90 Day Fiance is nearing the end of Season 8.
On Episode 16, wedding bells were in the air … but though some fan-favorites got married, not everyone made it down the aisle.
Natalie had fled Mike’s house in tears, but had to turn back around and speak to the man who called off their wedding.
Rebecca has a last-minute wardrobe disaster as she and Zied prepare to marry.
Jovi does some last minute shopping in Vegas — for a tux and for wedding bands.
It’s Tarik and Hazel’s wedding day, and they have the cutest flower girl and a perfect officiant.
And Julia has a lot of feelings before her wedding. Can Brandon reassure her before they walk down the aisle?
Mike Youngquist and Natalie Mordovtseva
On what was supposed to be the night of her wedding day, Natalie and the oh-so helpful neighbor Tamara instead headed to Seattle to spend the night at a hotel (on Mike’s card, at least) before flying out to France. Natalie has just two days before her K-1 visa runs out and her stay ceases to be on legal terms. Despite the pandemic, she has no choice but to go home.
It’s a scary prospect
Getting to France seems like a sure thing. Getting back to Ukraine? Even without the heartbreak, this would be scary. Natalie wonders if she’ll have to take a train or a bus to Ukraine, or if even those will be options with the pandemic. She also fears getting sick.
Meanwhile, in Sequim …
Mike kicks Natalie’s fuzzy pink slippers that, in her tear-soaked and rushed packing, she did not bring with her. He’s not having a great day, but he’s also the architect of his own misery, so it’s impossible to pity him.
So why did he call it off?
After spending literally years in the relationship and having had three months … he felt like they were “rushing” into marriage. Hey, maybe he’s right! But who started the K-1 visa process, Mike? That was you, my guy.
Instant regret
Just hours after she and Tamara left, he is already expressing that it’s different, and perhaps not in a good way, without Natalie at home.
The best laid plans …
In Seattle, Natalie and Tamara are denied check-in at the hotel because [checks notes] basically no reputable hotel on the planet will let you check into your room on someone else’s credit card. For all that they know, you just found it on the street. You CAN pay for someone else’s hotel stay, but you can’t just give them your card like you might to get them to buy you some groceries.
When it rains, it pours
And Natalie’s in Seattle, so when is it NOT raining?
AWKWARD
Natalie and Tamara have to go back to Mike’s for the night and figure out something else for the next day. Natalie thought that this place felt like the set of a horror movie, and that was back when she and Mike were in a much better place. Now?
Understatement of the decade
Mike’s efforts to explain himself … well, it really doesn’t make sense beyond “I got nervous and panicked” because he doesn’t explain it beyond that.
Natalie is a wreck
It’s impressive that she is even speaking to him after this unparalleled humiliation.
So … why IS she still speaking to him?
Natalie caught feelings and they are a chronic condition, apparently. They seem determined to try to make it work … even after all of that?
They speak to an immigration attorney
They explain the situation in all of its grisly detail and Mike tries to get “permission” from the attorney, or even just a wink and a nudge, that they could stay together without marrying after the visa expires. The answer? Absolutely not, pandemic or no pandemic.
“Tomorrow”
Like the worst Groundhog Day episode of any show, ever, they are once again preparing to marry. Will this time work out any better? Is this, what, one day’s difference enough that Mike won’t feel like he’s rushing?
Rebecca Parrott and Zied Hakimi
Zied is so excited for his wedding day. For him, it’s his first one.
He’s spending so much time on his hair
He says that his arms got tired because he spent so much time doing this to his hair. Honestly? More power to him. I don’t understand the hairstyle at all but good for him.
Meanwhile, Rebecca has a problem
She’s excited for her wedding, but the dress will not fit. Specifically, it won’t zip up in the back.
Whatever works!
Rebecca’s solution is to wear an off-white corset over the dress that will keep it up, hide the imperfection, and flatter her figure. And honestly? It works
Awwww!
Rebecca thanks the place where she’s staying for helping set her up with a Cinderella-style carriage to take her to her wedding
Zied is so hyped
He is eager to marry Rebecca and not just so that they can get it done before Ramadan. They really love each other.
This is so pure!
We have a lot of thoughts about pandemic weddings, but given the K-1 visa limitations, they couldn’t really reschedule so we’ll let that slide for all of these couples.
It’s done!
The two are officially married and begin their life together as husband and wife.
Jovi Dufren and Yara Zaya
Meanwhile, a month before the entire planet shut down due to the pandemic, Jovi and Yara are in Vegas with Jovi’s close and improbably named friends. (Real talk: I’ve had friends bring me back souvenirs from their engagement trips, honeymoons, and anniversary trips, but it does feel weird that Jovi has his buddies physically with him on this trip)
While in Vegas …
Jovi teaches Yara to play cards (blackjack? I’m unsure because I literally tune out when card games are explained) and Yara tells the camera how she is feeling better about things now that Jovi spent a few hours paying attention to her instead of goofing off with his friends. Meanwhile, Jovi’s friends don’t know that she’s pregnant yet and keep pushing her to drink with them. They’re not being mean but WOW, it’s no wonder that Jovi thinks that his drinking habits are normal. Most of us don’t ever, ever ask someone why they’re drinking water.
Ring shopping
It’s a little (a lot) last minute but Jovi takes Yara ring shopping and his mom, Gwen, tags along to help. Honestly, I saw this moment and immediately imagined Yara as the reported “handsome Sauron” in the Amazon Prime Lord of the Rings series. Can’t you just see her as Annatar, Lord of Gifts?
Gwen agrees
Jovi’s mom encourages him to get Yara a nice ring like she wants. Jovi sometime struggles (at least on camera) with taking Yara and her feelings seriously and at times seems to see Yara as an awkward (if very pretty) roommate, so this is an important gesture of affection.
Jovi is not a ring guy
He gets a simple titanium band for himself that he selects in minutes. I spend more time picking out which color of tissue box I want.
Jovi’s dad, Monty, marvels
Monty characterizes Jovi’s behavior as a bit nuts and affirms that he loves him, but never imagined that he’d settle down and get married … which fits right in with the characterization of Jovi that we’ve gotten from Yara and from Jovi’s friends.
Jovi needs a tux
Remember when Yara went wedding dress shopping with Gwen back in the nasty village? Jovi decided to save tux shopping until literally the day before his own wedding. Look, it’s a great way to make sure that nothing’s wrinkled, but it’s very last minute. Anyway, the sales clerk was super cool about it even though his friends were all like “yeah he’s just like this” to the camera. Their wedding, one assumes, will be on next week’s episode.
Tarik Myers and Hazel Cagalitan
It’s the morning of their wedding day, so we see Tarik adorably wake up his daughter, who of course is going to be the flower girl.
Hazel is getting ready
She does acknowledge to the camera that she misses her son, and is hopeful that he can join her soon in this new life. That’s the plan!
She’s BEAUTIFUL
Hazel has been a beautiful woman the entire time, but seeing her in a wedding dress is a whole other level of gorgeous.
It’s an outdoor wedding
Tarik’s brother Dwain shows up and helps him to set up, since their parents cannot make it (even to an outdoor ceremony — travel during a pandemic is best avoided). Heartbreakingly, Tarik has basically no relationship with his brother Dean Hashim. The two were fan favorites on Pillow Talk but sometimes people grow apart.
The stretch limo was gorgeous
Honestly, I feel like this is the vehicle for rich kid prom night rather than for preparing for a wedding, but honestly this looks great (I say that as someone who does not own one single normal light bulb so … that’s where I’m coming from, aesthetically)
BEST officiant
Angela, the couple’s wonderful friend (she was just Tarik’s friend but by now she is truly Hazel’s friend also), officiates their wedding. Notably, they’re at the spiritual center that Tarik likes. It’s not the church wedding that Hazel wanted, but that’s less feasible during a pandemic … unless you live in the middle of nowhere.
MARRIED
This is so sweet. Fans have watched their journey for years and it’s heartwarming to see them tie the knot.
So sweet!
With Ari adorably standing between them, Tarik and Hazel marry. They both tear up, but they also both laugh during the ceremony. Adorable. Congratulations!
Brandon Gibbs and Julia Trubkina
It’s the day before the wedding, but Julia is cutting her own flowers (pandemic realities) and is not in a great mood over Brandon’s apparent disinterest. She’s also wildly adorable in those cat ears.
Brandon stops by to cheer her up
In fact, he says some really sweet things to her while reassuring her of their future together.
SO SWEET
Julia tears up and cries because what he said was so cute. (Now, I’m keeping the way that he spoke to her when they looked at the church venue in mind because that would have been a dealbreaker for me, but you CAN really tell why they’re so into each other)
Like, you can REALLY tell
Brandon also plans an at-home “spa day” for himself and Julia, both of whom are clearly tiny people.
They both fit into the tub together?
This is such a cute gesture for anyone who can tolerate the idea of taking a bath instead of a shower. Also for people tiny enough to fit into a teenie little bathtub like that.
Even Betty is showing character growth
Betty speaks to the camera about how she needs to accept that her baby boy is a 27-year-old man and is growing up and marrying and getting his own life. Do I think that Betty is a good person? Based upon what we saw this season, no. But later this season, she did have a much less antagonistic role.
Julia had the sweetest idea
They would both write out their vows in the other’s native language and then incorporate both sets of vows in art after the wedding. That’s … like, that’s just really good.
They let her parents watch
Her parents watch remotely as this mini-wedding takes place. Everyone hopes that this is just a prelude to a new wedding — Betty wants a big one there in Virginia, Julia wants a bit one in Russia for her parents to see, which gives us two potential new seasons for them on Happily Ever After? (TLC, please do this)
MARRIED!
We’re guessing that Brandon’s Russian is worse than Julia’s English, but it’s the thought that counts. Congratulations to Brandon and Julia!!