“The Golden Bachelor”'s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Are Married!
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The couple got engaged on the season finale of the inaugural season of the ABC dating show, which aired in November
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Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner at their wedding with Susan NolesThe Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner and his fiancée Theresa Nist have officially tied the knot!
Turner, 72, and Nist, 70 — who got engaged on the first-ever installment of the Bachelor spinoff — said “I do” in a live, televised ceremony, officiated by fan favorite Susan Noles, at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California on Thursday night.
The bride — who wore a stunning Badgley Mischka gown — was walked down the aisle by her son Tom before the ceremony began.
“I can't even tell you how excited I am right now and so grateful to welcome you all here to celebrate this love that these two have found,” Noles shared.
“For those of you who don't know me, I just don't know why. I'm Susan, the shy, quiet one on the show,” she added, jokingly referring to her outgoing personality.
Noles said that she believed that “fate” brought them together, adding, “30,000 people and you were both chosen to be on The Golden Bachelor.”
“You have both given us all so much hope that it is never, ever too late to find love,” she shared.
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Theresa Nist at her weddingBefore exchanging their vows, Turner’s daughters Angie and Jenny gave a speech about their excitement to have Nist joining their family.
Nist’s daughter Jen also celebrated the couple’s nuptials in her own speech, saying, “We're beyond thrilled that you've brought us together as a family.”
“Okay, take good care of my best friend since birth,” she told Turner before adding, “And mom put him first. Mama and Gerry, I know you're gonna have the most incredible life together. I truly truly truly cannot be happier for you guys. I can't even wait to see what the future holds. I love you both so much.”
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Gerry Turner at his weddingNist broke down in tears as she recalled their first meeting when she was in her “birthday suit.”
“I started believing that there could be something between us,” she shared. “And I witnessed you being the most wonderful, kind, sensitive human, being a man of honor and integrity and I grew to love you. I love you. I love your heart and your soul. I love your smiles and your laughter. We have so much fun together we laugh until we cry. We have faced many challenges, including a near death experience on the California freeway.”
“We have that same deep love of family,” she added. “We have so much love to share and now so many more people to share it with. I promise to be calm in the storm, to comfort you when you're sad, to laugh with you when you're happy, and to stick with you throughout it all, but most of all, to have fun. For the rest of the days that we have left on this earth, which could be another hour."
“I love you with all my heart and I cannot wait to be your wife,” she concluded.
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Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner at their weddingTurner then took his turn and shared, “From the first sip of chocolate shake to the last taste of Costa Rican coffee, I 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 that you make me laugh with the easy comfort of long lost friends.”
“I've learned that you're a strong and independent woman,” he added. “And your strength gives me joy. I've learned that you make me a better person, a better man… And so, Theresa, I know I found a full partner to share all of life experiences that are thrown at us.”
He continued: “I promise to choose you, every day, as the one I love, and never take your heart for granted. I promise to shout the I love yous by day, and whisper them softly at night. I promise to keep you safe. And I promise to make you feel comforted in difficult times and abundantly joyful in great times.”
He also vowed to keep track of her reading glasses and shoes, adding, “You were the love that came silently and without warning. You were authentic, Theresa, you have my heart and I have yours.”
Six-year-old grandson Henry, who served as the ring bearer, then gave Noles the rings, who struggled to get them off the pillow. The pair exchanged rings and they took a moment to look into each other’s eyes before exchanging a kiss.
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Theresa Nist and Gerry TurnerNist's daughter Jen served as her maid of honor. Nist’s daughter-in-law Amanda was a bridesmaid alongside Turner’s daughters Angie and Jenny. Turner’s granddaughters Payton and Charlee completed the bridal party as junior bridesmaids.
Turner’s son-in-law Rob served as his best man and Nist’s son-in-law Matt was a groomsman. Theresa’s grandsons Dempsey, Leo, Brandon, Brody and Braxton were junior groomsmen.
In addition to Noles, Turner’s former suitors Leslie Fhima, Faith Martin, Joan Vassos, Kathy Swarts, Ellen Goltzer, Anna Zalk, April Lynn Kirkwood, Nancy Hulkower and Natascha Hardee made their way to Palm Springs for the festivities.
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Theresa Nist and Gerry TurnerA number of Bachelor Nation favorites were also in attendance at Turner and Nist’s wedding including Trista and Ryan Sutter, Jason and Molly Mesnick, Desiree and Chris Siegfried, Jade and Tanner Tolbert, Dean Unglert and wife Caelynn Miller-Keyes, Ashley Iaconettiand husband Jared Haibon, Raven Gates and husband Adam Gottschalk, Kenny Braasch and wife Mari Pepin, Zach Shallcross and fiancée Kaity Biggar, Charity Lawson and fiancé Dotun Olubeko, Michelle Young and boyfriend Jack Leius, Joey Graziadei, Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell, Katie Thurston, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Tayshia Adams, Rachel Recchia, Ben Higgins and Wells Adams.
The night concluded with viewers getting a peak inside the couple's reception, which included a bouquet toss that Joan, Anna and Kathy caught and dancing to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" — a song that became a mantra for Turner throughout his season.
Ahead of the big day, the couple told PEOPLE that getting married in a live televised wedding is a dream come true.
“When you're in your 20s and you put something off for a year, it's a very small percentage of your life,” Turner explained. “In your 70s, the clock ticks faster. And I'm 100% certain I found the right girl for me. So it's like, why not?”
Nist agreed: “I met the man of my dreams. It wasn't our original timeline, but to be presented with the wedding of our dreams? Spectacular, incredible, wow!”
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The Golden Wedding aired live on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu Friday.
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