Golden Bachelor Bachelor Nation couple hijack
Published on January 15, 2026 EDT Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell co-opted the reality nuptials with their own TV-nurtured love.

Some couples think getting engaged at another couple's wedding is romantic.

It's not. But that didn't stop Bachelor in Paradise's Brayden Bowers and The Bachelor's Christina Mandrell from making the Golden Bachelor wedding briefly about them.

Bowers, who met Mandrell after appearing on the ninth season of Bachelor in Paradise and bonded with her over their shared love of Tenacious D (which, fair), proposed during Thursday’s live Golden Wedding broadcast.

James Clark/Disney

"Christina, from the moment that I picked you up from the airport with your crazy ass rose and your fake disguise, I just knew that there was something special and there was something different," Bowers said.

The Golden Wedding was a right proper Bachelor Nation affair, including contestants from across the franchise, from cohost and former Bachelorette star Charity Lawson to the Nation's reigning King and Queen of Bachelor Nation, Trista and Ryan Sutter. Presumably, none of them had any huge relationship news to break during the broadcast.

"Though Bowers dated nurse Kat Izzo and former Bachelorette Rachel Recchia on Bachelor in Paradise, both romances fizzled out, and he began seeing Mandrell after leaving the show.

According to host Jesse Palmer, Bowers got the okay to pop the question from the couple of the hour, Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and bride-to-be Theresa Nist.

"Brayden actually called Gerry and Theresa and made sure he got their blessing before he proposed," Palmer said. C'mon, Palmer, like he was going to say no?

Bowers was further inspired by Turner, telling Mandrell, "And I have no doubts that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And like Gerry said, it's like, you know, we have such little time and... I just know that I want to spend the rest of my days with you."

Awww. Fine. It's cute, or whatever. The D strikes again.

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