TV Bachelor Nation couple hijack Golden Bachelor wedding with their own engagement Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell co-opted the reality nuptials with their own TV-nurtured love. By Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where he covers breaking news, all things Real Housewives, and a rich cornucopia of popular culture. Formerly a senior editor at Out magazine, his work has appeared on NewNowNext, Queerty, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker. He was also the first author signed to Phoebe Robinson's Tiny Reparations imprint. He met Oprah once. EW's editorial guidelines Updated on January 5, 2024 09:55AM EST 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. Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell at 'Golden Bachelor' wedding. 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. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Related content: Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner will not apologize for his wedding playlist All the Bachelor Nation couples who are still together Bachelor in Paradise odd couple Brayden and Kat answer our burning beach questions