‘Married at First Sight’ Bride Mindy Shiben Reveals Her First Thought at Seeing Husband Zach Justice on Their Wedding Day

When Mindy Shiben first saw the man she would be marrying just moments later, the Married at First Sight bride had no clue the moment would be burned in her memory for the rest of her life. Ahead of the Lifetime reality series’ Season 10 premiere (produced by Kinetic Content) on Jan. 1, Mindy opened up to PopCulture.com about meeting hubby Zach Justice for the first time on their wedding day after being matched by a team of relationship experts.

“I am hands down the luckiest girl in this world,” Mindy recalls thinking upon seeing her new husband while walking down the aisle. “Seeing Zach for the first time, knowing I was minutes from marrying him, was one of the most memorable moments of my life.”

Agreeing to marry a complete stranger might seem extreme, but for Mindy, it only made sense after striking out time after time in her home of Washington D.C.

“Married at First Sight was the perfect opportunity for me because I felt like I was wasting my time with the wrong guys and I was ready for the real deal,” she explained. “In any other scenario, I’d be terrified to marry a stranger, but I had 100 percent faith in the experts and knew they had my best interest in mind.”

Mindy admitted that “nothing” about conventional dating was working for her prior to MAFS, telling PopCulture, “I kind of hate dating! Getting ready, Ubering to some fancy restaurant, pretending like I have a wine preference, and ordering whatever I can pronounce on the menu isn’t exactly my cup of tea.”

“But when you suggest beers and hot dogs, guys think you’re a little weird, or at least in D.C.,” she continued. “I’m a pretty low-maintenance girl and this typical dating scene just isn’t me.”

Mindy’s first impression of Zach may have been a home run, but there’s always work to be done in a marriage, especially when the person you’ve just married is a stranger.

“Zach is a very structured person and I’m more of the spontaneous type,” she explained. “For this to work, both of us need to be willing to compromise and adapt our lifestyles. My biggest concern was whether Zach can let go of some of his regular routine and create space in our new married routine together.”

While Mindy can’t say just yet what she and Zach chose for the future of their relationship on Decision Day, she told PopCulture that the whole experiment was the biggest learning experience of her life.

“I think it’s safe to say I’ve learned more throughout this experience than I have in my whole life,” she said. “I always knew I had such great support, but the way my closest friends carried me through the hard days just leaves me speechless. I don’t know what I did to deserve them, but I will cherish them always.”

Married at First Sight (produced by Kinetic Content) premieres Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.

Photo credit: Lifetime