On August 15, the eldest Duggar daughter, 34, exchanged vows with Wissmann in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, during a “simple, classic” ceremony observed by 500 guests.
At last, Jana Duggar’s “dream come true” wedding took place!
The Reckoning The oldest Duggar daughter, 34-year-old on alum, tied the knot with 31-year-old Stephen Wissmann in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, on Thursday, August 15, in a “classic, elegant” wedding.
The couple, who announced their engagement on June 15, performed customary vows in front of 500 guests at The Grand at Willow Springs. The bride’s maid of honor was Jessa Duggar Seewald, and the bridesmaids were her sister-in-law Abbie Duggar, Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and Jordyn Duggar.
“I think it is one of those things that all girls envision someday,” Jana told of her wedding two days before the celebration. “For me, it felt like, ‘Okay, it’s never coming.’ But now it’s starting to sink in. Reality is starting to set in. And I’m like, ‘Wow, this truly is something that I’ve dreamed of.’ And just to see it coming about is incredible and kind of hard to believe. It’s a dream come true.”
Jana and her father Jim Bob Duggar danced down the aisle to “Holy, Holy, Holy” while wearing an off-the-shoulder white satin ball gown. “The dress felt classy and a bit like a princess,” Jana commented.
The couple wanted to keep the decor for their event basic.
“The venue is already so gorgeous and picturesque that I didn’t want to take too much from that,” Jana says. “The guys will be in black suits, the girls in champagne-colored dresses, and then just white flowers and greenery.”
The couple’s top goal while organizing their lavish wedding was include their loved ones.
“Coming from two bigger families (Wissmann is one of 13 siblings), we love to be able to get together and celebrate moments like these,” says Jana. “And so to have all of them there, it just means a lot.”
After exchanging vows in the usual manner and lighting the unity candle, the couple joined their 500 guests at the reception to dine on chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, buns, and coleslaw, which had been cooked by the groom’s family.
“Because we’re doing an evening wedding, I envisioned this more formal, sit-down dinner,” Jana explains. “The Wissmann family is a fantastic chef. They have been working on a comprehensive spread, which they want to execute. I said, “Just do it.” I have faith in you all. You are producing incredible cuisine.”
The bride and groom enjoyed cupcakes and a three-tiered cake with lemon raspberry filling for dessert. During the post-wedding celebrations, one of Jana’s brother-in-laws provided interactive games and activities for the guests and acted as the emcee. Following emotional toasts, Jana threw her bouquet into the audience and the couple danced for the first time.
Wissmann initially made contact with Jana through their families years ago. Wissmann resides in Nebraska with his parents and brothers.
“[The Wissmann’s] would travel and sing. I remember them coming to our home, probably 13 or so years ago and they ended up getting snowed-in here, which hardly ever happens in Arkansas,” recalls Jana.
“I remember just playing games late into the night, doing puzzles together until the snow melted off, and they were able to travel back home. I don’t really remember Stephen that well because I’m older than him and so he was not at all on my radar.”
They ran into one other again a few years ago and went on a brief relationship before splitting up. They broke up but stayed in contact and “talked to each other on and off over the years.” Jeremiah Duggar, Jana’s brother, wed Hannah, Wissmann’s sister, during the same period.
It wasn’t until earlier this year, when Jana and Wissmann reconnected again for a final time. “It was like, ‘What are we doing? We still enjoy each other. We still really appreciate each other,’ ” she recalls.
Jana acknowledges that she was cautious about falling in love, but Wissmann showed that he was the right one.
“I had been a slower mover on it, but just over time, his character, his coming back, still loving me no matter what,” she says. “I know we have a big crazy family and still kind of putting up with a lot of things. I’m like, my goodness, there are not too many people that do that. He must really, genuinely care about me.”
She continues: “It takes me a bit to open up, but I think just his continuing to be there, no matter what, through ups and downs. He’s been a good friend over the years and has not pressured me in a lot of ways.”
She acknowledges that it hasn’t always been pleasant to watch her younger siblings get married before she did. Out of a total of eighteen siblings, eleven of them are already married.
“I’m just like, ‘What is it? Is it me? Do I have a problem?’ I know I’ve prayed for this for years and years and definitely been like, ‘What’s the matter? Why can’t I just…’ all of my siblings, most of them have been married in their early 20s,” she says. “By far, I am the oldest. So it has been disheartening at times.”
Jana adds: “I’ve tried to look at the positive, yet you long for that person, that someone that you can spend life with. It has been hard, but it has been good and God’s taught me a lot through it all.”
Now married, the couple is ready to start their next chapter together in the same state. Jana will go to Nebraska following the wedding to live with Wissmann, who installs irrigation systems and sandblasts and paints. “Great. We’ve been sprucing up and putting together his small house, which has been great ” explains Jana.
Jana believes her religion supported her during her search for love.
“I haven’t always understood what the bigger picture is, but I know that God knows what is best for all of us. And so for me, it’s getting married later,” she says. “Each of our stories will be written differently. If we were all the exact same, it would be a boring life. So I think it’s neat how God orchestrates.”
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