Celebrity Celebrity Weddings Gerry Turner's Golden Bachelor Ladies Reunite to Watch Him Get Married: 'Ready for the Wedding of the Year!' Fan favorites Joan, Ellen and Kathy have arrived in Palm Springs ahead of Thursday's Golden Wedding By Julia Moore Julia Moore Julia Moore is a TV writer-reporter at PEOPLE. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 3, 2024 01:51PM EST 'The Golden Bachelor' cast: Susan, Anna, Kathy, Patty, Peggy, Jeanie, and Joan; Middle Row: Edith, Marina, Sandra, Sylvia, Faith, Christina, and Nancy; Front Row: Leslie, Pamela, Ellen, Natasha, Gerry Turner, April, Renee, Maria, and Theresa. Photo: ABC/Craig Sjodin Several of the women who were once competing for Gerry Turner’s heart are readying to watch him say “I do” to fellow suitor Theresa Nist on live TV. As The Golden Bachelor wedding approaches, many of the former participants — including Joan Vassos, Kathy Swarts, Ellen Goltzer, April Lynn Kirkwood, Nancy Hulkower and Natascha Hardee — have arrived in Palm Springs, California, to celebrate with the happy couple. The women documented their journey to the desert, with April, 65, sharing a group photo from the baggage carousel captioned, “Airport reunion before we celebrate love & see two special people tie the [knot] 👰🏻♀️💍🤵🏼♂️💒 ” The Golden Bachelor's Gerry and Theresa Open Up About Finally Having Their Dream Wedding in Their 70s (Exclusive) April, a therapist, also shared a selfie from the plane ride with Ellen, which Ellen had also posted on her own Instagram, writing, “@aprillynnkirkwood and I on the way to The FIRST EVER Golden Bachelor Wedding!!! We cannot wait!! @goldengerryturner @theresa_nist ❤️💒💍” In the snap, the friends leaned over the passenger between them as Ellen, 71, joked, “Sorry to this man in the middle seat he is over us already!! 😂” Former Flames: Look Back at the Best Photos of Golden Bachelor Exes Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Ellen, a retired teacher, shared the group photo, too as she said she’s “so happy” for both Gerry and Theresa ahead of their wedding day. Kathy shared a selfie with Gerry, 72, and Theresa, 71, as the trio smiled and bright blue skies were on display in the background of the shot. “All smiles in Palm Springs! Ready for the wedding of the year!” Joan, 60, also documented her travels as she made her way to the wedding. She revealed in a video that she and Nancy, 60, had traveled together — first to Dallas, then on to Palm Springs — and were excited that “the gang is getting back together.” The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Got 'Married' by Mark Consuelos: See What They Wore Susan Noles is also on hand, as she was announced on Tuesday to be officiating the ceremony. She shared the news on Instagram, writing, “I guess the secret is out! I’m officiating THE GOLDEN WEDDING 💒 and I’m just beyond excited!!” Theresa shared her love for Susan in the comments as she said she and Gerry “couldn’t be more thrilled” to have her as part of the ceremony. She added, “Love you so much for being the wonderful woman you are and for doing this for us!!! We cannot wait!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️” The Golden Bachelor's Gerry and Theresa Reveal Which of Their Kids Have Been a Wedding 'Lifesaver' (Exclusive) 'The Golden Bachelor' stars Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist. Jim Wright In the lead-up to their big day, Theresa previously told PEOPLE that one of the must-do weddings traditions will be a bouquet toss, joking of her former competitors: “There's plenty of women who want to catch that bouquet.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Golden Wedding airs live at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on ABC. Close