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“Golden Bachelor” stars Gerry Turner and her fiancée Theresa Nist are just days away from saying “I do” in front of family, friends and fans after finding love on the hit reality show.
The 72-year-old retired restaurateur and the 70-year-old financial services professional will tie the knot on Jan. 4 in a live-televised ceremony on ABC. In a joint interview with Fox News Digital, Turner and Nist shared exclusive details about the first-ever “Golden Wedding.”
“This will be a family event,” Turner said.
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“GOLDEN BACHELOR” GERRY TURNER GETS ENGAGED AFTER FINDING LOVE AGAIN: “You’re the person I can’t live without”
“The Golden Bachelor” star Gerry Turner and his fiancée Theresa Nist shared details about their wedding before tying the knot. (Getty)
He continued: “My son-in-law will be the best man. We will involve as many family members as possible.”
“I think every family member,” Nist added. “Really, seriously, I mean, every family member.”
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WATCH: 'GOLDEN BACHELOR' STARS GERRY TURNER AND THERESA NIST TELL HOW THEIR WEDDING IS A 'FAMILY EVENT'
Both Turner and Nist are given a second chance at love after the loss of their long-time spouses. Turner's wife Toni, to whom he was married for 43 years, died in 2017 as a result of a bacterial infection. Nist was married to her husband William for 42 years before he died of kidney failure.
Turner and Nist will wed in the Bachelor franchise's first live-televised wedding in a decade. (Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images)
Nist shared son Tommy and daughter Jen with William. Tommy and his wife Amanda are parents to three sons, Brandon, Brody and Braxton. Jen and her husband Matt Woolston have sons Dempsey, Leo and Henry, who met Turner when he visited Nist's hometown.
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Turner also shared two children with Toni, daughters Angie Warner and Jenny Young. He is grandfather to Young's daughters Payton, 21, and Charlee, 16, whom she shares with her husband Jon.
During their interview with Fox News Digital, the couple confirmed that their wedding reception will also include their children and grandchildren. Nist became emotional as she revealed that her son Tommy will be walking her down the aisle.
WATCH: “GOLDEN BACHELOR” winner Theresa Nist reveals who will give her away to GERRY TURNER at the “Golden Wedding.”
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“This will really be a very special moment for me,” said Nist.
“Oh God, it's going to make me cry,” she continued. “I am very close to my two 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.”
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Nist added that Turner's daughters Angie and Jenny would be among her bridesmaids, noting, “They are so excited about it!”
The couple also told Fox News Digital that they plan to write their own wedding vows.
“I think we both thought about it a little bit,” Turner said. “And soon it will be time to write them down and memorize them.”
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“Now, of course, he’ll be able to just say it off the top of his head,” Nist said with a laugh. “He just always knows what to say. Mr. Charming.”
The couple explained that their family members will play a big role in their wedding. (John Fleenor/ABC via Getty Images)
As for the wedding reception playlist, Nist noted that Turner had already given fans a glimpse of his song choices. On December 8, Turner shared a photo of a handwritten list of potential wedding songs on his Instagram page.
“Could this be the start of a WEDDING playlist…” he wrote in the caption.
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Under the title “Gerry Playlist,” Turner listed 11 artists, including Dua Lipa, Latto, Pink, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Pit Bull, Doja Cat, Teddy Swims and Adele.
Possible songs Turner wrote included “Houdini,” “Big Energy,” “Trust Fall,” “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” “Just Give Me a Reason,” “Used to Be Young,” “Calm Down “. Anti-Hero,” “Lil Boo Thang,” “Time of Our Lives,” “Give Me Everything,” “Vegas,” “The Door,” and “Set Fire to the Rain.”
Turner also shared two song options for his first dance with Nist, including Celine Dion's “The Power of Love” and Whitney Houston's “I Will Always Love You.”
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Turner gave his Instagram followers a glimpse of his wedding playlist. (Gerry Turner Instagram)
While Turner's list was fairly concise, Nist told Fox News Digital that she had a difficult time narrowing down her own song selection.
“When they asked me, they said 20 songs and I came up with about 120,” she said. “And I have more. Music is so important to me.”
However, Nist joked that Turner sometimes didn't know her favorite musicians.
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“I’ll say, ‘Do you know who that artist was? And he says, 'Theresa, I don't know who that is,'” Nist recalled with a laugh.
“It could be,” Turner said with a smile. “But he’ll know either way,” Nist added.
WATCH: 'GOLDEN BACHELOR' STARS GERRY TURNER AND THERESA NIST RECALL AN OFFSCREEN MOMENT THAT CHANGED THEIR RELATIONSHIP
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Nist said her favorite artists include Van Morrison and Counting Crows. While many of Turner's Instagram followers expressed surprise at his modern choices, Nist told Fox News Digital that she likes the classics more.
“I like old songs. I mean, look at the playlist of 'The Big Chill,'” Nist said, referring to the 1983 comedy film.
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She continued: “So there are two different types of songs. Songs that are slow, thoughtful and wonderful. And then there are the dance songs. I'll give you an example of a slow song. Ray Charles sings “My Song for You.” And then a quick song, “To Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn.
“You know, ‘To be real. It has to be real,'” Nist sang before laughing with Turner.
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Ahead of their big day, Turner and Nist reflected on the moment from their time on The Golden Bachelor that had the biggest impact on their relationship.
“If you watched the show and the last dinner that Teresa and I had, it led to more substantive conversations,” Turner said.
He continued: “I mean, the question I asked was, 'Tell me what you do for a living.' Well, I knew what she did for a living. I wanted to open it up to more conversations. And that continued in the Fantasy Suites.”
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“I think that’s where my decision was made in those moments in the Fantasy Suite with Theresa.”
“I would say the Fantasy Suite was everything,” Nist agreed. “You know, I had a really hard time being myself in front of the cameras. So it was all about being away from the cameras and being able to be myself. And for the conversation we just started talking on a much deeper level.” . And it just clicked. Yes, it just worked.”
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Although both Turner and Nist were raised Catholic, the couple said religion did not play a large role in their discussions.
“There are core Christian beliefs,” Turner said. “It almost goes unsaid. All we know is that they are there.”
“Yeah, just to be a good person,” Nist said.
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“Be a good person. Do the right thing,” Turner said.
“The Golden Wedding” airs January 4th at 8pm ET on ABC. (Gerry Turner Instagram)
Turner and Nist's wedding will be a milestone for the “Bachelor” franchise, as it will be the first televised live wedding in a decade. Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici were the last “Bachelor” couple to tie the knot on camera in January 2014.
The couple also set a record for the shortest length of engagement in the long-running franchise. Turner proposed to Nist during the show's season finale, which aired in November.
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Although many of Bachelor Nation's romances have eventually fizzled out after the cameras stopped rolling, Turner and Nist told Fox News Digital that they are confident their relationship will stand the test of time.
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“We are older and wiser and understand what it takes to maintain a lasting relationship,” Nist said. “We both did that. And we believe we have learned so many lessons from the lives and relationships we have been in.”
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“I was married for 43 years,” Turmer said. “It just proves how coachable I am.”
“It will be very easy for Theresa to let me in,” he joked.
“Because he just listens to everything I say,” Nist added with a laugh. “That's all.”