Brayden Bowers and Christina Mandrell get engaged during Golden Wedding special
By Cody Schultz
Love was truly in the air during ABC's The Golden Wedding special, and no we're not just talking about Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist! Before the happy couple exchanged their I Do's, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise alum Brayden Powers surprised Bachelor Nation when he got down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend Christina Mandrell.
Leading up to Gerry and Theresa's live nuptials, Jesse Palmer and special correspondents Charity Lawson and Kathy Swarts had the chance to catch up with many Bachelor Nation alumni including Brayden and Christina. During an interview with Jesse, the couple gave the viewers at home an update on their relationship sharing that Brayden is moving to Nashville to live with Christina. We thought that was going to be the highlight of the interview, but then Brayden surprised us all!
“Christina, from the moment that you picked me up at the airport with your crazy-ass rose and your fake disguise I knew that there was something special and something different and I got to spend time with you and time with Blakely and introduce you to my family and for the first time in my life, I feel like I found someone I can be myself with unapologetically. I have no doubts that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and like Gerry said we have so little time…and so Christina Mandrell, will you marry me?” a clearly nervous Brayden declared as he popped the question to Christina.
The engagement was one that few saw coming as the pair only just began dating a few months back, news that fans learned in the closing montage of the Bachelor in Paradise season 9 finale. While Brayden didn't find love in Paradise or during his season on The Bachelorette, he's found his person Christina, whom we first met during The Bachelor season 27.
And before anyone starts shouting about how Brayden was wrong for stealing Gerry and Theresa's thunder, it turns out he got the couple's blessing before popping the question as Jesse Palmer revealed after Christina happily accepted Brayden's engagement.