'Surprise!': MAFS groom Matthew Ridley reveals he's secretly married partner Dominique Nielsen
Married At First Sight groom Matthew Ridley has married the "love of his life" Dominique Nielsen, two years after they first met.
The Season 9 groom stunned followers as he unveiled the news on Saturday, alongside a string of pictures from their lavish wedding ceremony in Brisbane.
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"Surprise!!" he captioned the post. "Say hello to Mr & Mrs Ridley."
Dominique was positively glowing on her big day, opting for a a strapless white wedding gown with intricately detailed lace gloves to match.
Matt couldn't stop grinning in every photo, wearing a beige linen suit and satin pink tie to complement the theme of the venue.
Matt Ridley has tied the knot with partner Dominique. Instagram
The post was met with an abundance of congratulatory messages, with fellow MAFS star Jackson Lonie writing: "Whooooo congrats guys love this."
"Congrats big dog," Season 9's Brent Vitiello added, while Season 6 groom Mike Gunner commented: "Congratulations Matt and Dominique! You both look so happy. Well done."
Matt proposed to Dominique in March, 18 months after the pair met.
Speaking to 9Entertainment at the time, Matt said he knew very early that this relationship was "it" for him.
The group received a huge amount of support from his followers following the news. Instagram
"We went on three days in the first three nights," Matt recalled of their early meeting in September 2022. "We were both very smitten. We could tell this relationship was something special. I knew very early on that that Dominique was the one for me."
He had been planning the proposal for about two months before popping the question on Noosa's Little Cove Beach – a special holiday spot for the couple.
"I knew that if we were going to get engaged that was going to be the spot," he said.
Matt met his partner two years ago. Instagram
"So I organised some accommodation and she was incredibly surprised... she started crying and she immediately said yes with a big smile."
He worked with Simon Curwood Jewellers to design a 14K rose and white gold diamond ring that felt special and personal.
"I got it to match Dom – to match Dom's smile and her excitement," Matt shared.
Dom's 10-year-old son, Heath, was also there to celebrate with them.
Dominique looked stunning in a lace gown with matching gloves. Instagram
"I wanted him to be the first to congratulate us with the big hug and he did, so that made it a bit more special knowing he was there to see something incredible between his mum and his stepdad," Matt explained.
During his time on MAFS, viewers learned about Matt's past heartbreak with IVF and his and his ex-wife's time fostering children.
He said he now had the family he'd "always yearned for".
Matt said he was heavily involved in the process of creating Dom's 'special' Simon Curwood Jewellers ring. Supplied
"Heath isn't my biological son but I absolutely treat him like he is because I'm going to be in his life forever. I've always wanted to pass on a legacy and pass on my knowledge, to see a child grow up and to have a positive impact on a child as they grow up. And yeah, I get that now," Matt said.
"It makes me incredibly happy that I haven't just fallen in love with the love of my life, I also have an immediate family I suppose. And that brings me a lot of joy."
Matt was matched with Kate Laidlaw during Season 9 of the experiment but their relationship failed to make it to Final Vows.
Despite this, he felt very positive about his MAFS experience and said he still kept in contact with many of his castmates, especially the fellow grooms.
"I'm really lucky to have been on Season 9 because in my opinion, it was probably the best season to date in terms of the personalities and the friendships that I've come away with it," he said.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Stream every episode of Married At First Sight for free on 9Now.
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