of time—because who likes spoilers?