The first season of The Golden Bachelor ended with a fairy tale romance for Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, who got married on Thursday, January 4, in a lavish ceremony broadcasted live on ABC. The couple, who are both in their 70s, exchanged heartfelt vows in front of more than 50 Bachelor Nation alumni, including former leads and contestants from The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart.
Details of Their Lavish and Romantic Ceremony
Theresa, 70, looked stunning in a white lace gown with a long veil, while Gerry, 72, wore a classic black tuxedo. The bride walked down the aisle to the tune of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, and was greeted by a teary-eyed groom. The couple declared their love for each other in front of a floral arch, surrounded by palm trees and a picturesque backdrop of the mountains.
“I love your heart, your soul. I love your smiles, your laughter. We have so much fun together. We laugh until we cry,” Theresa said during her vows. “I promise to be your calm in a storm, to comfort you when you’re sad, laugh with you when you’re happy, and to stick with you throughout it all, but most of all, to have fun and to enjoy for the rest of the time we have left on this Earth, which could be another hour. I love you with all of my heart and I cannot wait to be your wife.”
Gerry echoed her love with sentimental words of his own. “I have learned that you are the woman I can’t live without. I learned that you make me calm with the touch of your hand. I’ve learned you make me laugh with the easy comfort of a long-lost friend,” he said during his vows. “You are a strong and independent woman, and your strength gives me joy. I’ve learned that you make me a better person, a better man because of your sensitivity and soft voice. Theresa, I now know I have found a full partner to share the experiences life will throw at us.”
The Golden Bachelor’s sealed their union with a passionate kiss, and were showered with confetti and cheers from their guests. Among the attendees were some of the most beloved couples from the franchise, such as Trista and Ryan Sutter, Jason and Molly Mesnick, Desiree and Chris Siegfried, Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Tayshia Adams, Charity Lawson and current Bachelor Joey Graziadei.
How They Met and Fell in Love on The Golden Bachelor
Golden Bachelor Gerry and Theresa met and fell in love during season 1 of The Golden Bachelor, a spin-off of the popular dating show that features senior citizens looking for their second chance at love. The couple got engaged during the November 2023 finale and announced at the live After the Final Rose special that they would exchange vows on TV in January 2024.
The pair decided to tie the knot sooner rather than later, citing their age as a factor. “We’re old! Think about it this way: You can wait a year in your 20s because that might be 3 percent of your remaining life,” Gerry said on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast in November 2023. “When you’re in your 70s, a year could be 10 percent or 20 percent of the time you have left.”
Gerry, who lost his first wife, Toni, in 2017, admitted that he was initially reluctant to remarry, but changed his mind after meeting Theresa. “As I was dating [before the show], I was looking for the person that I would spend the rest of my life with regardless of the label,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2023. “And as I got closer and closer to the process started in the show, I really kind of came to realize that I did indeed want to be married, that I wanted that commitment, that two-way street. And so as I got into the show, that was my objective.”
Theresa, who was also previously married, took charge of planning their dream wedding, with Gerry’s full support. “I can just hear the joy in her voice when I talk to her and she’s talking about whether it’s a dress or a cake or flowers or whatever it is,” he gushed. “It makes me so happy that she’s having this much of a good time with it. It’s like, what could be more fun?”
Future Plans
The couple also shared their plans for their future together, which include finding a home, traveling, and blending their families. Gerry is the father of daughters Jenny Young and Angie Turner, while Theresa has a son, Tommy Nist, and a daughter, Jen Woolston. In December 2023, Gerry shared a photo of their adult children via Instagram with the caption, “Going to be a very Gerry Christmas with Theresa and our blended family.”
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