Inside Gerry & Theresa’s Reception After The Golden Wedding—Including Their 1st Dance Song
First comes the Golden Wedding, then comes the Golden Reception. When it comes to their afterparty, Gerry and Theresa’s reception after The Golden Wedding doesn’t disappoint. With two cakes, countless roses and a first dance song that will bring tears to your eyes, Gerry and Theresa’s reception will go down in Bachelor Nation history.
Gerry Turner, a 71-year-old retired Restaurant Owner from Hudson, Indiana, and Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old Financial Services Professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, met on Season 1 of The Golden Bachelor in 2023. They got engaged at the Final Rose Ceremony after Gerry gave his Final Rose to Theresa and proposed to her.
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In an inteview with People in January 2024 ahead of their wedding, Gerry and Theresa opened up what it was like to have their dream wedding in their ’70s. “See, you’ve got to remember, Theresa didn’t get — her first time around, she didn’t have much time to plan and really, I didn’t either,” Gerry said, referring to Theersa’s first marriage to her childhood sweetheart Billy, who was drafted during the Vietnam War while she was in her first year of college.
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Gerry also had a similar experience when it came to his low-key wedding when he married his first wife, Toni. “We didn’t have a whole lot of time and [we were] pretty broke, both of us,” he said. “So this is kind of big. We want to make it so we don’t miss any of the moments.”
Gerry and Theresa also explained why they wanted to marry so soon after their engagement. “??When you’re in your 20s and you put something off for a year, it’s a very small percentage of your life,” Gerry said. “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?” Theresa added, “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!”
Though they were happy with marrying just a month after The Golden Bachelor Season 1 finale, Gerry admitted that he did have some reservations about the fast timeline. “Since she’d sort of gotten the hurry-up job the first time, I wanted her to be able to savor all of the anticipation and the joy and the planning and everything. That was my only question is, ‘Are you OK with the timeline? Do you feel like you get cheated a little bit in it?’ And it doesn’t sound like she’s getting cheated
But back to Gerry and Theresa’s reception after The Golden Wedding. So what will Gerry and Theresa’s reception include and who’s invited? Read on for what we know about Gerry and Theresa’s reception after The Golden Wedding, including details on their wedding cake, first dance song, and flowers.
Gerry and Theresa’s reception plans after The Golden Wedding
Gerry and Theresa’s reception plans after The Golden Wedding were revealed in an interview with People in January 2024, in which Theresa revealed that she and Gerry choreographed their first dance. “We do have a dance plan, so hopefully it goes off the way we envision it,” she said. Gerry added, “You’ve seen me dance. It’s not exactly pretty. So I’m going to do the best I can.”
To prepare for their first dance during their reception, Theresa also told People that she had Gerry take dance lessons. Gerry also revealed that that he left the responsibility of choosing the song for their first dance to Theresa. “I’m a little sore and tired right now from a long morning of rehearsals,” Gerry said. “You have to remember, I was married 43 years. I came into this relationship well-trained, so when she tells me there’s a song that I like, there’s a song that I like.”
Theresa, for her part, told People that she was happy to choose the playlist for her and Gerry’s reception. “Gerry said, ‘You’re the person who loves music the most, so I’ll let you pick out the song, but I didn’t pick out just one song…’ ” she said.
While Theresa chose the playlist, Gerry chose most of the food. According to People, he and Theresa planned to serve five appetizers at the cocktail hour and offered steak, halibut, and a vegetarian option for the main course. “We were completely in lockstep on the choices,” Gerry said. “I think there’s something for everyone. I’ll just be in a hurry to get through dinner to get to the cake!”
Gerry and Theresa’s reception will also have two cakes.c Gerry chose a larger vanilla cake with chocolate mousse and a cappuccino cream frosting, while Theresa chose a smaller cake with raspberry and lemon flavors.
As for other details about Gerry and Theresa’s reception, Theresa, a gardener, told People that she had a hand in choosing the flowers for the party, which involved—as no surprise to anyone—mostly roses. “I love any type of flower, and that’s what we’re incorporating into this,” she said.. “The bouquet will be a wide array of flowers. Mostly roses but all different beautiful flowers.”
Though most of Gerry and Theresa’s friends and family will be at their wedding, the guest list won’t include Gerry’s 92-year-old father, Everett, who won’t be able to travel fro Indiana to California for the nuptials due to his health. “I made arrangements with a baker in Fort Wayne to take a small replica of the wedding cake to his home address the night of the wedding,” Gerry said. “He has had watch parties every Thursday, and so we’ll take a little bit of the wedding to him.”
Gerry and Theresa also assured People that their reception was just as important as their wedding. “We don’t want it to go pass us by,” Theresa said. “Especially at this age, we’ve learned the lesson: You just live in the moment and don’t wish for tomorrow to come. I envision it as such a fun, warm, wonderful day, a day filled with joy and laughter and positive energy and everyone being happy to be there.” Gerry added, “We want it to be a party.”
In December 2023, Gerry shared an Instagram post of his dream wedding playlist, including his possible first dance songs. See below for Gerry’s ideal wedding playlist and their first dance possibilities.
“Houdini” by Dua Lipa
“Big Energy” by Latto
“Trust Fall” by P!nk
“Never Gonna Dance Again” by P!nk
“Just Give Me a Reason” by P!nk
“Used to be Young” by Miley Cyrus
“Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
“Lil Boo Thang” by Pack Russell
“Time of Our Lives” by Pit Bull
“Give Me Everything” by Pit Bull
“Vegas” by Doja Cat
“The Door” by Teddy Swims
“Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele
“The Power of Love” by Celine Dion – First Dance
“I Will Alway Love You” – Whitney Houston – First Dance
Who is Gerry Turner from The Golden Bachelor?
Who is Gerry Turner, The Golden Bachelor 2023? Gerry, the first Golden Bachelor, is a 71-year-old retired restaurant owner, father, and grandfather from Indiana. His Instagram handle is @goldengerryturner. “It’s never too late to fall in love again,” Gerry said on Good Morning America in July 2023, announcing him as the first Golden Bachelor.
Gerry is a widower. He married his wife and high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. They share two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. (Gerry’s daughters were the ones who encouraged him to apply for The Golden Bachelor.) Gerry and Toni were married for 43 years until her death from an illness in 2017, six weeks after her retirement. “She got robbed,” Gerry told Good Morning America about Toni. “Every day that goes by, that’s the thought I have.”
When asked what Toni would think of him starring on The Golden Bachelor, Gerry told Good Morning America that he believed his late wife would be “rooting” for him. “I have her picture on a dresser in my closet,” he said. “Every morning I give her the nod, ‘So what do you think about this?’ For a while it was like I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be OK. But we always told each other, when one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy.” He continued, “She’s saying, ‘Yeah Gerry, do this.’”
As for what he’s looking for, Gerry told Good Morning America that he wants a partner who matches his personality and loves sports. “I’d love it if I found a partner who was high energy, someone who’s fairly competitive, that they enjoy sports,” he said. “Someone that maybe plays pickleball, someone that maybe plays golf.”
Read Gerry’s Golden Bachelor biography ahead.
“It’s never too late to find love, and Gerry Turner is ready to prove it! ABC announced today that the charming 71-year-old patriarch from Indiana is the network’s first Golden Bachelor, showcasing that love stories, like so many other things, only get better with age. Turner will begin handing out roses when “The Golden Bachelor” premieres this fall.
A retired restaurateur and doting father and grandfather, Gerry [GAIR-ee] Turner lives in his dream house on a beautiful lake in Indiana. He’s often busy hosting barbecues, playing pickleball, cheering on his favorite Chicago sports teams, four-wheeling and spending time with friends and family at restaurants and local haunts.
Always a romantic, Turner married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. Together, they lived a full and happy life with their two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and later two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. Sadly, after 43 years together, Toni suddenly fell ill and passed away in 2017.
Six years after Toni’s passing and with the support of his family, Turner is ready to put himself out there and find a love that will stand the test of time in his golden years.”
Who is Theresa Nist from The Golden Bachelor?
Who is Theresa from The Golden Bachelor? Theresa Nist, the first Golden Bachelor winner, is a 70-year-old Financial Services Professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey.
Read Theresa’s biography for The Golden Bachelor Season 1 ahead:
“Theresa is a gorgeous catch with a huge heart. She is very close with her children and grandchildren, and loves nothing more than seeing them all thrive. Theresa describes herself as optimistic, encouraging, and ready to love again after loss. She hopes to meet a partner who will be her best friend in this next chapter of life and will appreciate all the little moments with her. When she’s not spending time with her family, Theresa enjoys playing board games, gardening, reading romance novels, and hula hooping. Theresa is here for the real deal, and fingers crossed it’s all fireworks when she meets the Golden Bachelor!
Fun Facts:
● Theresa loves to sing … alone in her car.
● Theresa taught herself all about the stock market
● Theresa loves ’70s rock, both soft and hard.”
The Golden Wedding airs on Thursday, January 4, at 8 p.m. on ABC. Here’s how to watch it for free.
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Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
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To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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