The Golden Bachelor stars Gerry Turner and fiancée Theresa Nist are set to tie the knot live on ABC this Thursday, January 4, and the pair have been busy sorting out all their plans for the big day.
Turner handed Nist the final rose on The Golden Bachelor finale on Thursday, November 30, and confirmed the wedding date immediately after on the After The Final Rose special.
“This is going to be a family event,” Turner told Fox News Digital in a new interview. “My son-in-law will be best man. We are going to have as many of the family members involved as we possibly can.”
“I think, every family member,” Nist added. “Really, seriously, I mean, every family member.”
Turner and Nist bonded during the dating reality show over their shared experiences, including both losing their long-time spouses (Toni and Billy, respectively) and being single parents to adult children.
Gerry Turner Instagram
“We will certainly celebrate the memory of Billy and Toni in the wedding,” Turner told Entertainment Weekly. “We haven’t decided the way that we feel is the most appropriate and the timing that is the most appropriate. But yeah, that’s part of us and part of what has made us who we are, so it’ll be there.”
The couple also confirmed that their children and grandchildren will all play significant parts in the ceremony, with Nist revealing that her son Tommy will walk her down the aisle.
“That’s really going to be such a really special moment for me,” Nist shared with Fox News. “Oh, God, it’s going to make me cry. I’m so close with both my children. But of course, Tommy, I mean, you know, he’s my heart, and so there was no other choice for me. It was such an easy decision that it would always be Tommy.”
Nist also revealed that Turner’s daughters, Angie and Jenny, will be among her bridesmaids. “They’re so excited about it!” she said.
As for their wedding vows, Turner said, “I think we’ve both thought about it a bit. And pretty soon here, it’ll be time to start writing them down and committing to memory.”
Nist joked, “Now, of course, he’ll just be able to just say it off the top of his head. He just always knows what to say. Mr. Charming.”
Turner is also focused on curating the perfect wedding playlist, which he previously gave fans a glimpse of on his Instagram page.
Gerry Turner Instagram
“Could this be the start of a WEDDING playlist…..” he wrote in the caption of the pic, which included tracks such as Dua Lipa’s “Houdini,” Miley Cyrus’ “Use To Be Young,” Latto’s “Big Energy,” and Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.”
Many commenters were surprised that the list contained mostly modern hits with very few classics, but Turner stands by his selections.
“I’m not sure I need to defend anything. That’s just my personal preferences for music,” he told EW. “I was asked for a playlist to provide for the wedding, not the actual pieces that will be used in the wedding.”
Gerry Turner Instagram
He continued, “Those things are very important, and Theresa’s appreciation of music is huge. It’s very important to her. She’ll be making those choices. My [list] is for when we go off and get crazy and have the adult beverages.”
“They said, “Come up with 20,” and I came up with 120,” Nist added. “Music is really important to me. I mean, sets a mood, makes everybody happy or melancholy or sad or thoughtful. I spent a lot of time on the list. You know what? They probably won’t use any of our songs.”
Gerry Turner Instagram
With so many things to think about, Nist explained how helpful their respective children have been in the planning, particularly Nist’s daughter, Jen.
“She’s a lifesaver,” the financial services professional told People. “There’s so many decisions that had to be made, and in some instances, she would get the vision board together for me or she would get ideas of dresses and veils and rings.”
Nist continued, “She just keeps feeding me great things, and I’m saying, ‘Yeah, that, that, that.’ Seriously – I don’t know if there would be a wedding if she wasn’t involved.”
As for who will shed the first tear? The odds seem to be leaning towards Turner, who wasn’t afraid to show his emotional side on The Golden Bachelor.
“I was going to say me but wait a minute, what am I thinking?” Nist told EW.
“Yeah, I will probably beat you to it,” Turner replied. “The minute you show up in that white dress, and I turn around and see you, I will be a puddle.”
The Golden Wedding, Thursday, January 4, 8 pm et, ABC