A couple who got engaged after being matched up on First Dates Ireland said they want cameras to document their journey down the aisle to showcase that true love exists.
When Carla from Antrim and Shez Sherry from Louth entered the First Dates restaurant as singletons hoping for ‘a laugh’ in 2020, they admit they could have never anticipated the result.
The lovebirds, who appeared in series six of the show last January, have since moved in together, got engaged, and are planning their wedding - with the whole First Dates crew in tow.
And now they are determined to encourage everyone else they meet to get the same fairytale ending.
Carla told Irish Mirror: “I’m telling everyone to get on it now, I'm telling my mum to get on it.
“Now that we’ve been on it and have seen it is not daunting and works, I want everyone to go on it.”
The nurse added: “You do always wonder if people stay together and I think we are just that nice story that shows it does work, and genuinely wants people to get together, and it does work.
“It is just like life, everybody you put together is not going to work, but ultimately you put enough together and it will.
“And we got really lucky that we were one of the ones that it did work.”
Whilst the travel restrictions over the past two years could have tore the couple apart in their early days, with Carla living in Co. Derry and Shez in Dundalk, it did the opposite.
Carla joked: “He came up for like a week at Christmas last year and he hasn’t left.
Shez added: “We had no choice, but it made us closer. Because we were living together and couldn’t do anything. It would have put anyone’s relationship to the test, we were with each other 24/7 for a year.
“And it made us actually closer. It just worked for us.”
The couple, who are now living blissfully together in Co. Derry had hoped to take the next step in their relationship and tie the knot this summer, but like many nationwide, the pandemic has halted their plans.
And after finding their love in front of a camera, the pair are eager to share their journey down the aisle on camera too.
“I would love for other people to have what we have. If everyone had what we have there would be no world wars. It is just so special. We just want everyone to have that,” Shez said.
Carla added: “It is such an incredible journey to be on and I think it would inspire people and give people a lot of hope.
“Some people wouldn’t even dream about going on First Dates and then they see us, so I would love to do it. Just to inspire and give them hope that this could happen, because it can.”
The pair also plan to honour their matching making team, including Maître D' Mateo Saina, on their special day.
“Ah of course, he will be on the top table,” Carla joked. "And Ethan, and Ciara, because obviously she worked her magic and put us together.
“Don’t you worry about it, we have it all planned. They will all be there.”
Still dumbfounded by their ‘luck’ to have found each other, the couple admitted that they still watch back their televised first date in disbelief that a TV show changed their lives forever.
“We watch ourselves back all the time. And we always say ‘how did they get it so bang on’
“Money could never buy what we have.
“There is like 400,000 views, 300,000 are us,” Shez said laughing.
Looking back, the self admitted sceptic went on to admit he never anticipated finding someone like Carla, whilst she told how she owes a lot to her mother who pushed her to follow through with the show when she found herself getting cold feet at the last minute.
Hailing her loved ones for their support throughout the journey, Carla said: “I was the one who was doubting whether I would go down for the second interview and it was my mum who said ‘no you are going, you will kick yourself if you don’t go’
“That is it. That split second decision the night before, I was like ‘ah I have to drive all the way to Dublin on my own, I’m not doing it.’ And my mum said ‘You are going’.”
Almost two years on, they are set to make even more memories for their watch list tonight, as they head on a trip down memory lane with a visit to the First Dates restaurant later in the series.
