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What is the cost of 'The Golden Wedding'? Internet calls Gerry Turner 'cheap stake' as ABC sponsors wedding and Italy honeymoon

In addition to giving Gerry Turner a stunning engagement ring for Theresa Nist, ABC is also funding his wedding

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The first-ever 'The Golden Bachelor' will wed his fiancee in a live broadcast on ABC on January 4. The septuagenarian couple was unveiled during the show's November finale.

This will be the first 'Bachelor' wedding in nearly ten years and the quickest wedding for a franchise that doesn't typically end happily ever after.

Fans of the program have earlier accused Gerry of being a "gold digger" after introducing Theresa to his family as a "professional businesswoman," implying that he is solely interested in her riches.

However, before the final selection, social media users alleged that Gerry was only drawn to Theresa because of her significant money, with some fans learning that the 70-year-old contestant is worth up to $1 million.

Viewers have since taken to X to express their feelings over Gerry bagging an all-paid wedding and honeymoon from ABC. One user wrote, "Gerry’s cheap a** knowing ABC will pay for the entire wedding if it’s televised."

Many people commented under the tweet, "He’s not even paying for the honeymoon in Italy. ABC is. Next he’ll be on Dancing with the Stars, & it will be a short lived honeymoon." While others chimed in, "Yes, I'm all in for viewers that watched the show and did not like Gerry's actions to just boycott the "wedding" and don't watch. Let their ratings be low, low, low. Lower than Gerry was."

One user tweeted, "Yes he is he’s also a fraud too!" A fourth person also commented, "LOL he's looking to supplement his income guys, ABC can handle it!" 

Not only did ABC gift 'The Golden Bachelor' star Gerry a stunning engagement ring for Theresa, but they're also funding his wedding. Gerry and Theresa will tie the knot in an ABC special on January 4, 2024.

Following their wedding, the couple will travel to Italy for their honeymoon.

"It’s the top of her list, and it’s become the top of mine," Gerry said of the honeymoon destination.

Gerry and Theresa have a lot of wedding-related things to do. While they haven't sorted out the wrinkles yet, they are delighted to include their family in the festivities.

The best men and maid of honor have been picked from among Theresa's children.

What is the cost of Theresa Nist's engagement ring?

Fans of 'The Golden Bachelor' witnessed Gerry propose to Theresa — and, of course, he had a Neil Lane engagement ring on hand. Neil is Bachelor Nation's official jeweler. Leads from the program who pick Neil-designed engagement rings receive the ring for free.

Gerry opted for a 3.5-carat princess-cut diamond ring set with two baguette-cut diamonds and 128 smaller brilliant-cut diamonds. So, how much is Theresa's ring?

The ring is likely worth roughly $40,000, according to Chris Arakel of The Diamond Bank in Los Angeles.

"The center stone is a generous size, and the baguettes are not small, so that is why the price is on the high end," Chris told Daily Mail, "It has a timeless, traditional setting."

Gerry told People about the moment Theresa placed the ring on her finger. "The symbolism of it is so important," he explained.

"It was just like, the minute she slipped it on, again, it was like, ‘Oh, my god, this is that joyful happiness that I want to feel, that I want everyone to see.'"

Neil also discussed how amazing it felt to design the ring for the new series.

"I think maybe we were losing the significance of a ring for a while, and now we have two people that really... that significance of the ring, even though it’s a small little jewel, it embodies their affection, their future, their lives together," he said.

“It’s more profound in a way. Maybe it’s a different profoundness.”

Where will 'The Golden Wedding' take place?

That, however, has yet to be confirmed by the pair. However, Reality Steve has dropped some signs that it will most likely be right back where it all began. Gerry and Theresa were observed exploring the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California, according to Steve.

He then posted photos of the two scouting out the site on X, captioning them, "This is where their live wedding will be taking place."

How many Bachelor weddings has ABC aired?

While televised weddings for "Bachelor" contestants are not unprecedented, Gerry and Theresa's will be the first since Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici's 2014 nuptials, which included the theme "Grown Sexy" due to the couple's decision to wait until after the ceremony to engage in their first sexual encounter.

Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney were the only other "Bachelor" pair to tie the knot on television. Their 2010 nuptials featured a performance by Gavin DeGraw and resulted in the arrest of two inconsiderate paparazzi.

About six weddings for the whole franchise have been televised, including the two "Bachelor" weddings. Three couples from 'Bachelor In Paradise' and two from 'The Bachelorette' consented to have all or some of their weddings broadcast on ABC.

Since the first episode of the show's season, there have been 27 bachelors, ten of whom ended without a proposal. Only three couples from 'The Bachelor' were married: Sean and Catherine, Jason and Molly, and Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham. All three of them are still together today. A dozen additional weddings have come from 'The Bachelorette' and 'Bachelor in Paradise'.

Only one of the three married "Bachelors" chose to marry the woman he had proposed to first. Lauren and Molly both finished their seasons as runners-up, only to marry their bachelors later.