Jana Duggar has finally seen her younger self’s dreams realized—a white dress and her loved one at the end of the aisle.
On Thursday, Aug. 15, in a “classic, elegant” ceremony, the 19 Kids and Counting alum married musician Stephen Wissmann in Prairie Grove, Arkansas,
The newlyweds exchanged traditional vows at The Grand at Willow Springs in front of 500 guests, including the maid of honor, Jessa Duggar Seewald, her sister-in-law, Abbie Duggar, and sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and Jordyn Duggar as bridesmaids.
“I think it is one of those things that all girls envision someday,” the 34-year-old told PEOPLE ahead of their nuptials. “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.’”
Would you believe me if I told you this was a Duggar wedding? OMG congrats Jana, be free and flourish #19KidsandCounting pic.twitter.com/VTG4FDUP3B
— Reality By Ashley (@RealityByAshley) August 16, 2024
In keeping with her desire for a classy day, Jana kept everything minimalist and simple for the overall affair.
“The venue is already so gorgeous and picturesque that I didn’t want to take too much from that,” Jana said. “The guys will be in black suits, the girls in champagne-colored dresses, and then just white flowers and greenery.”
Jana—the eldest daughter of the Duggar family’s 19 kids—walked down the aisle to “Holy, Holy, Holy” in an off-the-shoulder ivory satin ball gown with her dad, Jim Bob Duggar. “The dress felt classy and a bit like a princess.”
The former TLC star mentioned that one of the more important considerations for the day was making sure their loved ones were well incorporated, as there are a lot of them.
“Coming from two bigger families, we love to be able to get together and celebrate moments like these,” said Jana. “And so to have all of them there, it just means a lot.”
She and Stephen—one of 13 siblings and a member of The Wissmann Family gospel band—got engaged on June 15 after rekindling their romance earlier this year. The pair had briefly dated years prior, but Jana told PEOPLE that they continued to talk to each other “on and off.”
“[The Wissmanns] 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,” recalled 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.”
