The Bizarre Traditions the Duggar Family Follows for Their Wedding Day
Whether you genuinely love the Duggar family or at least love to see what they’re getting into next, we’ve been watching Jim Bob Duggar, Michelle Duggar, and their 19 kids on our televisions for years. And while the number of people in their family is truly astonishing, fans are more shocked by their way of life. Their ultra-conservative views have led to serious judgment, as many of us can’t understand their courtship rules or dress code. But even when their family traditions have us scratching our heads, we still can’t look away.
Like all other major events in life, the Duggars have plenty of rules and regulations when it comes to their wedding day. Here are the bizarre traditions they follow.
They’ve been known to run down the aisle ahead of their first kiss
Anyone who’s seen 19 Kids and Counting or Counting On knows the Duggars are incredibly strict rules when entering courtships. Even whilst their dating someone they think they could have a future with, the Duggar kids are required to have a chaperone with them on dates. And they’re most definitely not allowed to have any physical contact or kiss until marriage.
For this reason, their wedding day is a huge deal, as it’s also the first time the happy couple have ever kissed. In Touch Weekly reminds us when Jessa and Ben Seewald were announced as man and wife, they ran down the aisle to have their first kiss in semi-private. And it seems Jill and Derick Dillard also hastily headed down the aisle for the same reason. As Pastor Mike Schadt comedically commented when Jessa and Ben sped away, “So the bottom line, the longer I talk, the more they can smooch in private! So if I could just have your attention for about three hours … The first kiss is a long one in private, you know what I’m saying?”
The Duggar women take a piece of their mom’s wedding dress
A Duggar wedding dress must be delicate, beautiful, and totally church-appropriate, so you won’t be seeing any tight-fitting satin dresses from the family anytime soon. With that said, they also have another tradition that has to do with their dress. Brides explains when the Duggar daughters get married, they’re given a piece of the wedding dress their mother, Michelle, and her mother both wore on their wedding day. As Jinger explained on Counting On, “And so, we take a piece of that and incorporate it somewhere in our dress.”
How the Duggar bride uses the piece of the dress is totally up to them. The publication notes that Jill used her piece as a handkerchief, and Jinger actually sewed her piece into the inside of her dress.
They don’t date for very long before tying the knot
It’s typical for most couples to date for years for walking down the aisle with the love of their life — but such is not the case for the Duggars. As a reminder, the Duggars don’t just “date” — they “court” with the intention of marriage during the entire ordeal. Jim Bob has explained in the past that their version of courting is like dating but with more of a purpose, so the process is typically pretty short and sweet.
Romper notes Josiah Duggar was engaged to Laura Swanson after just 41 days of courting. And Joseph Duggar also asked for Kendra’s hand in marriage after just a few months of courting, and Joy-Anna was engaged to Austin Forsyth after just four months of courting, too.
They don’t always go for a wedding cake
The Duggars are sticklers for tradition, and for many the giant wedding cake is a ceremony staple. Such is not necessarily the case for this giant family, however. Daily Mail Online notes Jessa opted for brownies and an ice cream sundae bar to celebrate her big day instead of a cake. And Jill also chose to have root beer floats as her main dessert course. While unconventional, it did seem that these options may have been less costly than a giant cake, however, so perhaps this is a note from the family we’ll take with us in the future.
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