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A virgin who is saving herself for marriage has signed up to marry a total stranger on the upcoming season of Married at First Sight. 

Iris Caldwell, 21, from Raleigh, North Carolina, is among the latest batch of desperate singles who are relying on a team of relationship experts to find them partners, but unlike the other participants, she has far more at stake. 

For the ninth season of the hit Lifetime reality series, the producers headed to Charlotte to match eight people who will meet their spouses for the first time when they exchange vows at the altar

Written in the stars? Iris Caldwell and Keith Manley are one of four couples who are saying 'I do' as total strangers on the eighth season of the reality series Married at First Sight

The new season will kick off on June 12 with an hour-long matchmaking special, follow by the two-hour season premiere chronicling the couples' weddings.   

The series chronicles the ups and downs of marrying and moving in with a stranger, as the participants work to get to know each other — and hopefully fall in love — before deciding whether or not they want to get divorced. 

Over the past eight seasons of the reality series, 25 couples have gotten married, but only six of them have remained together. However, there have been enough happy endings to give this season's participants some hope. 

Season one stars Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are not only still married, but they also have a one-year-old daughter named Henley Grace.

Meanwhile, Jephte Pierre and Shawniece Jackson, who met on season six of the show, welcomed their daughter, Laura Denise, in August.  

Anthony D'Amico and Ashley Petta, from season five, are expecting their first child together, and so are season seven stars Danielle Bergman and Bobby Dodd. 

Many of this year's participants agree that the chance of finding love makes it worth the risk.  

Full speed ahead: Iris, 21, is a virgin who is saving herself for marriage, while Keith, 27, is looking to have children immediately after he ties the knot 

Iris Caldwell and Keith Manley

Iris, 21, is a virgin who is saving herself for marriage because she wants to be able to fully give all of herself to her future husband.  

She was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, as an only child. Although her parents divorced when she was three years old, she has close relationships with both her mother and father.

Iris signed up to marry a stranger on Married at First Sight because she always gives so much of herself to others and wants to dedicate that same attention to her personal life.

She hopes the experts will help her find an equal partnership with someone who is both supportive and uplifting. 

Meanwhile, divorce is not an option for Keith, who is looking to have children immediately after he ties the not. 

The 27-year-old, who grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, was raised to believe family is the most important thing in life.

His parents have been married for nearly thirty years, while his grandparents recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.  

Keith understands that a successful marriage has its fair share of ups and downs and requires hard work, but he is excited to start his life with his future wife.

To him, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are the perfect couple, and he admits he would like to mirror their relationship. He wants to find a wife who shares his dream of building an empire together. 

Looking to the future: Elizabeth Bice and Jamie Thompson are both ready to star the next chapters of their lives 

Common ground: Elizabeth, 29, and Jamie, 35, both come from tight-knit families. Although he loves traveling, he won't get a passport until he has a partner to explore the world with

Elizabeth Bice and Jamie Thompson 

Elizabeth, 29, admits that she wouldn't have wanted to tie the knot a few years ago, but she is ready to start the next chapter of her life after spending the past two years focusing on her personal growth.  

She was born in Lexington, South Carolina, and was raised in Mooresville, North Caroline, by her parents, who have been married for 29 years. 

Elizabeth's mother and father taught her what a healthy marriage looks like, and she is excited about the experience to appear on Married at First Sight because she has an open mind about the process. 

She considers her free-spirited nature to be an advantage because she thinks it will help her go with the flow while navigating marriage with a total stranger. 

Like Elizabeth, Jamie grew up in a close-knit family. He was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, and recently celebrated his 35th birthday.

He signed up for the show because he is frustrated with modern-dating and is open to meeting his future wife through the unconventional match-making process.

Jamie admits that he doesn't always make the best dating choices, and he is willing to trust the experts in finding him the woman of his dreams. 

He also hopes they will help him figure out what was lacking in his past relationships to ensure that he and his future wife have a lifetime of happiness. 

Although he is passionate about traveling, he won't get a passport until he has a partner to explore the world with.   

Wish: Amber Bowles and Matthew Gwynne are both hoping the show's experts have found them the right partners 

Match made in heaven? Amber, 27, is a hopeless romantic, while Matthew, 32, admits most of his relationships have ended because they lacked an emotional connection

Amber Bowles and Matthew Gwynne

Amber, 27, and her identical twin sister were raised by their father with the help of their aunt. Her mother came out as a lesbian and moved to Massachusetts to find acceptance when she and her sister were four years old. 

Her father provided a solid foundation for her and her sister while they are growing up, but she admits she has a tendency to pick the wrong men. 

Although Amber is strong-willed, bossy, and a bit of a tomboy, she is also a hopeless romantic who is looking for her own happy ending. 

She was thrilled when Married at First Sight headed to Charlotte for its ninth season, and she is hoping the experts will help her find the right guy once and for all.  

Unlike Amber, Matthew, 32, had a more traditional upbringing. He and his sisters were raised by their parents in Raleigh, North Carolina, though they just recently divorced. 

He started playing organized basketball at four years old, and he went on to follow in his father's footsteps by playing in college.  

Basketball is still an important part of his life, and he spends several months out of the year playing internationally.

Matthew admits that most of his relationships have ended because they lacked an emotional connection and the distance led to their downfall. 

Like many of the other participants on the show, he is optimistic that the experts will match him with a partner he can connect with on a deeper level. 

Devoted to the process: Deonna McNeill and Gregory Okotie are both optimistic that the experts will help them have an everlasting marriage 

Gotta have faith: Deonna, 30, signed up for the show because she wants a partner to share her life with, while Gregory, 32, was intrigued by the number of past couples who are still married

Deonna McNeill and Gregory Okotie

Deonna, 30, has fond memories of her childhood, and family time was an integral part of her upbringing. Her parents are still together, and she considers her sister to be one of her best friends.

In addition to her close family, she has great friends, an established career, and a home that she owns. However, she admits she feels a void in her life because she doesn't have a partner to share her life with. 

Deonna is open to the idea of finding her perfect match through the Married at First Sight process. She has faith that the experts will help her find the man of her dreams. 

Like Deonna, Gregory, 32, grew up in a tight-knit family and has a close connection with God. He and his older sister were primarily raised in Fort Washington, Maryland, in a single-parent household.  

After years of traveling and soul-searching, he knows who he is and is ready to move past his failed relationships and find a partner he can start a family with.  

Gregory was particularly drawn to Married at First Sight because of his interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and the number of participants who are still married. 

Not only is he optimistic that the experts will lead him to the woman of his dreams, but he is also willing to put in the work.  

He takes the matchmaking process seriously and is willing to whatever it takes to make this experiment work for him.