The couple debuted late to the experiment, and immediately hit off from the moment they met.
MAFS UK groom John from Flintshire renewed his vows with his bride after finding love during the experiment(Image: Simon Johns / Channel 4 )
It’s finally time, the Married at First Sight UK final vows are airing on our screens this week as the series draws to a close. The first set of renewals kicked off tonight, Tuesday, November 11 with three of the couples deciding whether or not they wanted to carry on their relationship outside of the experiment.
First up were Leigh and Leah, who have had a tumultuous relationship during the series and decided to part ways. Second up were Welsh groom John Shepard, a 38-year-old social media manager from Flintshire and his bride Abigail Callahan, a 34-year-old veterinary nurse from Bournemouth.
The couple debuted late to the experiment, and immediately hit it off from the moment they met.
The pair even said they loved each other following the partner swap episode of this year’s MAFS. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
During the episode before embarking on their vows, Abigail and John took some time apart to visit their friends and family. They then reunited, sharing how much they missed each other. Before the ceremony took place the groom from Flintshire said: “I’ve waited so long to experience true love, I’ve never felt like this before.
“I am worried. We are both are great inside the experiment. Is love enough to make this work?”
The Welshman married bride Abigail, a 34-year-old Veterinary Nurse from Bournemouth(Image: Simon Johns / Channel 4 )
He then met his bride Abigail at the alter, where they both stood once again, this time not as strangers but as a couple who have truly fallen for each other throughout the experiment.
The bride went on to share her final vows, she said: “My dear husband John, as I stand before you today we are no longer strangers. We stand connected through a journey of a lifetime, with the ultimate end reward love.”
She continued: “I have never been in love, which is how I know this time was different. Hearing you say those three words, ‘I love you’, was the moment you changed my life forever. The I became we, the future became us, and my heart became yours.
“Love only comes once in a lifetime, and for my entire life I have been waiting for it, and little did I know it would be you.
“You are my present, my future, but most importantly you are the love of my life.”
It was then time for John to say his vows, where he began: “To my wife, standing here at our vow renewals my mind casts back to the time before I met you, wondering if love had passed me by.
“For years and years, I thought I wasn’t good enough to be loved. But since the moment we stood together on our wedding day, I knew. I knew that every failure, every doubt, every unanswered question suddenly made sense, because the answer was you.”
He continued: “In such a short time we have created something I’m so proud of, this is only the beginning. You’ve changed everything for me, you’ve made the idea of a family, a home and a future feel real.
“I’ve waited my whole life to feel like this , and I’d walk through every one of those lonely single years again if they led me back to you. You’ve taken a heart that once wondered if it would ever be truly seen, and you’ve given it a place to rest, grow and belong.”
John added: “This isn’t just a new chapter, this is a story I always hoped for. The greatest gift is knowing I get to write it with you.”
The Welshman then said, “let’s just do life,” to which Abigail replied “I’m ready.”
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The pair have been active on social media throughout the series, however we’ll have to wait until the reunion episode on E4 on Thursday, November 13 at 9pm to discover if the pair are still together following their successful final vow ceremony.
Married at First Sight UK will continue on E4 tomorrow, Wednesday, November 12 at 9pm.
