“Golden Bachelor” stars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are officially married.
In a live ceremony broadcast on ABC Thursday night, the couple said their “I do” in front of a mix of family, friends and alumni of the “Bachelor” franchise.
Nist wore a Badgley Mischka dress and carried a bouquet of white roses, accented with pale pink and yellow, and was walked down the aisle by her son, Tommy.
Her daughter, Jen, and Turner’s daughters, Jenny and Angie, served as bridesmaids, while her son-in-law, Rob, was Turner’s best man and Nist’s son-in-law, Matt, was best man.
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Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist married live on television during ABC’s “The Golden Wedding.” (Disney/Eric McCandless)
As Turner told Fox News Digital before the wedding in a joint interview with Nist, “We’re going to involve as many family members as possible.”
Turner’s daughters, Jenny Young and Angie Warner, and Nist’s daughter, Jen Woolston, served as bridesmaids. (Disney/Eric McCandless)
“Golden Bachelor” alum Susan Noles served as the couple’s officiant and delivered fun and heartfelt remarks before completing the ceremony.
“Golden Bachelor” alum Susan Noles was the officiant for “The Golden Wedding.” (Disney/Eric McCandless)
The couple also wrote their own vows, highlighting their first meeting and date on the show, before moving on to the official “I do” moment.
Nist’s grandson, Henry, was the ring bearer, and while he made the seamless delivery, the couple and officiant Noles struggled to remove the ribbons to get the rings ready for the exchange.
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Nists’ grandson, Henry Woolston, was the ring bearer. (Disney/Eric McCandless)
One of the biggest surprises of the night was a seemingly impromptu proposal between “Bachelor in Paradise” stars Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell.
After the couple announced they were moving to Tennessee together, Bowers got down on one knee and proposed to Mandrell live on television.
Bryaden Bowers proposed to Christina Mandrell at the pre-ceremony cocktail party during “The Golden Wedding.” (Disney/James Clark)
The moment sparked controversy online, with fans calling out the etiquette violation.
“Honestly, in my opinion, it’s tacky to propose at someone else’s wedding,” one fan wrote.
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Online commentators criticized Bowers and Mandrell for an apparent violation of wedding etiquette, but according to host Jesse Palmer, Bowers had Turner and Nist’s permission to propose. (Disney/Eric McCandless)
“I can’t believe Bachelor Nation orchestrated a proposal during the Golden Wedding, isn’t that a cardinal rule?” asked another.
“Brayden loves being the center of attention. Although the proposal was a surprise, this behavior was not,” said a third.
After a commercial break, host Jesse Palmer noted that Bowers got permission from the couple to propose during the pre-ceremony festivities.
Another surprise was the attendance of Leslie Fhima, the woman Turner rejected for Nist.
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Leslie Fhima, the woman Turner turned down for Nist on “The Golden Bachelor,” attended “The Golden Wedding.” (Disney/James Clark)
In a pre-ceremony interview with fellow “Golden Bachelor” alum Kathy Swarts, Fhima said, “At our age we have to celebrate love. And I was very good friends with Theresa, we supported each other the whole time we were together.” in the house. “And along this journey. And I’m very, very happy for her and for Gerry, I really am. And at the end of the day I’m here to support love in any way.”
Fhima had previously said that her breakup with Turner took her by surprise, telling the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast that during the Fantasy Suite episode before the finale, she firmly believed, in Turner’s words, that she would get the final rose.
“I don’t want to say everything he said, but I was 100% sure when I woke up the next morning and it was going to be it,” he said.
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Before the big moment, the stream featured packages reminiscing about the couple’s courtship, planning their wedding, and Nist’s bridal shower.
During the party, Nist and several of the “Golden Bachelor” alums were visited by some Chippendales dancers, and one even joined Mason as his guest for the night.
Sandra Mason brought one of the Chippendales dancers from Nist’s bachelorette party as her date for “The Golden Wedding.” (Disney/Eric McCandless)
The bouquet toss after the ceremony also got a little wild.
Nist tossed the bouquet before the first official dance and three of the women, Joan Cassos, Anna Zalk and Swarts, received handfuls of roses.
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Turner told attendees and audiences before the end of the “Golden Wedding” broadcast “Don’t stop believing!” (Photo by Disney/John and Joseph)
Turner left attendees and the audience with one last motivational message before the broadcast ended and the real party began.
“A year ago, I sat at home thinking, all the highlights of the year and my life were over. I have a whole new perspective on life because of this trip and this woman,” he said. “And I had almost forgotten the really important advice. Don’t stop believing!”
