Congrats to the bride and groom! On January 4, The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner officially lost his bachelor status by getting married to Theresa Nist at the La Quinto Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California. Like many weddings, friends and family were present at the ceremony. Unlike many weddings, one of the groom’s exes was a gold carpet “correspondent,†multiple members of the media were on the guest list, and the entire event was televised live on ABC. The newlyweds had their first dance to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,†in a callback to their first date on the show. The wedding special also included footage of moments leading up to the big day, including dress shopping and bachelorette party shenanigans. From lap dances to a live proposal, find some of the standout moments from the Golden Wedding special below.
Jesse Palmer’s dedication to the cause
The Bachelor host opened the broadcast by noting that he hadn’t been sure he would make it to the wedding because he and his wife, Emely, were expecting the birth of their first child “at any moment.†Palmer knew she was watching, so he took the opportunity to address her directly: “Please call me if you feel anything. I will leave here immediately.†Sir, America would have understood if you wanted to take the night off.
The vows
Surprising no one, Gerry and Theresa both cried.
Theresa vowed to be the the “calm in a storm†and to stick beside Gerry through a variety of emotions. But “most of all,†she emphasized that she hopes to have fun for however long left they have on Earth … “which could be another hour,†she quipped. On a more serious note, she added, “I love you with all my heart, and I cannot wait to be your wife.â€
Gerry expressed his opinion that the “hand of God and winds of fate have ordained this moment,†and referenced his guiding principle from the show by noting that Theresa is the woman he can’t live without. He vowed to make her “the happiest woman on Earth†and never take her heart for granted. “And I promise in those dark, pillow-talk moments, when silence deafens, to share my innermost thoughts with you,†he said. “And to listen to yours tenderly and carefully. Because we have a trust that cannot be broken.â€
The exes on the guest list
- Susan Noles officiated the ceremony.
- Kathy Swarts joined The Bachelorette’s Charity Lawson as a golden carpet “correspondent,†interviewing guests throughout the night.
- Leslie Fhima showed up even after recently spending her 65th birthday in the ER. (Can’t say she looked thrilled when the camera cut to her in the middle of Gerry’s vows, but they did later hug on the dance floor.)
- Natascha Hardee was, of course, excited to sit down.
- Per US Weekly, the full list of exes who attended also included Faith Martin, Ellen Goltzer, Joan Vassos, Sandra Mason, Edith Aguirre, April Kirkwood, Nancy Hulkower, Anna Zalk, and Patty James.
The sexy bachelorette party
Sandra, Ellen, Faith, and Susan did a boudoir photoshoot at Theresa’s bachelorette party. (Sandra confessed to having “X-rated†thoughts about Denzel Washington to get in the mood.) Later, some Chippendales dancers stopped by to give the women lap dances. (Sandra played bongos on one of the men’s abs, and brought one of the dancers to the wedding as her date.)
‘Can’t zip it’
At one point in the broadcast, we got to see Theresa shopping for her wedding dress with some of her fellow former contestants. After trying on a potential option, Theresa joked to Kathy, “I need a favor from you. I can’t zip it.†Kathy later added, “Today it was my joy to zip it for Theresa.†No hard feelings here.
A surprise proposal
Wedding proposals can be controversial, but Bachelorette star Brayden Bowers was willing to take the risk. Not long before Gerry and Theresa tied the knot, Brayden and Christina Mandrell (a former Bachelor contestant herself) were chatting with Jesse Palmer about their relationship. Then, Brayden dropped to one knee to ask Christina to marry him on live TV. And just like that, we seem to have another Bachelor Nation wedding on the way.