Just over a month after Bachelor Nation watched Gerry Turner propose to Theresa Nist, The Golden Bachelor returned so we could watch them tie the knot. The two-hour live event on ABC was absolute chaos in the best way, as several members of Gerry’s season mingled with former contestants of The Bachelor/Bachelorette. From the interviews with the groom’s ex-girlfriends to a proposal on live TV, here were 6 of the most unhinged aspects of The Golden Wedding.
Gerry Turner’s Ex-Girlfriends Returned To Watch Him Get Married
I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Gerry Turner to look into the crowd at his wedding to Theresa Nist and see a dozen of his ex-girlfriends, but that was definitely the scene at the January 4 wedding. Many jokes were made by The Golden Bachelor’s contestants about attending the nuptials after having their hearts broken by Gerry, and two of them — Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts (aka Bachelor Nation’s Caitlyn and Kris Jenner look-alikes) — played huge roles in the event. More on that later…
Brayden Bowers Proposed To Christina Mandrell On Live TV
The Golden Bachelor threw wedding etiquette right out the window, not only by having multiple ex-girlfriends in attendance, but by featuring the engagement of another couple. Brayden Bowers, who hard-launched his relationship with The Bachelor alum Christina Mandrell on the Bachelor in Paradise finale, got down on one knee just before the ceremony to ask Mandrell to spend her life with him. She said yes, by the way.
While many people on social media called Brayden Bowers out for the wedding faux pas, Jesse Palmer ensured viewers that the earring king had gotten Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s blessing beforehand.
In other exciting Bachelor Nation couple news, Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko announced that they will be getting married in Fall 2025.
Tayshia Adams And Kaitlyn Bristowe Were Both In Attendance Amid Drama
There’s been a lot of gossip circulating about former Bachelorettes Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams this week, after a New Year’s Eve video showed Kaitlyn ringing in 2024 with Tayshia’s ex-fiancé Zac Clark. Several viewers tuned in to the wedding special hoping to capture any fireworks between The Bachelorette’s former co-hosts:
Who else is here to watch Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia be in the same room 😬 #TheGoldenBachelor pic.twitter.com/LRPeuJfmJeJanuary 5, 2024
While both women were seen in the background during Thursday night’s episode (Tayshia Adams took a moment for a selfie with The Golden Bachelor’s Natascha Hardee in the photo above), they didn’t appear to interact with each other — or at least it wasn’t shown on the broadcast.
Those Amazon Wedding Registry Ads
Nothing will make audiences groan louder than bad product placement, and Bachelor Nation was inundated with pre-taped conversations between Gerry Turner, Theresa Nist, their family and friends about the benefits of choosing an Amazon Wedding Registry. Not only that, but a QR code popped up on the screen that allowed fans to purchase items from the happy couple’s list. In a season of television that has been so genuine and heart-warming, these ads felt out of place.
Theresa Nist’s Wardrobe Malfunction And A Dark Joke At The Altar
Anything can happen on live TV, and The Golden Wedding saw its share of minor snafus. Wedding officiant Susan Noles fumbled with the wedding bands, for one, and the bride herself suffered a wardrobe malfunction. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that during the ceremony, the strap on Theresa Nist’s wedding gown broke, causing one fan to hilariously note:
That Amazon ad money couldn’t buy Theresa a strap that wouldn’t break?!?!
She took it in stride, though, and Theresa Nist proved just how good her spirits were on her wedding day by cracking a pretty bleak joke following her and Gerry Turner’s vows. Just before officially pronouncing them husband and wife, Susan Noles asked the golden couple to look into each other’s eyes, saying: “Now I want you to think about your life together in 10 years. Where are you?” To which Theresa promptly whispered:
Dead.
What’s The Golden Bachelor without a little age-related humor, am I right?
Kathy And Susan Stole The Show With Their Roles In Gerry’s Wedding
Gerry Turner didn’t seem to think it was strange to get married in front of so many of his ex-girlfriends from The Golden Bachelor, but to have Susan Noles serve as the officiant took it to a whole other level. Furthermore, the choice to have Kathy Swarts — who was made out to be somewhat of a villain during the season by telling Theresa Nist to “zip it” — welcoming guests with Charity Lawson on the gold carpet was certainly an interesting choice.
However, Susan and Kathy both absolutely killed it, proving why the Jenner doppelgängers became such fan favorites. Susan, whose actual job is officiating weddings, proved to be the perfect choice for the job when she opened the ceremony by reminding the groom of their first interaction:
Gerry and I met when I stepped out of the limo screaming, ‘Gerry, I’m gonna marry you!’ Turns out I was right.
How perfect is that? Her natural humor and obvious love for Gerry and Theresa made for a wonderful ceremony, and Bachelor Nation recognized that we are lucky to have had her on this season, with one fan posting:
Susan is one of the best things to ever come out of Bachelor Nation #TheGoldenWedding #TheGoldenBachelor pic.twitter.com/vET4epGod0January 5, 2024
Kathy Swarts, meanwhile, opened the night by asking who thought it was a good idea to put a microphone in her hand on national TV (Charity Lawson responded, “Definitely not me.”), and she continued to be the hottest of messes through the special’s first hour. From joking that Gerry’s daughter had been crying about not having Kathy as a stepmother to introducing The Golden Bachelor runner-up Leslie Fhima by saying, “And speaking of tushies …” She even tried to steal Dotun away from Charity:
Kathy: "Charity, I'm stealing your man," Charity: "Zip it!"#TheGoldenWedding #TheGoldenBachelor pic.twitter.com/vMLFtP8WSMJanuary 5, 2024
Bachelor Nation doesn’t always see eye to eye on things, but everyone seemed to be in agreement that we need more Kathy Swarts. Other X (Twitter) comments included:
- Alright that’s it, I’m obsessed with Kathy – finalrose4ever
- Kathy needs to be hosting other things because she’s hilarious 😂 – halfbakedkween
- Kathy is made for the red carpet – EmilyRagle
- KATHY IS THE STAR OF THIS SHOW IM SO SORRY I CAN NOT HANDLE HER 😂😂😂 – triciagrieco
- Kathy is coming for Jesse’s job 😂 – misshockey17
- Kathy hosting is sending me. She is crushing it. She is funny, she is a savage, she entertaining, so here for this – ImJessW
- whoever decided to have Kathy host deserves a raise – MoodieforBach
Everybody who attended The Golden Wedding seemed to be having a blast, and that definitely came through in how the show was presented. That’s not even to mention the actual wedding! Anyone who was able to keep a dry eye as Theresa and Gerry exchanged their vows may need to check their pulse. It was a beautiful — if unhinged — ending to a golden season, and there's more headed our way soon. Tune into ABC at 8 p.m. ET Monday, January 22, to see Joey Graziadei kick off his journey to find love on The Bachelor, and check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what else is premiering soon.
