The first wedding of Married at First Sight Australia was everything we hoped for: a dreamy ceremony, instant chemistry, and a twist so juicy we were left screaming at our TVs. Meet Carina and Paul, two Perth locals with old-school values and a love story that began way before their walk down the aisle—and not exactly in the fairy-tale way you’d expect.
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Who are Carina and Paul?
Carina, 31 – Digital Marketing Manager
As the youngest of five siblings and the only one who hasn’t tied the knot, Carina joined the experiment hoping to find the man of her dreams. The 31-year-old’s Italian mother even kept a checklist of qualities her future husband should have.
Carina’s looking for someone who values family, tradition, and romance—a true gentleman to fit in with her big, tight-knit Italian clan.
Paul, 30 – Wellness Advisor
Originally from Nice, France, Paul moved to Australia 11 years ago. After two long-term relationships, the charming Frenchman believes in love but hasn’t quite found it. Now, at 30, he’s hoping the third time’s the charm and is looking for a partner who embodies a “European flair.”
As someone who works as a wellness advisor in the FIFO mining industry, Paul is a blend of rugged charm and sophistication, which makes him seem like the perfect match for Carina.
What happened at Carina and Paul’s wedding?
The wedding day was a romantic dream come true – for about five minutes. Both Carina and Paul were instantly smitten when they met at the altar. Her aunt Maria summed it up perfectly: “He’s quite hot,” she cheekily added. A thought shared by many others in the room, agreeing that the genetically-blessed couple looked like a match made in heaven.
The experts were equally thrilled with the pairing, emphasizing their shared traditional values and predicting “huge potential” for the couple. But the true drama unfolded when Carina dropped a major bombshell during their first private conversation: she already knew him.
How did Carina and Paul meet before MAFS?
Carina and Paul revealed that they had matched on a dating app eight months ago. The pair FaceTimed went on a hike together and seemed to hit it off—until Paul ghosted her.
“I know him!” Carina told producers, shocked to see Paul again. “For f***’s sake. Am I going to get a different guy or what?”
Paul, on the other hand, was thrilled to see Carina and took full responsibility for their failed connection. “It was the right person, wrong time,” he explained. “I was going through a rough patch with work and family, and I just had to let her go. But it felt like a massive loss.”
Paul immediately took steps to make amends, asking for a private chat to apologise. But Carina wasn’t ready to let her guard down. “I think he’s just saying what I want to hear,” she admitted.
At the reception, Paul made a bold move: he spoke to Carina’s family to explain what happened. His honesty and charm impressed her parents, and their approval softened Carina’s stance. “The fact that he made the effort shows he’s serious,” she said.
Inside Carina and Paul’s MAFS journey
Despite their rocky start, Carina and Paul seemed to be back on track by the end of the night. The couple shared a kiss and a romantic first dance, leaving Carina feeling optimistic about their future. “I’m smitten,” she confessed. “I have high hopes it’s going to work.”
Paul was equally determined to prove himself worthy of Carina’s second chance. “She’s perfect, and I’m so grateful she’s giving me another shot,” he said.
The following weeks saw the couple move from strength to strength, quickly becoming one of the stronger relationships of the season. But after an explosive episode of Married At First Sight, fans were left wondering: are Paul and Carina still together? The short answer? Yes… for now.
Despite waking up in separate apartments after Paul’s shocking outburst—where he punched a hole in the door—Carina isn’t ready to walk away just yet. She made it clear at the Dinner Party that while she doesn’t condone Paul’s behaviour, she’s willing to see if he can make things right. Paul, full of remorse, admitted his actions were “disgusting” and swore it would never happen again. But while Carina may have accepted his apology, the experts and some of the other grooms aren’t letting it slide so easily.
Channel 9 and Endemol Shine released a statement shortly after the episode aired, explaining they had treated the matter “extremely seriously.”
“Our first priority at all times has been the wellbeing and safety of the participants and after extensive consultation with Carina, she wanted to remain in the experiment with Paul. We continue to provide support for Carina and Paul.
“Nine and Endemol Shine take their obligations in respect to the health and well-being of the participants of this program extremely seriously. All participants have access to the show psychologist and welfare resources during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended.
“Nine also have an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support. This service gives participants access to clinicians to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it, it does not end.”
Their relationship saw even more tumultuous times ahead as the pair made their way through the remaining weeks of the experiment. And while they seemingly made it past a number of hurdles, it was Paul’s decision to accept the final task and go on a date with another woman that saw Carina left broken.
Are Paul and Carina from MAFS still together?
The final vows saw Paul apologise to Carina and commit to becoming a better man. “I came out stronger and more determined than ever to make things work,” he said of their early-season issues. “But then came the last major test from the experts, the opportunity to meet someone else, a potential match. I made the foolish decision to go. I know how much it hurt you, how disheartened and betrayed you felt.”
“All I can do now is ask for your forgiveness,” he continued. “Carina, you are kind and compassionate… we’ve always managed to come back to each other, to forgive and to move forward. There’s not a doubt in my mind that you are the one for me, and I never want to risk letting you go again…from this day forward, I commit to giving you my loyalty, to share every joy and face every challenge together with you. I’m ready to build a future that will last.”
Paul’s promises came too late for Carina, who used her emotional final vows to end their relationship. “I forgave you and wanted to continue allowing our relationship to blossom and blossom it did,” she explained. “But then you made a decision that would deeply impact our relationship. You chose to go on a date with another woman. Your decision and your actions cast doubts in my mind and made me question your emotional maturity for a long term relationship.”
“I spent the following days feeling devastated and found myself wondering who the person was that I’ve been living with for the past three months. Paul, I see the good in you and I know relationships aren’t always easy. They require work, honesty and a willingness to learn from the past. We are human. We all make mistakes.”
“However, I vowed to myself that my life partner would be a man I completely trusted throughout this experiment. There have been multiple times where I’ve stood by you and looked past things that you’ve done in the hope that this would be it for me and for us. A few weeks ago, this decision would have been easy for me. There’d be no question. I’d want to stay with you, but you threw it all away in a selfish act.
“You were given a test, which you failed. In my eyes, that was the final straw. I felt embarrassed. Humiliated and disrespected, and I never want to feel like that again. I can’t be with someone who makes me feel like I’m not enough. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t look at you in the same way. The trust is broken, and I can’t come back from that, Paul. I was yours, you had me, and you ruined it, and now you’re going to have to live with that for the rest of your life.”
Who did Paul date previously?
After a surprising revelation from fellow MAFS-contestant Awhina’s twin sister Cleo, Paul found himself back in the headlines this season after she admitted the pair previously dated.
Cleo spoke with The Daily Mail, confirming the couple had a “whirlwind romance” in 2022, just before he went on to appear in the Channel 10 reality show The Real Love Boat.
“I met Paul in 2022, shortly after becoming single following an eight-year relationship,” she told the publication.
“It was an instant spark, and we shared a whirlwind romance for a couple of months,” she added. “At no point was this hidden, and when Paul first met Awhina at the dinner party, they addressed it openly, with Paul telling his wife, Carina.”
