Married at First Sight couple Ryan Donnelly and Jacqui Burfoot are both chasing perfection in a marriage – but could that be with each other?
The couple is now butting heads after moving in together, and learning more about each other’s habits. Jacqui is not a fan of Ryan putting his shoes on the couch and bed, and does not want him watching TV in the bedroom.
As she lays down the rules, Ryan quips: “We’re not down to the negotiation stage yet”. Putting shoes on the couch is a “red flag” for the bride, who feels like she is mothering her groom.
Laying it all on the line
In the second task of intimacy week, Jacqui writes a letter to Ryan about her future goals and her worth. Speaking about her intelligence, looks and self-development, she says she needs her partner to be “an asset” like she is.
The ambitious bride talks about her desire to create generational wealth, have a “financially literate” partner and not resting until she makes $500 million.
Taken aback, Ryan finds he takes her confessions as grandstanding and a surface-level resume, which Jacqui disagrees with.

Brutal honesty
The tension in the air had started as they completed the photo-ranking challenge earlier during intimacy week.
While it’s been a moment for some couples to bond, Jacqui was less than impressed when Ryan ranks her third behind Carina and Rhi, and one in front of Sierah.
Elaborating more on his choices, he said he might have put Jacqui and Sierah equal third instead, saying the other bride has a prettier face, and prefers dark hair. Continuing his “100% honest” evaluation, he says he is drawn to the European look Carina possesses.
“It’s pretty s*** just knowing my partner has no care about my feelings, ” Jackie says in a confessional. “I deserve someone who makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, and that’s not Ryan.”
Her rejection spirals later when she tearfully says she wants someone who puts in more effort: “He’s a low effort-man who deserves a low-effort girl.”
Deciding to return the honesty in a task about previous partners, she decides to describe her ex partner with “6’4″ tall, blonde, blue eyes, God-like body”.
Seeing this as an “impossible standard” set by his bride, he asks if she would have said yes if her ex proposed, and she says yes without hesitation, which frustrated the “warrior”.

Expectations in a partner and rocky beginnings
Despite having both brains and beauty, 29-year-old Sydneysider Jacqui says that she’s struggled to find a partner in the past.
“I’ve worked really hard on myself so I expect a lot from my partner. I’m too ambitious, I’m too much to handle,” she laments before she gets married.
Expecting nothing short of perfection from her groom, the former Miss New Zealand turned consultant says she is looking for a man who will “take the lead” and “likes to be the masculine energy” in the relationship.
“I want to be the woman that makes him feel like a man.”

While her standards may be high, 36-year-old project manager Ryan might just meet those standards with high expectations of his own that he’s not willing to lower.
After both experiencing bullying at a young age, the experts hope that by pairing the two together, they’ll be able to grow together physically, emotionally, and intellectually as a couple.
From the moment Jacqui’s sister Meghan spots Ryan and his groomsmen she has her concerns, “they look like bad news” she whispers to her fellow bridesmaids.
A wedding with ups and downs
Things go from bad to worse when Jacqui walks down the aisle, sharing her concerns that her groom isn’t blonde like she hoped and isn’t clean-shaven on their wedding day.
But to Ryan, he’s thrilled by his wife’s good looks: “She’s not bad, hey” he tells producers.
In their vows, Jacqui makes her expectations clear, expecting her husband to take the lead and give up his jacket when she is cold. While things seem to be going well, Ryan doesn’t take the lead after the ceremony and fails to take his new bride’s hand – resulting in her bursting into tears.
“I wanted a man to take the lead because I’m a f****** high-value woman,” she complains.

But the drama doesn’t end there! At their wedding photoshoot, Ryan is blind to Jacqui’s shivering, failing to be a gentleman and offer her his jacket, resulting in her having to ask him.
While Ryan believes they are hitting it off, Jacqui is having major doubts.
At the reception, a disappointed Jacqui begins to slowly warm to her new husband after learning about his upbringing and ambition.
Connecting on their values, they finally start to hit it off but as they take part in their first dance, Ryan missteps and stands on Jacqui’s dress, dropping her and causing hysteria amongst the guests.
Awkward!
While Jacqui finds humour in the situation, Ryan can’t let it go, pleading with the film crew to not show his dramatic dropping of his bride on television.
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