‘Golden Bachelor’ wedding features live proposal, lap dances, and message of love: ‘Don’t stop believing’
"Golden Bachelor" stars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are officially married.
In a live ceremony on ABC Thursday night, the couple said their "I Dos" in front of a mix of family, friends, and "Bachelor" franchise alums.
Nist wore a Badgley Mischka gown 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, all served as bridesmaids, while his son-in-law, Rob was Turner’s best man, and Nist’s son-in-law Matt was a groomsman.
As Turner told Fox News Digital ahead of the wedding in a joint interview with Nist, "We are going to have as many of the family members involved as we possibly can."
"Golden Bachelor" alum Susan Noles served as the officiant for the couple and delivered fun and heartfelt remarks before completing the ceremony.
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 a ringbearer, and while he pulled off the delivery smoothly, the couple and officiant Noles struggled to remove the ribbons to get the rings ready to exchange.
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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.
The moment sparked controversy online, with fans calling out the breach of etiquette.
"Honestly, it’s tacky IMO to do your proposal at someone else’s wedding," wrote one fan.
"I cannot believe Bachelor Nation orchestrated a proposal during the Golden Wedding isn’t that like, a cardinal rule?," asked another.
"Brayden LOOOVESSS to be the center of attention. although the proposal was a surprise, this behavior wasn't," said a third.
Following a commercial break, host Jesse Palmer noted that Bowers did get permission from the couple to do the proposal during the pre-ceremony festivities.
Another surprise was the attendance of Leslie Fhima, the woman Turner turned down for Nist.
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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 throughout our whole time in the house, and all the way through this journey. And I’m so, so happy for her and Gerry, I really am. And I’m here at the end of the day to support love in any way."
Fhima had previously said she was blindsided by her breakup with Turner, telling the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast that during the Fantasy Suite episode ahead of the finale, she firmly believed, based on Turner’s words, that she would get the final rose.
"I don't want to say everything he said, but it was 100% certainty that I woke up the next morning that I was going to be it," she said.
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Prior to the big moment, the broadcast featured packages looking back at the couple’s courtship, their wedding planning, and Nist’s bachelorette party.
During the party, Nist and several of the "Golden Bachelor" alums were visited by some Chippendales dancers, and one even joined Mason as her guest for the evening.
The bouquet toss following the ceremony also got a bit wild.
Nist threw the bouquet before the first official dance, and three of the women, Joan Cassos, Anna Zalk, and Swarts, all got handfuls of the roses.
Turner left the attendees and audience with one last motivational message before the broadcast ended and the real party started.
"A year ago, I sat at home thinking, all of my highlights for the year, and my life were done. I have a whole new outlook on life because of this journey and because of this woman," he said. "And I’d almost forgotten the really important advice. Don’t stop believing!"