The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Are Married!

The Golden BachelorGerry Turner and his fiancee Theresa Nist are officially married!

Turner, 72, and Nist, 70 — who got engaged on the first sequel Bachelor spinoff — said “I do” in a live, televised ceremony hosted by fan favorite Susan Noles at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, Calif., 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 I’m so grateful to welcome you all here to celebrate this love that these two have found,” Noles said.

The Golden Bachelor‘s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Wedding Live: Full live coverage of the couple’s wedding

“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, joking about her outgoing personality.

Noles said she believed “fate” had brought them together, adding: “30,000 people and you were both chosen to be on The Golden Bachelor.”

“You both gave us all so much hope that it’s never, ever too late to find love,” she said.

Theresa Nist at her wedding.

abc

The The Golden BachelorGerry Turner promises his wedding to Theresa Nist will be a ‘joy-filled day’ (Exclusive)

Before exchanging vows, Turner’s daughters Angie and Jenny gave speeches about their excitement to have Nist join their family.

Nist’s daughter Jen also celebrated the couple’s nuptials in a speech of her own, saying: “We are beyond thrilled that you brought us together as a family.”

“Okay, take good care of my best friend since birth,” she told Turner before adding, “And mommy put him first. Mom and Gerry, I know you will have the most amazing life together. I really, really, really couldn’t be happier for you guys. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I love you both.”

Gerry Turner at his wedding.

abc

Nist teared up remembering their first meeting when she was in her “birthday suit”.

“I started to believe that there might be something between us,” she shared. “I witnessed that you are the most wonderful, kindest, most sensitive man, that you are a man of honor and honesty, and I began to love you. I love you. I love your heart and your soul. I love your smiles and your laugh. We have so much fun together that we laugh until we cry. We faced many challenges, including a near-death experience on a California freeway.”

“We have the same deep love for family,” she added. “We have so much love to share, and now a lot more people to share it with. I promise that I will be calm in the storm, that I will comfort you when you are sad, that I will laugh with you when you are happy and that I will be there for you through it all, but most of all, that I will have fun. We have the rest of the day left on this earth, which could be another hour.”

“I love you with all my heart and I can’t wait to be your wife,” she concluded.

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner at their wedding.

abc

Turner then took his turn and said, “From the first sip of the chocolate shake to the last taste of Costa Rican coffee, I have learned that you are the woman I cannot live without. I learned that you calm me with the touch of your hand. I learned that you make me laugh with the easy comfort of long-lost friends.”

“I learned that you are a strong and independent woman,” he added. “And your strength gives me joy. I learned that you make me a better person, a better man… And so, Theresa, I know that I have found a full-fledged partner with whom I share all the life experiences that have come to 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 I love you during the day and whisper softly at night. I promise to keep you safe. And I promise to make you feel comforted in the hard times and abundantly joyful in the good times.”

He also promised to track down her reading glasses and shoes, adding: “You were the love that came quietly and without warning. You were authentic, Theresa, you have my heart and I have yours.”

Six-year-old grandson Henry, who served as ring bearer, then gave the rings to Noles, who struggled to get them off the pillow. The pair exchanged rings and took a moment to look into each other’s eyes before sharing a kiss.

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner.

abc

Theresa Nist and The Golden Bachelor Friends treat themselves to Chippendales lap dancing and ‘gorgeous’ abs at the hen party

Nist’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 rounded out 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 best man. Theresa’s grandsons Dempsey, Leo, Brandon, Brody and Braxton were junior best men.

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 headed to Palm Springs for the festivities.

Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner.

Disney/John Fleenor

The Golden BachelorGerry and Theresa reveal which of their children was the ‘lifesaver’ for the wedding (Exclusive)

Number of Bachelor National 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 Iaconetti and husband Jared Haibon, Raven Gates and husband Adam Gottschalk, Kenny Braasch and wife Mari Pepin, Zach Shallcross and fiancé 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 evening ended with viewers getting a sneak peak inside the couple’s reception, which included tossing bouquets that Joan, Anna and Kathy caught and dancing to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” — a song that became Turner’s mantra during his season.

Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and fiancee Theresa Nist make their red carpet debut as an engaged couple

Ahead of the big day, the couple told PEOPLE that the televised wedding was a dream come true.

“When you’re in your 20s and you’re putting 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 am 100% sure that I have 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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Golden wedding aired live on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu on Friday.

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Source: HIS Education