Jana Duggar couldn’t always count on finding her forever husband.
For nearly 12 years, the reality star allowed cameras to document her life on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting and the spinoff Counting On. During the show, Duggar witnessed her sisters fall in love, leaving her wondering when her time would come.
“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,’” she shared with People in August 2024. “All of my siblings, most of them have been married in their early 20s. By far, I am the oldest. So it has been disheartening at times.”
Little did Duggar know that something special was brewing with longtime family friend Stephen Wissmann.
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While their romance wasn’t exactly love at first sight, the pair reconnected in early 2024, fell in love and experienced a fairytale summer wedding.
“Just to see it coming about is incredible and kind of hard to believe,” Duggar told People days before her August 2024 nuptials. “It’s a dream come true.”
Keep reading to learn more about Duggar’s journey to finding love with her forever partner Wissmann:
2011
Wissmann — who lives in Nebraska with his parents and siblings — first connected with Duggar through their families when they were teenagers.
“[The Wissmann’s] would travel and sing,” Duggar recalled to People in 2024. “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. 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.”
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2020-2022
In a 2024 interview with People, Duggar revealed she briefly dated Wissmann a few years ago before going their separate ways. Despite the breakup, the pair remained in touch and “talked to each other on and off over the years.” In March 2022, Duggar’s brother Jeremiah Duggar married Wissmann’s sister Hannah.
Early 2024
In the early months of 2024, both Jana and Stephen reconnected once again and decided to take their relationship more seriously. “It was like, ‘What are we doing? We still enjoy each other. We still really appreciate each other,’ ” she recalled to People. “I had been a slower mover on it, but just over time, his character, his coming back, still loving me no matter what. 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.”
June 2024
Although the pair never publicly commented on their courtship, they managed to secretly get engaged on June 15, 2024. One month later, fans speculated that Jana was engaged when she posted a series of Instagram photos with a ring on her left hand.
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August 2024
Two months after getting engaged, the couple was able to experience their dream wedding in front of 500 guests. Jana and Stephen got married in a “classic, elegant” ceremony near Prairie Grove, Arkansas, on Thursday, August 15, People reported. “I prayed for this for years,” Duggar told the outlet when celebrating the ceremony.
The Counting On star enjoyed her wedding with Jessa Duggar Seewald serving as her maid of honor. Jana’s sister-in-law Abbie Duggar as well as sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jordyn Duggar served as bridesmaids.
“The sweetest wedding ever,” Jessa wrote via her Instagram Story after the wedding. Jinger added, “The most stunning bride.”
January 2025
Stephen celebrated Jana’s 35th birthday by sharing a collage of photos from throughout the couple’s relationship to his social media.
“Happy Birthday to the loveliest and most incredible friend and wife! I Love you!” he wrote via Instagram on January 12. “DEFINITION FOR LOVELY: Charmingly or exquisitely beautiful, Having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face, Delightful; highly pleasing, Of a great moral or spiritual beauty.”
According to Stephen, his wife fits the word. “You have so many gifts and talents you choose to bless others with!” he added.
March 2025
Jana and Stephen enjoyed an exciting excursion while on vacation in Hawaii. “Flying over Kauai, Hawaii, was an incredible experience!” Jana wrote via Instagram in March, alongside a selfie featuring the pair inside of a helicopter.
She also included some clips of their gorgeous views from the sky, concluding her caption, “Soaring through the skies and soaking in the breathtaking views from the helicopter was truly an adventure of a lifetime!”
Stephen gushed about their trip via Instagram as well, sharing a photo of the couple enjoying the beach at sunset. “In awe of God’s gifts,” he wrote. “And someone to share them with! @janamduggar 6 months in, I’m excited to share at least another 600 with you!”
August 2025
The couple announced Jana’s pregnancy with a slideshow of maternity photos. “We are so excited, January 2026 is going to come with a little bundle of joy joining our family!” they wrote via Instagram. “We’re counting down the days and eagerly looking forward to this thrilling new chapter in our lives!”
