Karla and Juan Managed Their Expectations Ahead of Their Wedding Day on 'MAFS' (EXCLUSIVE)
"Race was not a huge factor in matchmaking as I am open to dating all cultures," Karla shared.
Published Oct. 22 2024, 1:24 p.m. ET
Going into the Married at First Sight experiment is not for the faint of heart. But Karla and Juan of Season 18, were ready for whatever the experts threw at them.
In an exclusive interview with Distractify, the pair shared what led them to the experiment, how they felt seeing each other for the first time, and how big of a role culture and race played in what they expected.
Like all couples on MAFS, Karla and Juan knew that the physical attraction could come later, but that it wasn't supposed to be the most important thing on their wedding day.
After bettering herself in every way possible, Karla was ready to throw caution to the wind and immerse herself in the experiment. Luckily for her, Juan had only positive things to say about being matched with her.
Juan had "the time of his life" with Karla.
While neither Juan nor Karla could safely say where they are now, well after filming ended for MAFS, Juan did share a little peek of what it was like in the early days of marriage with Karla. He also shared that, while being matched with someone who understands his culture was important to him, he also wanted to manage his expectations.
"To be honest, leading up to being Married at First Sight, I was trying to be as detailed as possible with the entire process, but at the same time I didn't try to build up my expectations too much, as to not be let down," Juan shared with Distractify. "I knew going in that no matter what, I was going to try my best and have the time of my life with whomever they matched me with… which I felt like I did."
He also shared that, while he was attracted to Karla when he saw her on their wedding day, he made sure to focus on all aspects of their connection rather than just outward appearances. For Juan, that meant looking at "compatibility overall" throughout the experiment.
Karla underwent a lot of work on herself to be ready for the 'MAFS' experiment.
Karla shared on MAFS that she did a lot of self-work and reflection to make sure she was ready to settle down. When we asked her about it, she cited that as the main reason she knew she was ready to settle down and get married, since before, a lack of that was holding her back.
"I feel I had yet to be married because there was inner work I had to accomplish so I can attract the partner I desire for a happy, healthy, marriage," she said.
And, Karla added, her "spontaneity" would be helpful in a marriage, because according to her, having that means she could "release expectations and flow with the unknown."
Culture and heritage are very important to Juan on 'MAFS.'
Because Juan is Colombian, but raised in North Carolina, he has always felt two sides of himself being pulled in different directions. As a result, it was hard for Juan to find the right woman to not only understand that but to also share what that means to him.
"Having those two worlds collide has been a huge challenge in the past," Juan shared with us. "Meeting a woman that has a passion for both has led to difficult relationships, it makes it hard to be in the same frequency with someone."
Could Karla be that woman? At this point, it's entirely possible.
Watch Married at First Sight on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.