What You Didn’t See at the “Golden Wedding”: Tears from Bachelor Nation, “Golden Bachelor” Reunions and More (Exclusive)

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist said "I do" in a televised ceremony on Thursday, and some of the night's funniest — and sweetest — moments happened off-camera

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are officially husband and wife, and Thursday’s live Golden Wedding was full of laughs, tears and some hilarious unseen moments.

Hoards of Bachelor Nation favorites gathered at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California to witness the highly-anticipated — and first of its kind — televised wedding. From appearances by some of the women who previously fought for Gerry’s heart, like Kathy Swarts, Joan Vassos and Leslie Fhima, to the presence of previous franchise leads like Ben Higgins, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Rachel Recchia, the evening ceremony and reception was full of reunions and exciting introductions.

Here are some of the best moments you didn't see on TV during the live Golden Bachelor wedding.

Related: Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist's Wedding Rings Symbolize 'Heaven on Earth' (Exclusive Photos)

As the night kicked off several of Gerry, 72, and Theresa’s family members — including their kids and grandkids — excitedly greeted the Bachelor Nation guests, and many of them seemed starstruck at the familiar faces they were meeting in-person for the first time.

The ceremony began around an hour into the live program, at roughly 6:15 p.m. PT, and as preparations began for the bride and groom to arrive, Bachelor in Paradise alums Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes were posing together on the altar for photos.

Related: The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner Promises His Wedding to Theresa Nist Will Be 'a Day Filled with Joy' (Exclusive)

To kick off the wedding, the Golden Bachelor himself walked down the aisle as Susan Noles, a former contestant on the show and now close friend of the couple, waited at the altar to marry them and an orchestra played classical music. What viewers didn’t see on TV, though, was that Gerry started walking ahead of his cue, and was met with roaring applause and cheers from the gathered guests as he was told to begin again. He laughed with the crowd, and greeted many of them as he made his way back down the aisle to his starting mark.

As he walked down the aisle for the second time — TV viewers none the wiser — he asked guests if he was “doing alright” as he made his way to the altar. Upcoming Bachelor star Joey Graziadei offered Gerry some support, whispering, “You got this.”

Gerry was followed by Theresa's grandsons, who served as junior groomsmen, and then the bridal party: his two granddaughters, Payton and Charlee, his daughters Angie and Jenny, his daughter-in-law Amanda and Theresa's daughter Jen.

When it was time for Theresa, 70, to make her way to the altar, Susan told the audience to stand up in preparation for the bride, only to take it back and say, “Not yet!” The guests erupted in laughter at the fan-favorite contestant’s commentary.

Once Gerry and Theresa had shared their vows, which they wrote themselves, they said “I do,” and former Bachelorette stars Kaitlyn and Rachel, who were seated together, turned to each other and shared a look of love for the happy couple.

Related: Gerry Turner Shared This 'Sweet' Holiday Tradition from His Late Wife with Theresa Nist's Family (Exclusive)

Following the ceremony, a reception took place to celebrate the newlyweds. Before the cameras got rolling, Ben Higgins took the opportunity to boogie with Gerry’s runner-up, Leslie. The pair broke out their dance moves as they christened the dance floor ahead of the televised reception.

Once the cameras were rolling again, Theresa did a bouquet toss — which she’d previously told PEOPLE was a must-hit item on her list for the day — which brought many of the Golden Bachelor ladies into the fold, as well as Rachel and former Bachelorette Michelle Young, who made her public debut with her boyfriend Jack Leius at Thursday’s nuptials.

The bride and groom were also all over the dance floor at the reception, greeting their excited guests and reconnecting with some old friends. Both Gerry and Theresa shared a private moment with his two other finalists, Leslie, and Faith Martin, who is a close friend of Theresa’s. Faith was in attendance at the bride’s small bachelorette party, which featured a boudoir photoshoot and a surprise visit from a few Chippendales dancers from Las Vegas.

Trista Sutter, who competed on the first ever season of the Bachelor and went on to be the first Bachelorette, also made her way over to Gerry to congratulate him on the wedding. He thanked Sutter, 51, for everything she’s done for him during his journey, as she had plenty of advice to offer given her and husband Ryan Sutter were the first Bachelor Nation couple to say “I do” on TV in 2003.

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Some other stand-out moments from Thursday’s Golden Wedding, which did make it on TV, include Brayden Bowers’ proposal to girlfriend Christina Mandrell, Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko’s announcement that their wedding will take place in fall 2025 and host Jesse Palmer sharing that his wife could go into labor “at any moment” with the couple’s first child.

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