‘Counting On’ Alum Jana Duggar Married to Stephen Wissmann After Arkansas Wedding

They do! Jana Duggar married fiancé Stephen Wissmann in her native Arkansas, on Thursday, August 15. The event was held at the wedding venue The Grand at Willow Springs, about 30 minutes from her family’s farm in Tontitown.

Jana, 33, and Stephen, 31, said their vows in front of their extended families and friends in a ceremony attended by 500 people. Jana’s sister Jessa Duggar Seewald was the maid of honor, while sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, Johannah Duggar, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Jordyn Duggar and sister-in-law Abbie Duggar were bridesmaids.

Two days before the nuptials, Jana told People, “I think it is one of those things that all girls envision someday. For me it felt like, ‘OK, it’s never coming.’ But now it’s starting to sink in. Reality is starting to set in. And I’m like, ‘Wow, this is truly something that I’ve dreamed of.'”

The newlyweds both come from large, fundamentalist families, as Stephen’s parents, Loren and Gloria Wissmann, have 13 children, while Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have a brood of 19 kids.

The couple managed to keep their romance somewhat under cover compared to how Jana’s siblings more publicly courted their spouses before tying the knot.

Stephen and Jana’s intention to become husband and wife was revealed when they applied for a marriage license on Wednesday, August 14, in court records viewed by In Touch. Stephen was listed as “Spouse 1” while similarly, Jana was named as “Spouse 2.” The couple had 60 days from the time the marriage license was issued to wed in Arkansas.

While the duo have known each other for years, rumors of the couple’s engagement began to swirl after Jana took a vacation to South Carolina in July 2024 with her twin brother, John David Duggar, and his wife, Abbie Duggar.

In photos wearing a flowing blue dress, fans noticed the Counting On alum was sporting a diamond ring on her left hand. While Jana was seen in several snapshots from the trip, Stephen was not pictured.

The last time that Jana and Stephen were spotted together was in 2021, when the pair attended a Fourth of July holiday together in Seward, Nebraska.

“The Wissmanns were there performing. Jana was seen walking around the event with Stephen,” The Sun reported at the time.

However, split rumors ignited two months later after Stephen was spotted square dancing at a party without the reality star.

In an interesting twist, Stephen and Jana were already related before they got married. He is also Jana’s sister-in-law Hannah Duggar’s (née Wissmann) older brother. Hannah is married to Jana’s younger brother Jeremiah Duggar.

Jana had been relatively absent from social media for several years, making it difficult for fans to follow her personal life. She shared a home remodeling project Instagram post in March 2022, only to disappear until May 2024, when Jana posted photos of spring blooms on her family’s farm, along with a Mother’s Day tribute to her mom, Michelle.

The 19 Kids and Counting alum gave fans a “life update” as well as “projects I’ve been working on” in a June 30, 2024, YouTube video. Jana showed how she’d been hard at work on her family’s farm with remodeling projects, building a fence and tending to livestock.

Jana had previously lamented how difficult it was waiting to find the right man while her siblings kept finding their forever partners.

“I know how it feels to wait for ‘Prince Charming’ to come along,” she once told Crown of Beauty magazine. “I’m still waiting. Waiting is not always easy, especially in those times when all the married siblings are getting together and you can’t go along because you’re not part of ‘that’ group.”

Jana tried to look at the positives in her life instead. “I’ve found that when I’m having a hard or discouraging day, I try to look for ways to bless or serve someone else,” she added. “And in turn, it usually blesses and encourages me!”