Married At First Sight's Steven Danyluk admits what he REALLY thought of bride Rachel Gilmore at the altar: 'Is this a joke?'
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Married At First Sight groom Steven 'Steve O' Danyluk has admitted he feared bride Rachel Gilmore wasn't attracted to him after her uncontrollable laughter at the altar left him spiralling with nerves and self-doubt.
Monday night's episode saw Steven, 34, a softly spoken marine technician from Sydney, marry warm-hearted Melbourne bride Rachel in one of the season's most awkward and emotionally charged weddings.
Rachel, 35, who has been single for 14 years and previously spent seven years in a situationship that left her feeling hidden and unchosen, arrived at the altar visibly nervous, breaking into fits of laughter as soon as she saw her groom.
While the moment appeared light-hearted on screen, cracks soon emerged.
Steven failed to compliment Rachel on her appearance at the altar or during the early part of the reception, leaving her quietly hurt and questioning whether he found her attractive.
The issue eventually surfaced in an emotional conversation, with Steven apologising and reassuring Rachel that he was attracted to her, a moment that helped soothe years of built-up insecurity.
Now, speaking to Daily Mail after the episode aired, Steven has revealed just how overwhelmed he was on the day and why he froze in that crucial moment.
Married At First Sight groom Steven Danyluk (pictured) has admitted he feared bride Rachel Gilmore wasn't attracted to him after her uncontrollable laughter at the altar left him spiralling with nerves and self-doubt
'It was very surreal, daunting, confronting and super sweet,' he said of watching the episode back.
'It brought back memories of the actual day. I loved it.'
Steven admitted that before Rachel even appeared, his nerves were already at breaking point.
'I was nervous as anything. I was about to hit the deck,' he said.
'I was breathing heavily, my heart wanted to be on the outside, my mouth was dry.'
He revealed he had rehearsed the perfect introduction repeatedly in his head.
'I was going over it, thinking, "Hello, my name is Steve. You look beautiful. How are you feeling?"' he said.
'And I screwed it all up.'
Steven failed to compliment Rachel (pictured) on her appearance at the altar or during the early part of the reception, leaving her quietly hurt and questioning whether he found her attractive
When Rachel walked down the aisle smiling and laughing, Steven said it instantly threw him.
'The laughter happened almost immediately before I could even say hello,' he said.
'At the time I thought, "Oh dear God, what's going on here?"'
While Rachel's laughter eventually helped calm his nerves, Steven admitted his mind briefly went to a dark place.
'For a brief moment, I started to think, "Is she laughing at me? Is this a joke? Is this match a joke?"' he said.
'That's just my silly head running wild, but it did go through my mind.'
Steven said years of dating rejection fed into his anxiety, along with a fear that Rachel's smile would vanish once she saw him.
'One thing I had going through my head was, what if she has this big smile, and then she looks at me and it turns into a frown?' he said.
'That was playing on my insecurities.'
'It was very surreal, daunting, confronting and super sweet,' he said of watching the episode back. 'It brought back memories of the actual day. I loved it'
Despite planning to compliment Rachel at the altar, Steven admitted he completely froze.
'I definitely dropped the ball on that one,' he said.
'Watching it back, hindsight's a wonderful thing. That's one of the first things I would've done.'
Rachel later admitted the lack of reassurance triggered old wounds - something Steven now deeply regrets.
'Oh yeah, of course,' he said when asked if he wished he'd spoken up sooner.
Looking back, Steven said the awkwardness of the wedding is now something he values.
'It was unpolished and a little bit messy and I wouldn't want it any other way,' he said.
'All the funny moments, goofy moments, laughs and fails, I would not change them.'
Steven said years of dating rejection fed into his anxiety, along with a fear that Rachel's smile would vanish once she saw him
He said holding Rachel's hand at the altar was the moment his panic finally eased.
'That drained all the nerves out of me,' he said.
'I felt comfortable around Rachel. There was something about her energy where I felt like, "It's going to be okay".'
Steven revealed his family was initially unsure, particularly during the giggling, but quickly warmed to her as the night went on.
'My brother and sister-in-law said, "Nah, she's a good person",' he said.
'I started to see that too. Rachel's got a good heart and she's kind.'
The groom, who has been single for more than a decade, said going on Married At First Sight felt like a very 'him' thing to do.
'I always seem to do things the hard way,' he said.
'If there's an abstract way to do something, that's usually what I do.'
He added that friends would not have been surprised by his decision.
Looking back, Steven said the awkwardness of the wedding is now something he values
'If you asked my friends how I'd end up getting married, they'd say Married At First Sight,' he said.
Steven also acknowledged the show's portrayal of him as awkward and shy was not entirely wrong.
'I can be a bit awkward. A bit of a goofball. Bit of a clown,' he said.
'Somewhat accurate.'
As for what viewers can expect from him and Rachel, Steven said they are still finding their feet.
'We're two genuine human beings trying to work things out,' he said.
'We're both nervous, we've both got vulnerabilities, and we're trying to navigate that.'
While he wouldn't be drawn on future drama, Steven hinted his journey may still surprise viewers.
'You don't really know what you're going to get with me,' he said.
'I don't even know what I'm going to blurt out half the time.'
And despite the rocky start, Steven insists he wouldn't change how their wedding unfolded.
'We're all human at the end of the day,' he said.
'And looking back now, even the giggling, it's a good thing.'
