“The Golden Bachelor” wedding: 6 things you didn't see on TV

Find out what went on during those commercial breaks.

On a chilly desert evening at the La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California, Golden Bachelor stars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist ended their "journey" to find love with an intimate (live TV) wedding. As 150 friends, family members, and Bachelor Nation stalwarts looked on, the 72-year-old widower from Indiana tied the knot with the 70-year-old financial advisor.

EW was one of a handful of press outlets invited to attend the ceremony, and rose lovers, you better believe I rsvp'd HELL YES. (After all, I was lucky enough to be at Sean and Catherine's wedding back in 2014, and it's my goal in life to be a guest at one Bachelor-related wedding per decade.)

Though millions of people had the opportunity to watch Gerry and Theresa tie the knot on ABC, there was plenty that viewers at home didn't see. Please enjoy this on-the-ground report from the most romantic senior citizen wedding... EVER.

Drinking it all in

Guests had their choice of four signature cocktails, named for key moments in Gerry and Theresa's journey. The adult beverages ranged from the classic (an Old-Fashioned dubbed "The Final Rose") to the saucy (a spicy margarita called "Birthday Suit," named for Theresa's memorable limo exit) to the overly complicated. (If you thought making Gerry and Theresa drive on a dark highway with malfunctioning headlights was scary, try drinking the "One Headlight," a mixture of Prosecco, elderflower liquor (!), lemon juice, and pomegranate seed.)

TV weddings have their own etiquette

Generally, guests can sit where they want at a wedding, but everyone at The Golden Wedding — from the bride and groom's relatives to official Bachelor Nation jeweler Neil Lane — had an assigned spot in the audience. (They put us ink-stained wretches toward the back on the left.) No phones were allowed during the ceremony (which, frankly, should be a rule for non-televised weddings as well), and guests who brought their cocktails into the ceremony were asked to put their drinks under their seats. During commercial breaks, the audience remained on their best, no-phones behavior, making whispered conversation until a crew member gave the "10 seconds!" warning. After Gerry walked down the aisle and took his place at the altar to await his bride to be, ABC cut to commercial — and the Golden Bachelor stood patiently in silence, occasionally drying his already misty eyes with a handkerchief.

Timing is everything

Did you notice the audience chuckling and Gerry mouthing some words to his guests as he walked down the aisle? Right before the cameras rolled, the Golden Bachelor did a practice walk to the altar so production could time how long it would take. At the time, however, those of us in the audience thought that he was so eager to get the wedding show on the road that he started walking too soon and had to do it over. As Gerry walked down the aisle a second time, he mouthed to the giggling guests, "It's for real this time."

At least one 'Golden' Gal was on the prowl

By my count, at least 13 of Theresa's fellow Golden Bachelor contestants showed up to support her and celebrate her marriage to Gerry. And Edith — the stunning 60-year-old artist from Downey, California — told me at the reception that she hoped to find her own love connection at the wedding. "I'm ready to date," she said. "So, I'm going to look for somebody tonight! And even if I don't find someone, I'm taking the waiter or the bartender. I don't care! I have to get somebody tonight." Rose lovers, I can report that I saw Edith cozying up on the dance floor to Shyllon, one of the exotic male dancers from Theresa's bachelorette party. (Check out the video above.) Of course, some of the other Golden ladies had their sights on something even more important than love: Food. I spotted Natascha and Sandra deep in conversation as they perused a lavish charcuterie spread. ("Is that pear?" "No, it's cheese!")

Gerry was reunited with his "son"

Actor Matt Cordova gained a TikTok following last year for his impassioned recaps of The Golden Bachelor — and his strong desire to have Gerry adopt him as a son. Gerry's daughter, Angie, loved his videos and showed them to her dad, who was equally tickled. Long story short, Angie invited Matt to the Golden Wedding, where he was finally able to live out his dream of getting a hug from his "dad."

Bachelor Nation couples had advice for the happy couple

While Gerry and Theresa have a lot of life experience, there's one thing they have yet to learn: How to take their relationship from the TV bubble to the real world. Fortunately, there were some Bachelor Nation couples on hand who had some words of wisdom to impart. "Everyone has so many opinions, and they know nothing about your relationship, so the best thing you can do is just focus on each other and not listen to the outside voices," says Caelynn Miller-Keyes, who married her Bachelor in Paradise true love, Dean Unglert, in September. "Don't read the comments!" adds Mari Pepin, who married her Paradise beau, Kenny Braasch, in November. "You shouldn't pay attention to the negativity and the criticism, because there will be plenty of it."

Some fans found a way to get around security

ABC and the La Quinta resort did their best to keep the location of the wedding under wraps for as long as possible, and the ceremony itself was blocked off from resort guests. Still, a few determined fans (or just looky-loos?) found a way to peer over the wall surrounding the reception area. (See photo above.) Fortunately for them, the Bachelor franchise's stage manager and resident bouncer Big Paulie was not on hand to escort them off the premises.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.