Jana Duggar Breaks Courtship Rules by Holding Stephen Wissmann’s Hand in Video From Before Wedding

Before Jana Duggar tied the knot with Stephen Wissmann, she did not follow her family’s typical courtship rules during their relationship. The 19 Kids and Counting alum gave fans an insight into the earlier days of the pair’s romance with a throwback video posted to YouTube on Saturday, August 24.

In the video – which was titled “Surprising My Boyfriend at Work!” – Jana, 34, enlisted the help of sisters Johannah Duggar and Jennifer Duggar on a road trip from Arkansas to Nebraska. After seeing a picture of Stephen’s job site, she was able to pinpoint where he was working and showed up to surprise him. Stephen, 31, was completely stunned when he saw his then-girlfriend at his workplace.

When the two greeted each other, Jana gave Stephen a front-facing hug. The Duggar family is known for “courting” instead of dating, which means certain rules are followed during the relationships. One rule is that couples can only be physically affectionate with side hugs. The video then cut to Jana and Stephen catching up while he drove and she sat in the passenger seat. They held hands for the entire ride, which is also against the Duggars’ usual courtship rules.

During Jana’s visit, she and Stephen worked on some home projects together and spent quality time with her sister. There was even a clip of Stephen jokingly proposing to Jana with a ring pop. It’s unclear exactly when the footage was taken, but Stephen did actually pop the question in June. The couple kept news of their engagement a secret, but fans began suspecting that Jana was set to tie the knot when they noticed she was wearing a diamond ring on her left hand in July Instagram photos.

Jana and Stephen got married in Arkansas on August 15. After the nuptials, Jana confirmed to People that she was moving to Nebraska to live with her husband. “He has a little house we bought that we’ve been fixing up and getting pulled together, and so that’s been fun,” she dished.

Although Jana and Stephen only started dating at the beginning of 2024, they have a long history. Their families have known each other for years. “[The Wissmann’s] would travel and sing,” Duggar told People. “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.”

Jana revealed that she and Stephen briefly dated “a few years” before their nuptials. They kept in touch after calling off the relationship. Jana’s brother Jeremiah Duggar then married Stephen’s sister Hannah Wissmann in 2022.

In January, Jana and Stephen reconnected. “It was like, ‘What are we doing? We still enjoy each other. We still really appreciate each other,’” she explained. “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 [are] 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.’”