It didn’t take long for Married at First Sight’s Ashley Petta and Anthony D’Amico to fall for each other. The couple’s chemistry was undeniable on their wedding day, and the spark carried on into the couple’s honeymoon in the Bahamas.
On the May 11 episode, entitled “Honeymoons, Part Two,” viewers learn that the newlyweds have been intimate. Now that the secret is out, Petta tells The Knot that the moment only strengthened the couple’s connection.
“We both shared an initial physical attraction, which I think made taking that step feel very easy and natural,” the restaurant manager, 31, explains. “He made me feel very comfortable, and sex deepened the connection we’d already started to build.”
Married at First Sight Season 5 premiere. Anthony D’Amico and Ashley Petta. (Credit: A&E Networks)
On last week’s episode, viewers learned that Petta prefers to relax on vacation, but her husband has a passion for adventure. She admits, however, that D’Amico’s outgoing nature didn’t deter her. “Marriage is all about compromise, so I already knew there would be a lot of that,” notes the newlywed. “I told the experts that I wanted to be with someone who would push me out of my comfort zone.”
Petta was initially hesitant to go kayaking with D’Amico, but she eventually decided to give it a try. “It built a lot of trust between us,” she shares. “Anthony is really good at getting me out of my comfort zone but still making me feel safe at the same time. I didn’t love kayaking, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
According to Petta, she and D’Amico balance each other out. “Our personalities do mesh very well together, but we are also very different,” she says. “Anthony is much more laid back and outgoing than I am; I’m the punctual planner. [He] helps me when I need to relax, and I help him when he needs to get the ball rolling.”
Ashley Petta and Anthony D’Amico are participants in season 5 of Married at First Sight. (Credit: Lifetime)
Ashley Petta and Anthony D’Amico are participants in season 5 of Married at First Sight. (Credit: Lifetime)
Petta believes that shared family values and similar life goals played a big part in the experts’ decision to match her with D’Amico. Just days into their relationship, the couple discussed starting a family. “I know it seems weird that we are already talking about babies since we just met, but this isn’t just a first date. This is a marriage,” she explains. “It was really important to me to find out what his thoughts on the topic were early on.”
She adds: “The experts knew how important starting a family was to me, so I was confident that they would match me with someone that wanted the same thing. If Anthony had told me he wanted to wait five or more years before starting a family, that definitely would have been an issue. We [are] both on the same page.”
The young professional had some anxiety regarding where she and her husband would live after their honeymoon. She was happy to learn that D’Amico also lived in the city, but deciding on a residence wasn’t necessarily an easy task. “I wouldn’t say this caused friction between us, but it was a little challenging because [of] differences in how we approach getting things done,” she teases.
D’Amico has been concerned about his new sister-in-law, Lauren, and her profound influence on Petta, but the newlywed tells us that her sibling means well, along with the rest of her family. “My sister and I are very close, but I do think for myself,” Petta reflects. “Lauren was ’Team Anthony’ from day one, so if her thoughts or opinions affected me in any way, it was only positive.”
She concludes: “Family is extremely important to me, and it’s always easier on any relationship when your family is on board. My whole family loved Anthony from the beginning.”
