Duane Chapman Reveals His Kids Will Have a Role in Wedding to Francie: ‘It’s a Family-Planned Marriage’

A group effort! Duane “Dog” Chapman spills all of the details about his upcoming wedding to fiancée Francie Frane in an exclusive video interview with In Touch and confirms his kids will have a role in their highly anticipated nuptials.

“I started when I was 15, having children … and so, my kids are my life,” the Dog Unleashed star, 67, tells In Touch, gushing over how much they mean to him. Duane says they are looking forward to making the romantic ceremony very special, adding, “They all have their own ideas … It’s a family-planned marriage.” 

The bounty hunter reveals he is not sure of the date they will say their I do’s yet, but they are brainstorming some options. 

“I had a huge wedding with Beth [Chapman] and Francie had a big wedding with [her late spouse] Bob. I don’t know if people understand this, but Francie and I are not having a wedding, we’re going to have a marriage. We already had a wedding, both of us in our lives, and they’ll never be another like the one we both had. This is going to be more of a marriage than a wedding,” Duane further explains. 

The Dog’s Most Wanted alum says this will be “a whole new deal in [his] life” and he likes to plan things “no one has ever seen or heard of.”

“I recognize what real love is and I love my Francie,” he tells In Touch following their engagement announcement in May. “We’re in a terrific place right now. We’re getting to know each other, but we were quarantined together.” 

The WGN America personality admits he and the rancher learned a lot about each other quickly because they were hunkered down together amid the pandemic. “Each day that I’m with her is better than yesterday,” he shares about his bride-to-be. 

After losing Beth to cancer at the age of 51 in June 2019, he found comfort with Francie, who also lost her spouse, Bob, around the same time. They grew close and Duane ended up proposing during a candlelit dinner at their Colorado home.

Francie has even helped his children heal from the unimaginable loss of their mother. “Francie is there for them. She’s not their mom, but she’s helping a lot,” he previously told In Touch. “Every day, you know, I try to talk to every one of my kids … and some days, it’s tough for them and some days, it’s less tough.”

The Chapmans are sticking together!