Watch 'The Golden Wedding' tonight on ABC!
NEW YORK -- The "Golden" couple that began their relationship in primetime is inviting "Bachelor Nation" to their big next step - marriage!
Gerry Turner, the first "Golden Bachelor" will marry Theresa Nist live on ABC.
You may be surprised to learn the idea of tying the knot on TV came not from the network but from the happy couple.
"We had a conversation, and we went to the network and said, 'We're going to get married. We are happily going to get married soon. What do you want to do with us?'" Gerry said.
ABC didn't need to be asked twice!
"They've been a conduit for all of the help and all of the support that we need," Gerry said.
Why not? Given the ratings bonanza the network enjoyed 20 years ago.
The first "Bachelorette" couple Trista and Ryan are still together and still beloved by "Bachelor Nation."
It's not so much a place as a state of mind, given new life by the "Golden Bachelor" and his bride.
"This show has touched so many lives, and we feel that we've really made a difference in people's lives, and we want to bring them along for this ride," Theresa said.
Gerry and Theresa have proven to be popular with middle-aged men and women as well as their kids and grandkids, so it's fitting their families helped plan the wedding.
"The entire family is absolutely thrilled. Henry is so happy. Henry is the littlest grandson. Yeah, he's going to be instrumental in the wedding. He'll be the ring bearer," Theresa said.
The couple plans to look for a place to live after the wedding, perhaps where she lives and works in finance.
"We might be looking in New Jersey. All of a sudden Gerry is saying he likes New Jersey," Theresa said.
"Kind of a nice area. I like it," Gerry said.
"So great!" Theresa said.
His choice between the fitness instructor from Minneapolis and the securities professional from New Jersey became obvious after time spent in the series famed "Fantasy Suites."
"And by the end of those two nights, it was, it was completely clear to me," Gerry said.
He sealed the deal after the final rose, far from Costa Rica in a Manhattan hotel suite.
"I remember we were talking about our favorite songs, and we danced in the kitchen, and we cooked together, and it was really a fantastic weekend," he said.