ABC’s first Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner wed Theresa Nist Thursday on a live ABC telecast, with former Bachelor Nation couples and contestants in attendance at the California desert nuptials.
Turner choked up as Nist walked down the aisle in her designer gown. An effervescent Susan Noles, who competed for Turner’s love on The Golden Bachelor, officiated the ceremony.
“I stood in front of you and started to feel something I didn’t expect to feel,” said Nist of that first day on The Golden Bachelor. “I witnessed you being the most wonderful, kind and sensitive human being. I grew to love you.”
“When I think of all the decisions we have made to be in this position tonight, the hand of God and the winds of fate have ordained this moment,” said Turner. “I learned you are the woman I can’t live without.”
The two-hour special hosted by Jesse Palmer had the feeling of an awards telecast, with Bachelorette star Charity Lawson and Golden Bachelor contestant Kathy Swartz serving as “Gold Carpet” correspondents at the La Quinta Resort & Club outside of Palm Springs. Swartz interviewed attendees like Turner’s daughters and fellow contestant Leslie Fhima, the runner-up who got her heart broken on national television when the Golden Bachelor chose Nist, instead.
“At our age we have to celebrate love and I was very good friend with Theresa,” Fhima told Swarts. “We supported each other .. and I’m so happy for her and Gerry.”
The special kicked off with Turner and Nist bringing their families together for Christmas, where they talked about meeting over a milkshake (and nearly dying on an LA freeway) and how they registered for wedding gifts on Amazon. (Product placement alert!). We then saw them enter the resort in a convertible Mercedes to meet with a wedding planner, who conveniently picked out all their china and flowers for the wedding.
Nist was giddy about all of it, particularly since her first wedding was held in a basement.
Then Turner went off to try on wedding bands with Neil Lane while Nist put on her first wedding gown in 51 years at a Badgely Mischka boutique, with the designers in attendance. I
Back at the pre-wedding party, the festivities were temporarily interrupted when Brayden Bowers from Season 20 of The Bachelorette and Season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise proposed to Bachelor Nation star Christina Mandrell. As she yelled “put it on me put it on me” (the Neil Lane ring, that is), she asked if that was the reason they just got manicures.
“You’re such a pain in my ass,” Bowers replied on live TV. Ain’t showmances grand?
Up until that point, nothing felt particularly awkward or exploitive about the special — until ABC decided to have some of the Golden bachelorettes celebrate with Nist by posing for boudoir photos. A quartet of Chippendales dancers then performed for the women and gave the bride a lap dance. Classy!
After the special began at 8 p.m. ET, the actual ceremony didn’t kick off until an hour and 15 minutes later.
The Golden Bachelor wedding is not the first in Bachelor history. The first-ever Bachelorette, Trista Rehn, had that honor when she married Ryan Sutter, with that episode airing in 2003. While since divorced, Evan Bass and Carly Waddell were the latest couple to go that route back in 2017.
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Source: DLine
