Jana Duggar, the eldest daughter of the Duggar family, who all were featured in TLC’s Counting On, tied the knot last week with Stephen Wissmann in a “classic, elegant” ceremony. The couple married on Thursday, Aug. 15, just two months after their engagement. Both exchanged traditional vows at The Grand at Willow Springs in front of 500 guests. As reported by People, Jessa Duggar Seewald was the bride’s maid of honor, while her sister-in-law, Abbie Duggar, and sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jordyn Duggar were bridesmaids.
“I think it is one of those things that all girls envision someday,” Jana told PEOPLE 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.”
The hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” played as Jana walked down the aisle in an off-the-shoulder ivory satin ball gown with her father, Jim Bob Duggar.
“The dress felt classy and a bit like a princess,” Jana says.
The couple wanted to make sure that the decor at the wedding was simple.
“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.”
They added that having their families present was their top priority.
Following the exchange of vows and lighting of the unity candle, they joined their 500 guests at the reception, in which the groom’s family served a dinner of chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls, and coleslaw.
“Because we’re doing an evening wedding, I envisioned this more formal, sit-down dinner,” says Jana. “The Wissmanns are incredible cooks. They’re going to do a full spread, and they’ve been working on it. I’m like, ‘Just do it. I trust y’all. Y’all making amazing food.'”
For dessert, the couple cut into a three-tier cake with lemon and raspberry filling, which was served along with cupcakes.
Wissmann first met Jana through their families years ago and at one point dated briefly before going their separate ways. Nevertheless, they remained in touch and “talked to each other on and off over the years.” It was also around this time that Jana’s brother Jeremiah Duggar married Wissmann’s sister Hannah.
Earlier this year, Jana and Wissmann reconnected again and formed a relationship together.
“It was like, ‘What are we doing? We still enjoy each other. We still really appreciate each other,'” she recalls.
When it came to falling in love, Jana admitted that she kept their guard up, but Wissman proved over time he was the 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.”
“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 added.
