It may have taken until Decision Day for Married at First Sight star Austin Hurd to tell his wife he loved her, but he exclusively tells In Touch he knew “right away” why Jessica Studer was his match. Following the April 15 finale, in which the couple decided to stay together, they both opened up about what their romantic journey was like — and how they knew they could make it work.

“I have always been someone that goes all out when I commit to something,” Austin, 31, says. “I may not have known what I was in for, but I knew I was going to stay committed to the marriage [at least until] Decision Day.” And as soon as he met Jessica, 31, he could see the same potential the experts saw when they paired them together.

“We both had the same core values, wanted the same thing out of life and wanted a teammate,” he says. “Most of all, though, we could tell how we balanced each other out — me being a little more easy-going and Jess needing someone a little more patient.” The reality TV bride agrees, “I think Austin and I balance each other really well and make a good team. … I am more high-energy, and Austin is laid back.”

Despite the fact that he’s the yin to her yang, she doesn’t think she would’ve found him without the matchmakers’ help. “I don’t think I was necessarily looking for those traits, which is why I think I was having a hard time in the dating world,” she says. Regardless, as soon as they met, the Ohio native found herself “completely comfortable” with her husband. “[I] felt like I could genuinely be myself.”

And she was exactly the person he was looking for. “The main [traits] I wanted was a wife who likes to have fun, as simple as that may be, and also someone who is strong and has a strong personality,” he says. “I guess it’s been hard for me to find someone with both of those things, but it also took time to know what I want.”

So what was their secret to making the marriage work? Ultimately, they were always on the same side of the battle. “Both of us approached this to be a team,” the groom says. “It was very attractive right from the start to see Jess taking this seriously and that motivated me to be better as well.” Jess agrees, “I have learned to be more patient and vulnerable. Marriage is about compromise … Sometimes that means doing things on a different timeline then I normally would, and that’s OK!”

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