Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist tease their Golden Wedding featuring a choreographed dance, Badgley Mischka gown, and former contestant Susan Noles officiating: ‘We want it to be a party!’

Bachelor Nation is mere hours away from watching The Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and his fiancée Theresa Nist’s televised nuptials – dubbed The Golden Wedding – which airs Thursday at 8pm EST on ABC.

‘We don’t want it to go pass us by,’ the 70-year-old bride explained in a People interview published Thursday.

‘Especially at this age, we’ve learned the lesson: You just live in the moment and don’t wish for tomorrow to come. I envision it as such a fun, warm, wonderful day, a day filled with joy and laughter and positive energy and everyone being happy to be there.’

The 72-year-old groom added: ‘We want it to be a party!’

The Golden Wedding appropriately takes place in the retirement golf haven of La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, CA (located 25 miles South of Palm Springs), and the rehearsal dinner happened there Wednesday night.

Former Golden Bachelor contestant Susan Noles – who was eliminated by Gerry in week five – will officiate their wedding, which will also feature a four-piece string orchestra and two types of cake.

And while Turner settled on a traditional black tuxedo – Theresa enlisted Susan, fellow contestant Kathy Swarts, her daughter/maid of honor Jen Woolston, and daughter-in-law Amanda to help narrow down a Badgley Mischka gown.

‘It’s really not what I envisioned I would wear,’ Nist recalled.

‘I asked each one of these beautiful women to go pick their favorite. And then I picked three of mine, and I walked down the stairs with them. And when it was the dress, they unanimously thought this was the good gown. I think Susan was so proud because that’s the one I picked out!’

Even before they get to read their handwritten vows to each other, the former hot tub installer expects to get emotional just watching the financial services professional being walked down the aisle by her son Tommy.

‘Its going to get me. I know it is because when I gave both of my daughters [Angie and Jenny] away at their weddings, I cried like a baby getting them down the aisle,’ Gerry said.

‘And I know it’ll be the same.’

Turner and Nist ‘are looking forward to some of the element of surprise’ that comes with having their family deliver unvetted speeches at the reception, including six-year-old ring bearer Henry (one of Theresa’s six grandsons).

‘Say whatever you want,’ she urged.

Nist choreographed the couples’ first dance and the former maintenance man warned: ‘You’ve seen me dance. It’s not exactly pretty. So I’m going to do the best I can.’

Theresa is an avid gardener, so she made sure to choose ‘mostly roses but all different beautiful flowers’ for the bouquet and ‘pale colors of pinks and peaches’ décor.

Bachelor Nation attendees will include Trista and Ryan Sutter, Jason and Molly Mesnick, Chris and Desiree Siegfried, as well as Wells Adams and Ben Higgins.

And while the generous folks at ABC already gifted the groom and bride-to-be with a free trip to Italy, Gerry hinted that they might be going elsewhere for their mini-honeymoon.

‘I don’t want to let that out,’ Turner noted.

‘Then all of a sudden people will be looking for that and asking questions and so forth. There’s a little bit of anonymity that I’m looking forward to when things settle down.’

The grieving widowers eventually plan on looking at houses in Charleston, SC as well as homes in Nist’s New Jersey hometown.

‘I like that area, and Theresa’s home is 15 minutes from the ocean, and that is so attractive to me,’ the Indiana native explained.

‘So we have more than one option to explore. We’ll find the spot that we’re both happy with.’

Gerry eliminated 21 contestants and popped the question to Theresa with a $40K, Neil Lane 3.15-carat diamond sparkler weeks after meeting each other last August.

Turner was originally described as a retired restaurateur, but he reportedly sold his only Mr. Quick hamburger drive-in franchise way back in 1985.

On November 29, THR revealed Gerry had a 10-month, live-in relationship with a woman between 2018-2019, but they split after he refused to bring her to his high school reunion because she ‘gained 10lbs.’

Meanwhile, the 28th season of The Bachelor – starring The Bachelorette runner-up Joey Graziadei – premieres January 22 on ABC.

The 28-year-old tennis pro was born in Pennsylvania, but now lives in Hawaii.

Joey’s 32 potential brides-to-be – aged 23-31 – includes three nurses, a cybersecurity consultant, a mental health counselor, a vintage store owner, and a Miami Dolphins cheerleader.

Bachelor Nation fans are some of the most passionate and devoted, despite the horrible track record for couples remaining together on the various shows.

Out of the 27 prior seasons of The Bachelor, only three couples are still together – Sean & Catherine Lowe, Matt James & Rachael Kirkconnell, and Zach Shallcross & Kaity Biggar.

Out of 20 seasons of The Bachelorette, five couples remain together – most notably Ryan and Trista Sutter, who share three children.

Surprisingly, Bachelor in Paradise is the most successful franchise with 10 couples remaining together after nine seasons.