‘Golden Bachelor’ Wedding Preview: Gerry & Theresa Dish on Dress, Vows, Guests and More

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist

Gerry Turner won hearts and huge ratings as ABC’s first The Golden Bachelor—and also found a bride!

As fans know, the dapper senior star, 72, proposed to Theresa Nist, 70, during the dramatic finale on Nov. 30.

Tears flowed as Gerry picked the pretty financial services professional over personal trainer Leslie Fhima, 64, who was blindsided by his decision.

Gerry got down on one knee with a massive diamond ring and told Theresa, “You’re the person that I can’t live without. Theresa, I love you 1,000 percent. I’m never going to stop believing that every day I choose you. Will you marry me?”

Theresa’s answer was an emphatic yes and during the After the Final Rose special, host Jesse Palmer also revealed that the two will marry in the televised The Golden Wedding, airing Thursday, Jan. 4.

Soon afterwards, Bachelor spoiler expert Reality Steve discovered that the ceremony will take place at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif, near Palm Springs.

Recently, Gerry and Theresa sat down for a Zoom 1:1 interview with Parade. Here's what the Golden Bachelor couple had to say about Theresa's wedding dress, cake, vows, and how they will honor their late spouses during the ceremony.

What will The Golden Bachelor wedding be like in general?

While the two are saving specifics for the special itself, the bride from Shrewsbury, N.J. teased that their nuptials will be “traditional, not religious.”

It will consist of “lots of love and family and beautiful flowers and a gorgeous wedding dress, I hope. A lot of heartwarming moments,” said Theresa, a mother of two.

The wedding day will also include plenty of music, added Gerry, who previously posted a potential wedding playlist to his Instagram account that included tunes by Dua Lia, Latto, Pink, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Pit Bull, Doja Cat, Teddy Swims and Adele.

The Golden Bachelor wrote online that “first dance possibilities” would be Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Why are Gerry and Theresa having a televised wedding?

“I think the choice we made was to get married on short notice,” Gerry said. “The fact that it happens to be on camera is sort of secondary. We came out of the show knowing that we found the right person and we didn’t want to wait any longer than we had to. Remember [we are] 72 and 70.”

Theresa chimed in: “This show affected so many lives and we got so many beautiful messages from people and so we thought that it would be best to share this experience with them. Maybe we felt like it was better this way and we’ll try to make it a very private moment, even though we’re on TV. I’m going to try to just forget that that’s happening but that everyone is involved. We’re excited to make it that way.”

Who will officiate Gerry and Theresa's wedding?

The options for officiant seem almost endless. It could be minister, host Jesse Palmer, who officiated the recent Season 9 Bachelor in Paradise wedding, or maybe Golden Bachelor contestant Susan Noles (owner of the business Nuptials by Noles).

But the couple stayed tight-lipped. “All good choices,” Gerry said, smiling. “You’ll have to watch it.”

“It will be a surprise!” Theresa said.

How did Theresa pick her wedding dress?

“I have chosen the dress,” she revealed. “Gerry’s two daughters [Jenny and Angie] were there, my daughter [Jenny], my daughter-in-law, and two women from the [Golden Bachelor] show who will remain unnamed. I asked them each to pick out their favorite gown. The gowns were spectacular, so beautiful. And then I picked out three of my own and came down the stairs to show everyone and when I finally came down with that dress, everybody, in unison, just said, ‘Ah, that’s the one.’ I love it. I hope Gerry loves it.”

The former restaurant owner said, “I’m sure I will.”

Theresa said, “It’s a white long wedding dress. I would say it’s a modern [style].”

Will Gerry wear a traditional tux for the wedding?

When Parade asked if Gerry would wear a traditional black tuxedo with a golden rose in his lapel, he said, “You may have dressed the groom!”

Theresa added, “That’s a great idea—or I wear rose gold earrings!”

Are the other Golden Bachelor contestants invited?

“We don’t know, actually,” Gerry said, while Theresa interjected, “We want every single [Golden] Bachelor lady to be invited. We’re not in charge of that part of it, but want them to all be there.”

Will any Golden Bachelor contestants be bridesmaids?

No. Indiana native Gerry said of the bride and groom’s wedding party, “We’re sort of reserving those important spots for family.”

How will their late spouses be honored at the ceremony?

Fans learned during The Golden Bachelor that Gerry had been with wife Toni for 43 years before she died suddenly from a bacterial infection, while Theresa was married for 42 years to husband Billy, who passed away from kidney failure.

Gerry told Parade, “We are definitely going to celebrate their memories in some way. We haven’t decided exactly how, but they’ll be part of the ceremony.”

What will Gerry and Theresa’s wedding vows be like?

During the Dec. 11 Zoom interview, the brunette beauty said “we are going to” write their own personalized vows.

Theresa explained at the time about why they hadn’t yet done that, “There have been so many decisions to make, everything from the cake to the flowers to the drinks, to what it’s going to look like, to the venue, the dress. It’s a step-by-step process.”

She said of her romantic fiancé, “And of course, he can [also] impromptu say what’s in his heart because he’s so good at this.”

How many guests will there be?

“Counting the viewing audience, we’re looking at seven or eight million,” Gerry winked.

Why are Gerry and Theresa getting married right away?

The first date was really spectacular," Theresa said. "So I knew after that I had to take a step back and let the whole process happen and if it hadn’t been me, oh, my gosh, I would have been so disappointed but I would have understood that he had to be with the best person.”

Since the show ended with their engagement, Theresa confided, “This love has really grown and grown. It’s gotten better and better.”

With Theresa by his side, Gerry told Parade, “I don’t know how to elaborate on such a good answer. I’m just really excited for the [wedding] day to come. I know that it’s short notice, I know that there are some limitations but I feel like it’s the right thing to do...I think we’ve made the right choices along the way.”