A duet who were matched by the experts on Married At First Sight, but initially failed to say ‘I do’, have finally sealed their vow four years after their initial ceremony was halted. Paul, aged 36, and Ally Todd, 39, had penned their wedding for March 22, 2020 as a part of the fifth series of the Channel 4 reality spectacle, only for it to be rebuked due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
The pair found themselves devastated after a painstaking five-month journey involving intense psychological tests, six weeks of camera coverage, stag and hen parties arrangements, suit and dress selections all went down the drain. And the existential dread of not encountering their ideal companion left them in despair.
Ally said: “We were all fearful about Covid at the time and, on top of that, anxious about marrying a stranger, this chosen person for you; your perfect match. Then all of a sudden, it’s not happening. It was emotional.”
The thought of missing out on their soulmate was unbearable. However, Channel 4 succumbed to the couple’s enthusiasm, permitting a virtual meeting via Skype, reports OK!. One 90-minute video call cemented their relationship.
On getting a glimpse of her match for the first time, Ally revealed: “He was exactly what I asked for looks-wise, so I really fancied him. I’d never believed in love at first sight, because I think you need to get to know a person to fall in love, but we did fall in love pretty quickly after that.”
Ally and Paul, who met on the hit show, were dropped from the series as the surprise element fizzled out, leaving Ally secretly chuffed.
She spills: “When Channel 4 said they weren’t going to put us on the programme any more, I was actually thrilled because I was never doing it to be on telly,” adding that she feared online trolling and “I was really worried about online trolling too, so I actually jumped for joy when I heard.”
The couple’s whirlwind romance saw Ally move from Worthing to Weston-super-Mare to be with Paul, packing for just two weeks but never returning home. “I packed enough for two weeks thinking, ‘We’ll just see how it goes.’ But I never moved back home,” she chuckles.
Their joy multiplied seven months later in October 2020 when they discovered they were expecting. “It was a happy blessing.”
Paul took their relationship to the next level during Ally’s seventh month of pregnancy, proposing on a beach trip. Ally recalls being caught off guard: “I was so consumed by all things relating to pregnancy that I was surprised when he popped the question,” she recounts. When he got down on one knee I think I asked if he was joking, and started crying happy tears.”
In July 2021, the pair welcomed little Penelope, marking them as the first MAFS UK couple to have a child together.
The lovebirds, Ally and Paul, said ‘I do’ this summer on 8 June at the iconic Royal Pavilion in Brighton, followed by a night of revelry at a coastal hotel with about 60 guests, including some celeb pals.
The couple was over the moon to have two of the Married At First Sight matchmakers, Genevieve Gresset and Celebs Go Dating’s Paul Carrick Brunson, along with his wife Jill and their sons Liam and Kingston, in attendance. “The experts are a huge support in our life and that’s why we invited them all to the wedding. Without them, we wouldn’t have our daughter, or our love,” Ally shared.
It was a day filled with emotions, especially for Paul. Ally revealed, “Paul won’t admit this, but he had tears in his eyes during our vows. He is not one of those teary kind of guys, so that was beautiful,” For her special day, Ally chose a gorgeous tulle dress from Asos, ditching her original Married At First Sight gown.
“I was going to wear my original Married At First Sight dress, but because I had a baby, even though I’ve lost a lot of weight recently, it was still too tight. So I just got a cheap one off Asos. My new husband keeps telling me, ‘Darling, you looked lovely.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I looked alright.'”.
Post-wedding, the duo has felt a profound change in their bond. “We feel more connected. There hasn’t been a huge change to our everyday lives but we do feel more of a union. More committed and more loved,” says Ally, opening up about their newfound marital bliss.
Reflecting on their wedding day, Ally expressed relief at having tied the knot away from the prying eyes of TV producers. “I didn’t really get on very well with our producer. Unfortunately, I think he kept trying to put words into my mouth. He wanted me to be some sort of Bridget Jones hopeless in love, never going to find someone.”
She shared: “We are friends with a couple who did get married on the show, and they were saying that the producers were telling them when they could speak to each other on their wedding day. Whereas, obviously, we didn’t have any of the, ‘Can you say this to the camera right now? ‘ which was really nice.”
After numerous failed romances, both Ally and Paul courageously signed up for the dating programme. “I’d been online dating for about three or four years, and I had such burnout from it.” Ally confessed: “I just couldn’t stand it any more.”
One evening while watching Gogglebox with her father, a snippet of MAFS caught her eye. “I was watching Gogglebox one night with my dad and they showed a bit of MAFS. I immediately thought, ‘I can’t find the right person, so I’ll let some experts find them for me.'”
Ally had an inexplicable conviction that the show would work out for her. “It’s so strange but I just had this knowing feeling it was going to work out for me.”
Despite scepticism from others, Ally was certain of her path. “A lot of people doubted me and said I was making a big mistake, but I just so strongly knew that it was going to work. Obviously, I was right, which is very lucky, because I know that’s not always the case.”
Meanwhile, Paul decided to join the show after ending a “toxic” relationship. He stumbled upon a casting call on Facebook and thought, why not?
“I kept getting through at each stage of the application process and I was in disbelief every time. When I ended up getting a match, I was completely in shock. I never expected it to get that far. ”
His mate reckoned he’d lost the plot, signing up to wed a stranger, cheekily calling it “the Dr Pepper wedding”. “As in, ‘What’s the worst that could happen? ‘” Paul chuckles.
“It was going to work or it wasn’t. And, luckily, it’s definitely worked out for the best.”
The newlyweds have postponed their honeymoon until later this year, with little Penelope taking centre stage. Parenthood meant they had to snap back to reality swiftly after their lavish nuptials – hangovers and all.
“We woke up on Sunday, both pretty hungover. We had to pack up, then go and pick Penelope up, tidy up at the venue and get home. It was very much like, ‘Right, we’re married, now let’s go home,'” says Paul.
The smitten pair, who would’ve loved to jet off on a honeymoon immediately, are eyeing a romantic getaway to Marrakech in September.
And Ally can’t wait: “We’re most looking forward to relaxing and exploring the Atlas Mountains some alone time as a couple without parental responsibilities, that’s the real bliss! “.
“I kept getting through at each stage of the application process and I was in disbelief every time. When I ended up getting a match, I was completely in shock. I never expected it to get that far. As in, ‘What’s the worst that could happen? ‘
“We’re most looking forward to relaxing and exploring the Atlas Mountains some alone time as a couple without parental responsibilities, that’s the real bliss! “.