1st 'Golden Bachelor' star to get married on live TV, with former contestant to officiate wedding

LOS ANGELES (TND) — Wedding bells will be ringing on Thursday night -- and everyone is invited to the ceremony.

Retired widower Gerry Turner is the star of ABC's "The Bachelor" spinoff reality show "The Golden Bachelor," with 2023 marking the show's inaugural season.

After dating a pool of 22 eligible women who are looking for love in their golden years, Turner proposed to Theresa Nist. The two will be married on live TV.

Tomorrow, don't miss the LIVE wedding of Gerry and Theresa's wildest dreams! #TheGoldenWedding starts at 8/7c on ABC! Stream on Hulu," the show noted in an Instagram post Wednesday.

During the season finale in November, Turner, who is 72 years old, got down on one knee and asked Nist to be his bride. Since then, they have been planning their upcoming wedding.

Plus, one of the former contestants, Susan Noles, will be officiating the ceremony.

“Who better to officiate #TheGoldenWedding than the one and only @thesusannoles?” according to another Instagram post, which features a photo of Noles smiling with the couple.

Throughout the show, Turner often mentioned his wife of 43 years, Toni, who died in 2017. Nist's husband also passed away, and she and Turner bonded over their losses.

Turner also made connections with several other women on the show, including runner-up Leslie Fhima.

In a social media post, Fhima noted she is "grateful" for her time on the show. She wrote that she "embraced vulnerability and chased love fearlessly."

Though the final rose eluded me, my worth isn’t determined by someone else’s choice," she wrote. "True happiness blossoms from self-love and empowerment as a woman. The overwhelming support has been my greatest prize. This experience opened my heart and mind, and I’m excited for the next chapter, wherever it may lead."

According to multiple media outlets, Fhima spent her 65th birthday, which was Dec. 28, in the emergency room. She apparently experienced a bowel blockage.

“Hey everybody! I know that everyone was just curious to know what I did on my 65th birthday. I spent it in the hospital. Yes, I had a bowel blockage, severe cramping, came into the ER,” she said in an Instagram Story post.

PEOPLE noted that Fhima said it was "just something so random. Actually, scar tissue from an appendectomy I had when I was 18 years old."

While many of the contestants are expected to attend Turner and Nist's wedding, it's unclear if Fhima will be there.