Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s late spouses will not be forgotten when they tie the knot on Thursday, January 4. The Golden Bachelor couple said they plan to honor Toni Turner and William “Bill” Nist at their nuptials, which will be televised.
“We will definitely mention them during the wedding,” Theresa, 70, said in an interview with E! News on Tuesday, January 2. “I know that I picked out a song that Billy loved, and so maybe we’ll pick out a song for Toni. We have yet to write our vows, but I plan on incorporating that into my vows. So, we’ll see. And we’ll be thinking about them the entire day.”
Theresa and Gerry, 72, found love on the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor after previously being married to their high school sweethearts. Bill died at the age of 63 in 2014, while Toni was 65 when she passed away in 2017. Both reality stars were married for more than 40 years at the time of their late spouses’ deaths.
It’s been a whirlwind romance for Gerry and Theresa, who wasted no time with wedding planning after getting engaged. “We know that we have to enjoy life,” Theresa explained. “We don’t know how much time we have left, and we want to enjoy every single second.”
Amid their wedding planning, the couple has also been navigating to life in the public eye, which they admitted has not been easy. In November, Gerry was put on blast in a piece by The Hollywood Reporter for seemingly lying about having limited dating experience after Toni’s death. A woman interviewed in the exposé claimed that she had actually dated the former restaurateur for three years after Toni died.
“I try not to let any of the negativity bother me,” Gerry said. “People can write and say whatever they want and as soon as it’s in print or spoken, it takes on a life of truth. So, I’m really more interested in all the positives that Theresa and I have together moving forward.”
After the wedding, Gerry and Theresa will head to Italy on their honeymoon. When they return home, they plan to move in together. While the lovebirds initially planned to move to South Carolina, they revealed during a recent interview on Live With Kelly and Mark that there’s a new location on the table: Theresa’s home state of New Jersey.
“Early on, we thought Charleston would be a great area,” Gerry shared. “I talked about living there. She has family there. But since being in New Jersey a few times … I really like the area.”
