“What a joy it is to be husband and wife!”Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson gush after getting married over the weekend
After all the speculation surrounding their courtship, looks like Josiah Duggar and his girlfriend Lauren Swanson pulled a neat trick and got married over the weekend, Page Six has confirmed. There is also an official confirmation since Josiah's parents Jim Bob and Michelle also posted the news on their family website.
“What a joy it is to be husband and wife!” the couple told the outlet in a statement. “Our wedding day was absolutely perfect! … We are so thankful the Lord has brought us to this place and we can’t wait to begin our journey as husband and wife!” The happy couple's parents also wrote a heartfelt message while announcing their son's marriage to the world. “God has richly blessed us by adding Lauren to our family. We know He has great plans for them and we are overjoyed that He has brought them together. Thank you to all for prayers and support as Josiah and Lauren start their journey together,” they wrote.
Josiah and Lauren were first linked together when the duo was traveling with the Duggar clan on their trip to Australia. Without wasting any more time, they announced their courtship, few months after returning to the States. However, when fans couldn't believe the claims of Josiah dating Lauren, the entire Duggar family, in their own traditional style, released one of their traditional welcoming videos which saw Jim Bob and Michelle do most of the talking (as usual there was a lot said about Jesus too).
By the time the video came out, Josiah and Lauren had pretty much fallen into the usual Duggar family pattern of courtships. Although, it did come with its own share of subtle differences as compared to the previous family courtships.
A certified rebel of the family, Josiah, has always found a way of somehow working around the rules that his family set up for matters like courtships and bending them as per his convenience. However, it was a surprise to see how his first courtship, unlike the other members of his family, did not end up in a marriage at all. Josiah took a long time to find love for himself, and when he did open up his heart for love after more than two years, in came Lauren. Just like Josiah, she too was a rebel in-and-out, and maybe that was what drove Josiah closer to her.
In her own small and subtle ways, Lauren started to put her foot down and establish her independence in the Duggar family, first and foremost by violating their code of conduct when it came to dressing up, by wearing above-the-knee shorts. However, a source close to the family came forward and revealed that the couple is set to tie the knot this summer itself, possibly as early as July. And lo behold, in July they did get hitched!
Speaking about the Duggar family members, it was recently revealed that 'Counting On' star John David Duggar is courting his girlfriend Abbie Grace Burnett as confirmed by the couple themselves. The couple is very much in love and says that they have known each other for many years.
The 28-year-old reality TV star said, "Abbie and I are just so excited, we’ve known of each other for several years. We fell in love very quickly and it’s been a wonderful journey thus far. And it’s been a wonderful journey thus far and taking the next step to move onto a courtship." When asked where their first love bloomed, Abbie shared,"John flew in for a church event here in Oklahoma where I’m from. We really got connected then."
The son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar is courting Abbie Grace Burnett, the family announced on the Duggar website. In a joint statement, the happy parents shared,"We are so excited to announce the courtship of John David and Abbie! John David brings our hearts so much joy and we’ve watched him faithfully pray, wait, and trust God for the right girl to come along! Now, a beautiful relationship has blossomed between the two of them. We can’t wait to see what the Lord will do in the future".
A Duggar family blog post said that the journey to the heart is a "spiritual retreat, initially created for young people but now available for older adults, in which many of the Duggar kids have participated. The goal is to focus, for several days, on the Lord and to discover his Love in a deeper way." The courtship comes at a very exciting time for the Duggar family who will soon be welcoming a baby girl. Jinger Duggar is due to welcome her first child with husband Jeremy Vuolo.
