To make it easy to search this post, I have added a * before each episode title. On your PC, hit CONTROL and F to search. On your Mac, hit COMMAND and F. Then you can type in a * and see where each episode begins.
*Episode 1: A New Courtship
At Jessa and Ben’s house, they are packing for a trip to San Antonio to see Jinger and Jeremy. Ben says it’s a weird time of year, weather-wise; Jessa says it’s a weird time of year because she just had a baby and still has a pooch, so not everything fits. Right now, Henry is two months old. Note this, I’m going to talk about the timeline at the end. This is Jessa’s first trip to visit Jinger and Jeremy since they wed. She is very excited to see Jinger although they share lots of pictures and videos to keep up.
Jessa: Are you going to help mommy pack?
Spurgeon: No.
Henry wakes up, and he is adorable. Jessa wants them to meet Henry and spend time together. Jessa and Ben will fly, Jinger and Jeremy will drive. Jessa dresses Henry in 6 month old clothing. The pants Jessa picks for Henry don’t fit, so she puts him in PJs. Spurgeon slobbers on Ben, and the producers use that as a natural transition to a talking head of Jessa updating us on Spurge, lol. Everyone’s favorite little toddler is doing well, picking up words and getting into absolutely everything. He loves Henry (sometimes a little too roughly in the spirit of toddler boys) and Henry yells at his parents to PAY ATTENTION to him. They do, and talk about how he has an “intense” personality (read:fussy) and requires more attention than Spurgeon did as a baby. They manage to calm him down (by literally just passing him to Jessa). While Jessa feeds Henry, Ben is attempting to get the packing done, Spurgeon climbs on the table and attempts to begin unpacking. Luckily Ben rushes in to grab him. Jessa says two kids are easier when Jess and Ben are both together. Both boys fuss as they try to attempt to leave. “This is great! We’re gonna have a great time on the plane” Jessa snarks. “It’s a little bit stressful” They are happy most of the time, Jessa says. Packing with two kids is not so much different than packing with one; Jessa is still worried about travelling because they have two kids who are lap infants, which require a lot of wrangling. They drive to the airport, unload the car, and head to security.
In Laredo, Jinger and Jeremy still live in their apartment. They are packing and deciding how many books to bring. Jinger says they’re still newlyweds and they don’t have kids so they don’t mind being far from family. They rise early, Jeremy says; they like to get an early start on things. Jinger says the Duggars usually stayed up late and slept in more, so that’s been an adjustment. Packing for two is much easier than packing for the Duggars. They call it and head to the car. Jeremy is excited to go to San Antonio. He lived there for two years and that is where he met Jessa & Ben for the first time, which would eventually lead to him meeting Jinger.
At the main Duggar Compound, Christmas lights are still up. In the girls’ room, there is a A <3 J sign about the mirrors which I think USED to say sisters. Joy will now have the monologue all the courting/engaged girls have had while getting ready in a mirror. She is recently engaged and so excited about it. They show a flashback to the proposal. Joy says they now hold hands and put their arms around each other. They're saving their first kiss for their wedding day and they’re looking forward to it. Joy says they are two months out from the wedding [Again, remember this. For the timeline.] Miss Cindy, Michelle’s good friend who did Jinger’s wedding, will be coordinating Joy’s wedding. They get into the car to head over to Cross Church to start wedding planning. Joy says her only expectation is to get married and as long as that happens, she’ll be happy. Austin, in a TH, says the thing he wants most is for the gospel to be presented. For the reception, he wants to leave quickly for the sweet fellowship. Joy says she and Austin won’t stay around for very long after the ceremony.
Joy: Austin and I aren’t gonna stay very long.
Cindy: I can’t imagine why. I can’t imagine why you would want to hurry up and leave. Does that make any sense to you at all {to Michelle}?
[Michelle shakes her head and looks slightly uncomfortable with this topic]
They pull up to the church and meet Shelia who works at the church. They see the reception area and talk about the snack area--no dinner because they’re all about simple and that’s how previous weddings have gone. (dinner would further delay Joy and Austin. Remember, the goal of this wedding is to minimize the time between the ceremony and the sweet fellowship time.) There will be 1k-1,200 guests. She is having 12 bridesmaids and 12 groomsmen. Joy wants to be surprised by the wedding décor like Jinger was. Cindy has a lot of ideas. Cindy says Joy is a dream of a bride--not gonna lie, I could see it being totally fun for someone who plans weddings to get to surprise a bride with the décor and not having her nitpick everything. They joke about whether or not Joy will wear flip flops. Austin says he will probably cry when he sees Joy and even though he doesn’t want to admit it, he does cry every once in a while. There will be a grand piano. Joy is so excited now to get married.
Jeremy and Jinger are enjoying a relaxed ride to San Antonio. Meanwhile, the plane ride is not quite as peaceful. Henry is pretty good but Spurgeon is fussy, wiggly, and uncomfortable. He doesn’t want to stay still and he fusses and cries on the flight. Jessa says she is glad they have a backpack full of toys and books. This is the moment when they blur her legs. On first watch, it appears they’re blurring her knees but on my second view I noticed her skirt rides up past her knees when she grabs something and that is what they blurr. Still unnecessary, but it made more sense to me. In other plane shots, her knees are visible and unblurred so assume it was the extra skin she wanted covered. They have a lot of leg room so they must be in first class. All in all, it was a good flight and they made it.
In Central America, Israel is melting my heart with all the talking he’s doing. He has such a sweet little voice and he is so cute. Jill is giving him some peanut butter and he says “Thank you Mommy” and I DIE. Derick says they’re going to do a short stint in Central America this time due to Jill’s pregnancy. Israel adapts easily, Jill says. She is feeling good in the second trimester and she plans on monitoring things herself and she is a little concerned to be an hour and a half from the hospital. Jill talks about the dangerous environment. They have a security guard. Derick brings in propane and they make eggs.
In San Antonio, Jessa and Ben meet up with Jinger and Jeremy. They greet each other and talk about how they’ve missed each other. They head to a pizza place for lunch. Jinger says she hopes that because Spurgeon and Henry are close in age like Jessa and Jinger, they’ll be just as close.
Jeremy tries to show Spurgeon, a fussy toddler, a duck, and Spurgeon chucks his bottle at the duck. Jinger fishes the bottle out with an umbrella. They arrive at the pizza place and Jeremy says they do look forward to a family one day as well. San Antonio is where Ben and Jessa met Jeremy, and they relive the magical moment when Jessa and Ben were killing time in San Antonio. Ben called his buddy who was working but he said there were people from their church having pizza. Jeremy picked them up by the Alamo, they ate pizza and became fast friends. When they met Jeremy, he was wearing a cowl neck sweater which Jinger had told Jessa she really liked on a man. Jessa thought Jinger would like his style, and she told her sister all about him after they met. This is where it all began.
Next, the Seewalds and Vuolos get paletas, which are Mexican popsicles. They try many flavors. There’s a pickle one and the Duggars remind us that they love pickles and it’s a family thing. They end up ordering a bunch. They enjoy their treat heartily. Jeremy jokes about using his beard to save his food for later. Jeremy tries to convince them to move to Laredo with them. “You never know,” Jessa says, but probably not anytime soon. They stroll around the Alamo. This is where Jessa and Ben were picked up when they met Jeremy. The next time they’re all together, it will be at Joy’s wedding.
Back to Arkansas, Joe is gonna ask Kendra to court. Ben explains that courtship is dating with a purpose and it is a more serious and intentional relationship working towards marriage. They are going to a car auction and then he is taking her to the house where he was born. That’s where he will ask to start a new portion of life. Joe is getting a promise ring to be a little different than the traditional heart necklace. The Caldwells arrive and Joe lights up. They prepare to go check out the auction. Jana, James, Pastor Caldwell and Lauren are all going together. Kendra knows it’s coming, but Joe doesn’t think she knows it’s today. The house where he was born is no longer a house, it is a slab. John David says he does not think a car auction and a concrete slab is romantic. JD may have a point. They keep talking about cars. Joe is trying to hide his nerves. The producers keep asking Kendra about the auction. She puts a good face on what she clearly thinks is not a great date.
All the Duggars say kind words about Kendra. “sweet, happy, giggly,” Jessa says. “She’s so cute”
Joy says she and Kendra have been friends for 5 years and she will be a bridesmaid.
Joy says Joe and Kendra are a good match because Joe makes a lot of corny jokes and Kendra laughs at them. Excellent sass.
Joe and Kendra talk with James sitting in between them. They look…squished. lol
Joe is trying to be subtle and failing. Everyone is just following them around while he shows her the lot and talks about his memories. Jana start contributing and they show old 19KaC clips
There are a lot of good memories. Jana seems to be enjoying reminiscing and joking about the old house.
He asks saying that this is where he started his life and its where he will start his new season of life with her. Kendra says yes Joe gives Kendra the promise ring and she can’t stop smiling “That means we can hug!” Joe says he asked her dad. James brings over roses.
Kendra can sit in the middle, now, apparently. This is a guideline they established beforehand apparently. They write out a list of standards. they set a time limit of sidehugs- 3 seconds.
Joy is so happy to see them and she is happy Kendra will be closer. The Duggars are so excited when they come in. The guys are proud that a brother is finally entering into a relationship.
Everyone is excited. Kendra shows everyone the promise ring. “it’s a reminder we’re not looking around. I’m waiting for her.” JOE! Joe says the courtship will either be long or short. It will be just the right time, Kendra says
*Episode 2: Let them Eat Cake
In Arkansas, Joy and Austin are showing Jed their new home. It needs a lot of work but it’s in a good location and Austin plans on selling for a profit in the future. Austin said they brought Jed because they needed a chaperone and because he needed to know what he would be doing for the next month. They will open up the living and dining rooms. Joy is the first sister to own her own home, she notes, which is exciting. Austin says they’ll stay for around two years and hopefully have their first kid there (you will! Good prediction Austin!) The microwave is completely full of mold. Jed says he would have thought it would’ve been a nicer house for the price they paid. They’re adding another full bath to make it a 3 bed 2 bath home. Austin says they want the kitchen and master bedroom side of the house livable before the wedding- which means likely around 3 weeks. Jed doesn’t think this’ll happen.
Joe and Kendra are going on a date with Jackson and James. So far their courtship is going very well, they say. They load into Joe’s truck. They remind us they can sit next to each other now. Jessa seems very excited Joe is courting. They arrive at the park and get geared up for roller blading. Kendra says she has the same modesty standards as the Duggar girls. Kendra has only rollerbladed once but her mom said she looked like “a giraffe on wheels” so she is a little nervous going into it. Jackson brought a motorcycle helmet because he wanted to. James says he is a pro chaperone because he used to chaperone Jill and Derick and now is chaperoning Joe and Kendra. Jackson is a chaperone in training. They get up on the roller blades and start skating around the park. James says chaperones make sure they don’t hold hands or kiss. In a talking head, Jana says there is no age to be a chaperone, just maturity. Kendra does a pretty good job rollerblading for a beginner, the brothers do a good job. They remind us of the courtship rules including the “two side hugs a day” rule, with exceptions if something special happens. In a talking head, the Dillards say hand holding to help her up after she falls would be ok. Derick makes it weird by saying he would help her up slowly to hold her hand for longer. Kendra says she asked her parents about grabbing his arm to prevent her from falling. They said it’s fine as long as it's not his hand or wrapping her arms around him. Jessa says most of the married people before knew their spouse for ~2 years before marriage. The timelines are short, Jessa notes. Kendra starts rapidly gaining speed going down a hill, Jackson helps her stop. Joe says Jackson gets a 6/10 for chaperoning. He was there at least half the time. James is a pro.
Joy and Austin are testing wedding cakes. Austin likes to help wedding planning; Joy says she is indecisive. They look at a few past cake designs and neither of them are super decisive. They bring out a bunch of flavor samples for them to try. Josie is glad to get a chance to taste the cake.
Derick does not remember what his wedding cake really looked like.
Joy: weddings are overrated
Austin: Weddings are not overrated
Joy: wedding planning can be overrated
Austin: yeah, there you go
It will be a white cake with buttercream frosting. They’re looking forward to feeding each other cake on their wedding day
In Laredo, Jeremy’s coffee is too hot as they drive to a Mexican cooking class. He spills coffee on Jinger after guaranteeing it won’t spill on her. The class will take some Laredo favorites and add a healthy twist. They get bandanas and aprons. they start with chorizo. In a series of talking heads, we learn Jason’s beard is still a thing (also they ask the Duggars want chorizo is. They generally don’t know.) They’re making traditional chorizo with beef to make tacos. They put gloves on and it is time to mix it all up. Jeremy is not very confident in the kitchen. Jinger says she thinks Jeremy could make a meal for her. Jeremy says he feels like he’s on a cooking show. Jinger makes Thai, Indian, Mexican and American food. Couscous and butter chicken has been Jeremy’s favorite. They finish cooking, assemble the tacos and dig in. They enjoy how their dish came out.
Joy is at Jessa’s with most of the Duggar sisters. Henry is an absolute chunk. They’re going to look for bridesmaids’ dresses. Joy’s bridesmaids include Jana, Jill, Jinger, Jessa, Johanna, Jennifer and Anna. The dresses will be navy with slightly different fits on different girls. ¾ length sleeves. Jessa says all the bridesmaids’ dresses have gone differently. Jill’s required alterations by Jana. Jinger had her dresses custom made. Joy is doing the same color, slightly different cuts. Jill is the matron of honor. Jessa says Joy is not as into wedding planning as Jessa was and Joy is overwhelmed. Jessa is doing the groomsmen stuff to pitch in. Joy doesn’t like all the little details.
At the fixer upper, it’s demo day. Austin says this job solo would take 6 months. With help they can get a good chunk done in 25 days. If it doesn’t get done, they will stay in an apartment or the camper beside the house. They’re making good progress on the kitchen wall they’re taking down. The kitchen is mostly out and Austin is starting to see the problem in the house. The ceiling in the kitchen is one height and the living room ceiling is another height so combining the rooms may be tricky
Austin gives joy a package from Ms. Roxanne with a piece of her dress for Joy to incorporate into her dress
At Jessa and Ben’s house, Spurgeon is being so cute. Jessa gives him a piece of cheese. Henry is sleeping soundly. Jessa tries to get Spurgeon to eat green beans: Spurge replies beans “ew ew ew.” Spurgeon has figured out how to make his parents laugh, Ben says. Jessa says Henry will coo, sleep, eat and poo and that’s his general routine. Jessa takes Henry to get him ready for bed while Ben takes care of Spurgeon. Spurgeon and Ben like to wrestle on the rug and it is literally so cute. Ben says working together as a team is essential with two kids. They also focus on taking care of each other.
The last few minutes take place in Central America. Jill and Derick seem to be filming themselves. They use her Doppler to check Samuel’s heartbeat. They let Israel listen to his heartbeat as well. Everything looks good, Jill says.
Back in Arkansas, Joy’s bridesmaids dresses have arrived. They pass them around. Jinger says she is sad to be missing out on being in the middle of everything. Kendra’s dress fits
Sierra, the Query girl whose name I forget, Johannah, and all get their dresses on. They manage to call Jill and Israel to show her the dress. Jessa models the dress for Jill and everyone likes it. Jana says it’s crazy that Joy is getting ready to get married. Joy says they all look amazing and Joy is excited to see them on the wedding day.
*Episode 3: Finding Joy’s Dress
We are at the main Duggar house. Joy is getting everyone packed up for a trip to go to Renee’s Bridal. There are five dresses that Joy will play with to make her look. She is bringing Jana, her mom, her grandma, all the little girls and Jinger will meet them there. Joy really doesn’t have an idea of what she is really wanting. Joy doesn’t know what shoes she will wear but they will be flats. The producers are sassing Joy for being indecisive which is kinda fair. ”I wasn’t the type to dream about that stuff" Joy says. They show Joy has a younger climbing a rock wall and playing with her brothers. They finish up packing.
It’s 30 minutes to go to time at Jessa and Ben’s house. Jessa says she feels like she just packed for San Antonio so it’s pretty easy. Sleepy Spurg bumps his head on the changing table and scares him for a minute, poor little guy. He calms down pretty quickly, though. Ben is coming along to keep the boys while Jessa gets to go dress shopping.
At the main duggar house, some sleepy Duggars are trying to get out the door. They have 10 minutes and Joy starts making eggs. Joy: “Um, Duggar time is- we’re always late…. Yeah, it’s really bad.” They manage to get out the house and fly to Kentucky. Jinger is meeting up with them at their layover. It is Jeremy’s first night without Jinger. “And you’ll survive ok without her?” The producers ask. “I think I’ll survive ok.” He will miss her though.
Austin is at his and Joy’s with a contractor getting work done. Putting the beam up to open up the layout is today’s task. They are also gonna vault the ceilings based on Austin’s moms suggestion. Mr. Dwayne is there to help Austin. He is a long time friend of Joy and Austin. Austin is excited for the wedding. Jed arrives and it's time to work. He has no faith the house will be done before the wedding. They open up the ceilings and are ready to get the beam in place. None of the Duggar know what a laminated beam or a "lam beam” is, which is the one Austin is putting in. Jessa guesses right because she watches Fixer Upper but it's when they put in a beam to take out a wall and support the weight of the roof. They start installing the beam, Austin says it would be bad if they do not install the beam properly. Joy hopes it will be done when they’re married.
In Mount Sterling, KY the Duggars arrive at Ms Renee’s place. They stop for lunch next door first and they all hang out and talk about dresses. Joy doesn’t know what she wants, but it’s not anything like her sisters’ dresses. Joy wants this to go quickly. Michelle and Mary give Joy a piece of their dress; she shows them the piece of Mrs. Forsyth’s dress. They call Austin to check in before they go in. Michelle jokes they should tell him she picked out a hot pink wedding dress. Austin shows her the vaulted ceilings, she loves them. They say goodbye and it’s time to go into the shop.
Inside of Renee’s shop, Renee greets the Duggars. She shows them six dresses for Joy to try on. Right away Joy thinks some won’t work. Austin says all he wants is for her to have a dress to come towards him on their wedding day. Joy is a bit stressed and she doesn’t know which one she wants to try first.
Meanwhile, Ben is taking the boys to the park. They blow bubbles and Spurgeon tries to just stick the bubble wand in his mouth. Henry has eaten and naps peacefully. Spurgeon goes down the slide with a big smile at the end. Ben says Spurgeon loves slides and could spend half an hour on the slide alone. He says “again” and goes on the slide. As time goes on, Spurge starts getting fussy. It’s nap time and Ben departs the park. Ben says watching two kids is quite a task.
At the wedding dress shop, Jana reminds us that they dress modestly. They try to describe Joy’s style. “simple, comfy, barefoot, nicely” are said. Joy comes out in an all lace, sheath, small train, with a nude underlay. It’s too fitted for Austin, Joy says. Joy doesn’t love it though. She looks really good in the dress. It’s very flattering.
Joy is having trouble picturing it and Jessa offers to do her hair. They try a headband around her forehead which Austin has said he likes. Joy calls Austin as well and talks to him about her indecision and stress. Austin has helped Joy calm down and encourages her. Her hair done and her spirit bolstered, she put on dress number 2, which has polka dots. A line, white, no lace, polka dots and ¾ length sleeves. She likes the cut and the style but not the polka dots. They talk about how the skirt lays, as well.
They ask the guys what A line means. They don’t really know. John David doesn’t care
Dress 3 is A line again, all lace with long lace sleeves. Joy feels better in this one, but she is getting stressed again. It’s not as easy as she hoped it would be.
Meanwhile, back in Arkansas, the guys are going skeet shooting. Skeet shooting is a sport where men fire guns at clay targets that are launched in the air by machines. They go five guys at a time and they find out who is the best guy on the team. Austin says that guys are competitive. Pastor Caldwell is there and Joe is glad to spend time with him. Pastor Caldwell makes the inevitable joke about being a dad with a shotgun. They play a knockout game to see who hits the target first. Jim Bob knocks out Austin. Jim Bob: I hope this doesn’t impact our father/son-in-law relationship. Austin: You can make it up. They ask Joe and Austin if they’ve had any missteps with their father in laws. Austin says they’ve stayed up too late talking and hugged more than 3 seconds. All in all, this was a good time, the guys conclude.
In Central America, it’s Israel’s second birthday! They measure him because apparently if you double your height at 2 you get your adult height. Iz is 37in so that would make him 6ft2in as an adult. Derick and his father and his father were all 6ft2. They start cooking Israel’s birthday cake and he is pumped for cake. He gets an OSU orange cake. They sing to him and he blows out the candle. The Duggars are unable to video chat with the Dillards due to spotty internet service. He eats a piece and he enjoys his birthday cake. Overall, Jill says, it’s a happy birthday for Israel.
Alright, we are back in the bridal salon. Joy tries on dress number four and Joy still isn’t sure.
While Joy is trying on a dress, Grandma starts asking questions about dress number 2 and she sees one across the room. Grandma thinks Joy might like. The top is revealing so Renee cuts the top off another dress and on the dress Grandma saw. Everyone is blown away, the skirt is just what Joy wanted. It’s perfect, except she wants ¾ sleeves, Renee says that’s easy. They put a veil on Joy.
Joy passes on her swatches to add to the inside of the skirt. Joy is thrilled to be done, but now it’s time to share with Joy how much she means to them, fulfilling Duggar tradition. Michelle goes first and talks about how she has lived up to her name. Then Jinger talks about how Joy has become an example to them and how marriage is the best. Jana says each person adds something to the family and when they leave that’s missing. Jana makes Joy cry by talking about how fast it all has gone. From Joy being so young and building forts and now she’s here. Poor sweet Jenni just breaks down. She just goes and hugs Joy. That makes both Joy and Jana starts crying as well. Grandma reassures Jenni that Joy isn’t going as far as Jinger did. It’s gonna be different, Joy says. Joy is glad they will be staying close and she says she is so glad this is Jenni’s first time getting to be a bridesmaid.
*Episode 4: Joy and Austin’s Camping Trip
The episode opens 2 ½ weeks out to Joy’s wedding. Joy and Kendra are going to the salon to try hairstyles for the wedding. Kendra is one of Joy’s bridesmaids and also a potential future sister in law. Two months into their courtship, Joe and Kendra are very happy being together. It is 16 days from the wedding. Joy says they met around 15 years ago and Joy liked him from the beginning and he became interested a little more than a year ago. The hairstylist asks about their first date; Joy says it was in August 2016. Kendra tells her hairstylist about Joe. Joy’s hair stylist asks about the dress and Joy reminds us about the shopping experience last week. Joy says she isn’t sure if she will do an updo but wants to try one out. Kendra says she hasn’t had her hair done in a salon like this before and enjoys it. Kendra says its special to spend time together now that they’re both busy in relationships. They add the forehead band and I really like it. Joy looks really nice and unique in this style- I wish she had chosen it for her wedding style!
Jodi ( this is how I’m spelling it, it’s probably wrong) comes and does their makeup. He puts lashes on Joy. She says she thinks Austin will think it’s a little too much so she will wear less on her wedding day, she thinks. With Kendra, he does a bolder lip color and Kendra agrees to try it, even though it’s a new thing. Jodi: “It’s kinda good to get outside the box!” Kendra: “yeah, I’m pretty much an in the box kind of person so this is good for me.” They try new things and I think that is good. Both have fun and have better ideas about what they might do for the wedding.
In Central America, Israel is running around. Jill says Israel adapts easily and remembers his old bedroom. There’s an amazing scene where he has made a “cave” aka a blanket fort which is adorable. He plays on the playground and he is so excited to see cows around. They play on the basketball court. Jill says Israel’s favorite part of the day is anything that involves food. They make banana bread for their friends together. Jill and Derick hope all this adaptation will help when Samuel arrives.
At Joy and Austin’s house, it is day 6 of construction. They’re putting up rafters for the vaulted ceilings in the master bedroom. Jed is helping and Joy arrives to see how it is coming along. They are finishing up the makeshift wall holding the lam beam up in order to put the beam up and have a symmetrical ceiling. Joy is nervous that this might not go well. While Austin says it likely won’t be done in 2 weeks, but he hopes to have a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom done. Jeremy says they would not have handled that situation as well because Jeremy is not a “fixer upper” kind of guy, whereas this is Austin’s expertise. Jessa says their house was renovated before their wedding but because it’s a rental it wasn’t their job. Jessa said this must be pretty stressful. If it doesn’t get done, they will stay in a camper or an apartment or one of the finished rooms.
Joy is rallying the Duggars to pack for the camping trip for the bachelor(ette) weekend. They’re going to kayak and raft, cook out and sleep in tents and hammocks. Almost 20 people are coming along for the trip. Joy says they can’t bring their RVs. Joy has never actually been camping but Austin talks about legitimate (no RVs, not in the backyard) camping all the time and Joy wants to try it. Jessa and Ben aren’t going and they say they’re sad but they totally are not sad because they have two children. Jinger and Jeremy are not the camping type. Joy keeps telling them not to cheat- no makeup, no electricity.
In Laredo, Jeremy and Jinger are shopping for platters for Joy’s rehearsal dinner. She is serving fajitas. 80-100 people will be at the dinner which is pretty small for the rehearsal dinner. Jinger thinks adding some bright and colorful dishes will add some flair to the rehearsal dinner. Jeremy says on the actual night Joy won’t even notice the dishes, she’ll be too infatuated with Austin. Jinger is worried while shopping that Jeremy will break dishes because he is not being super gentle. But he is an athlete and “really quick with his hands.” They get bowls for ice cream, 8 medium dishes for fajita ingredients, 3 large chip bowls and two platters for tortillas. Jinger thinks that Joy will love the dishes and be able to use them in the future. The finish up and head off.
It is morning, and Joy is preparing for the camping trip. They have breakfast and prepare. The Caldwells arrive- Pastor, Kendra and Lauren- and Kendra says she really enjoys outdoorsy stuff like camping. They go get Austin and then they will head to the campsite. At the Forsyth's house, Austin unpacks his truck and loads up camping gear. Austin is worried about temperature.
Austin: “It’s gonna be cold. I hope that I don’t flip, but I think someone will and I get to watch.” We get flashbacks to all previous Bachelor/Bachelorette parties: Jessa & Ben’s football game & cookout, Jeremy’s golf outing and Jinger’s jewelry making. Joy: "Most people go do drinking and dancing, or whatever else, I don’t even know.” The Duggars don’t really do that, in case you didn’t know.
They arrive at the kayak rental place. Austin has been to this river before and is comfortable going down it in a kayak. They have a few minutes of instruction from the rental place. Everyone is worried about falling into the cold water. They launch and will take turns switching between kayaks and rafts. They head down the river and this looks pretty fun. Austin flips on the first rapid and says the water is really cool. Joy is worried at first but he’s fine. When Joy gets in the kayak, she picks it up really quickly. She flips while hanging near a raft and ends up deciding to get in the raft. Despite the cold, some brave friends jump from the rope swing into the water. They try to convince Jana to do it, but she gracefully declines. Joy and a friend both jump in. Kendra doesn’t do the rope swing; Joe says he fell in earlier so he was good. Austin says this trip was special and they’ll remember it forever.
Jessa and Ben go shopping with Jackson and Tyler to find something for Spurgeon and Henry to wear to Joy’s wedding. Tyler, Jessa explains, is their cousin. His mom was in a bit of a tough situation, he needed a place to go, and so the Duggars have legal guardianship of him. They’re at a thrift shop to save money. Spurgeon is a little fussy and rambunctious during the shopping trip. Jessa comes across stick horses and gets really sweetly excited and nostalgic about her childhood games with her siblings. Ben is worried the stick horses won’t fit in the van and he is worried about how clean they are. Ben informs us that when there’s disagreement, you should be patient and pick your battles. They get the stick horses and rocking horses as well.
Back at the camping trip, they start setting up to sleep that evening. Joe and Kendra set up a tent together for the girls to sleep in (this totally seems like one of those “couple things to do before marriage” like in my family we often joke about assembling ikea furniture together because if you can survive that, you can survive anything.) Laura D and Jana set up their tent and see a giant spider. “At least it’s not a bear” says sassy Jana. They can’t set the hammocks up on certain trees because they have a lot of poison ivy. They end up use the tucks to hook onto. Joy: “In a couple weeks it’s cool to think that we won’t have to sleep in separate hammocks.” They light a campfire and gather around to hang out. Jana says she is happy for Joy but sad to lose Joy. It’s gonna be hard to let her go.
Laura D, the wedding coordinator, has a game prepared for Joy & Austin. It is the shoe game, which I think is relatively common because I’ve seen it played before. They take of their shoes and exchange one so they end up with one of their own shoes and one of their partners. Then Laura asks questions and they raise the shoe of the person they think best answers the question.
Austin is older, Joy has more siblings. These are the warmups. Who was the most diligent student? Joy, they agree. Austin says Joy is the smartest, Joy says Austin is. Joy is more likely to run late, they agree. Both say the other for who’s better looking. Joy said I love you first, in front of her parents. He cried and said I love you too. Austin wears the pants, they agree. Joy says they’ll both cook, Austin says Joy will. Austin is the most likely to wake up grumpy, they agree. Joy has the smelliest feet, they agree. They conclude saying they love each other more than everyone in the world.
The next morning, no one is well rested. It was cold and uncomfortable, Austin says. Austin goes to Joy’s hammock where she is waking up and says her feet are ice cold. Austin touches her feet and says “How did you sleep like that?” They make breakfast. Jana says there were five girls in the tent and they were cold. They pack up camp and everyone agrees that this camping trip was a great idea. They’re closer to the big day, Austin says, and it’s a relief to be getting closer.
*Episode 5: Tomboy Joy
Jessa arrives at the main house with her kids. Jenni grabs Spurgeon right away, Henry is all smiles. Jana and Jessa want to do something special for Joy’s wedding. Jessa wants to do a play on “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” as a gift idea. Jessa says she can do something borrowed from the duplicate gifts she got from her wedding so she can share those. The boys can do something old in the storage units, Jana says they can customize new hardhats and Jinger can do something blue. They Skype Jinger and tell her the plan and she agrees to do something blue. This will be fun, Jessa promises.
In Laredo, Jinger begins working on her something blue. She spray paints a tin bin blue and says she is reminiscing about Joy as a kid. She often had a blue mouth from lollipops, Jinger says, and flashbacks show us that this is true. They called her Joy Joy, Joseph said, because she brought Joy. Jill says her earliest memories together are falling asleep holding Joy on the couch and dressing her as a toddler. Jessa says she is so happy, used to be a tomboy. Joy is between two brothers and above and a bunch below. They show her playing with the boys, sledding on old signs, and Joy says she only fought once over the school computers but she felt guilty and apologizes. Joy was not the girly-girl like the other sisters, Jer says. As she got older she started hanging out with the girls more. They show Joy, Jason, Jessa and Ben working out before Jessa’s wedding by pushing the truck. Jeremy talks about when he first met Joy. They show her spraying them in the bumper boats. Jinger got one red thing- an Austin shirt, and a bunch of small blue stuff to put in her bin. Little fun things like candy, lotion, a candle, sunglasses.
Jessa is putting together her part of the gift now, putting together some cooking stuff she hasn’t been using, a Mrs. Forsyth apron. Jessa says Joy enjoys cooking and making things from scratch, unlike her. Jessa says when Joy and Austin get married, they’ll spend a lot of time working together but Joy will be excited to set up her kitchen. Jessa includes a fire retardant, just in case. Jill says she hasn’t had a big disaster in her kitchen, Jana accidentally melted a plastic bowl in the oven, Jessa talks about baking the owners manual, the boys mention burnt popcorn. Jessa also includes a recipe box full of the family recipes- rolls, chicken and couscous, and beef and cabbage stew which causes “rumbles” as Jessa puts it. Jessa says time has flown by. They talk about homeschooling, show Joy, Jed and Jer’s graduation. They show that Joy took over the jurisdiction assignments after Jessa got married. Joy says she has a good relationship with the little kids and she hopes they look up to her. They show her trying to teach the littles a new song. They show her making pickles with Jill and their buddy team. Joy says she took over when Jill got married. Joy says her mom is pretty calm except for teaching her to drive. Jill says when she got her driver's license, Joy was the first person she took anywhere- to the drive though, which is actually a story I didn’t know and is sweet. They show John letting Joy take the controls of a plane and trying to show her how to fly. She yells a few times- John says Joy would still make a great pilot. Joy says she still wants her pilot's license. They show Joy and Sierra planning parties-for Kristen’s baby shower and getting everything set up. Jessa’s gift is wrapped up and ready for Joy.
The boys are doing something old, and they look in the shed for something. They’re not too sure what to pick. They find an old camping grill, they think that Joy & Austin will like it because Austin loves the outdoors. Austin and Joy met when she was 5 and he was 8. They show the Forsyths, say he was homeschooled, Austin says his father is the hardest working man he knew. Joy says about 5 years ago, when Austin got his license, they would come over to play football. Austin and his sister would drive four wheelers around very fast and which scared Jinger. Austin says he wanted more siblings so he enjoyed hanging out with the Duggars. Joy says she didn’t like Austin when they were young and immature. They show Ben & Derick taking Austin to the trampoline park to bond with Austin showing both of them up. Joy says Austin has an adventurous spirit. The guys try the grill- Josiah helpfully brings a fire extinguisher over- and the twins try to figure out how to start the grill. They figure it out and it actually works nicely. They decide the grill is it. The twins say it is exciting and a little sad that they’re getting married so soon.
Jana is working on something new with Jordyn and Josie. They have white hard hats because they flip houses together. Jessa says they should put Mr and Mrs on the helmets. Jana tries out a blocky, bold font for “Mr.” and a script for “Mrs”. In a talking head, Austin says he realized he liked Joy was when he was in flight school. Joy says for her, it was when Austin came over for volleyball and shared his testimony. Austin said he never really thought about it growing up but he was a fool not to have his eyes open looking at her. They show a flashback to him asking her to court. They show the triple date Joy and Austin went on with Derick & Jill and Jessa & Ben. Back at the Duggar compound. Jana freehand writes on the helmets and like everything Jana does, they look amazing. They remind us about Austin’s Five House challenge and show Joy and Austin and Terry working together. They show us Austin asking Jim Bob for Joy’s hand in marriage. Then they show a flashback to the proposal. She says yes. Jana has finished her work on the helmets and then all the siblings come and sign the helmet. Joy says she can’t believe she’s getting married, but is a little nervous and Austin says he is excited to do life with his best friend and start a family with her.
*Episode 6: Joy and Austin Tie the Knot!
Joy and Austin are four days away from their wedding and Jill and Derick are coming home just in time. they are excited that they are there and all together. Jill holds Henry and comments on how huge he is (he is such a chunk!) and talks about how excited she is for Sam. Joy says this the kickoff to the wedding weekend and it’s all gonna be up from here.
Miss Renee comes for the final dress fitting. Everyone is excited to see her in the dress and Joy says Renee has been working hard to get it done in time. Kendra, Jana, Michelle and Jill are there and excited to see the finished dress. Joy is happy and everyone gushes. Renee says they can add more lace to the sleeves but Joy likes the simplicity of it. Kendra is beaming and they started joking that Kendra is next (she is!) and Kendra thinks that marriage is probably coming. Joy was radiant, Renee says. Joy says she hopes Austin will think she’s pretty when he sees her- she thinks he will probably cry. Next up is the rehearsal dinner, Joy says.
But first, it’s time for Joe to go pick up Kendra and her sister Lauren to go the dinner at Jessa & Ben’s. Joe is excited to spend time in a smaller group and he thinks it will be fun. At Jessa and Ben’s, Jessa is excited to have them over together. Joe is looking forward to marriage, seeing Jessa and Ben cozy in their little house together, which honestly is sweet. Jessa asks how being official makes it feel different. Joe says it's nice to be out in the open now that they know each other better. Joe says they’ve known each other for five to six years. Jessa says she and Ben had only known each other for four months before courtship; Ben chimes in and says they’ve known each other longer all together than Jessa and Ben have. Kendra says Joe noticed her first and when he brought it up and she hadn’t considered it but they starting talking and she really liked him. Joe says he doesn’t want to drag their courtship out super long. Even before courtship, Joe says he felt like the Lord told him that she was the one. Lauren Caldwell says she’s cried and they’ve always been best friends and it’s gonna be hard for her to leave. Joe says they know they’re heading towards marriage and he is getting ready to ask her to marry him.
After months of planning, Joy is happy to be in the home stretch. Their house is still torn apart and it needs a lot of work. Joy says they’ll just keep working on it after their honeymoon. Austin said he wanted the master bedroom and kitchen done but that’s not gonna happen at this point. They have a camper parked outside the house. Austin says a month, Joy says probably two. Joy says they can make a home anywhere, as long as they’ve got looove.
Meanwhile, Joe is asking Pastor Caldwell for Kendra’s hand. He is nervous. He stumbles through it a little but manages to spit it out: “to ask for your permission to ask her if it would be alright to marry her” [Joe:“Is it alright if I marry you?” Kendra: “Totally”’] Pastor Caldwell tries to keep a straight face but totally smiles a little and does the Jim Bob “well, it’s a big step.” They show the flashbacks to Derick, Ben, Jeremy and Austin asking Jim Bob. Pastor Caldwell says he knew it was going in this direction and gives his permission and tells Joe he has a good attitude. Joe tells him that his idea is at the wedding, Joy will hand the bouquet to Kendra and then Joe would propose. They don’t think she will be expecting it at all. Joy says she think this is a great idea and she is happy he asked. The Duggars are all excited about this and think they are an excellent match.
The Duggars and Miss Cindy are gathering the hay for the wedding stage. Joe, Jed, Jer, Jason, James, Kendra and Lauren are on the wedding decorating crew. They’re gonna cut sage grass. “She’s a beautiful Godly girl running barefoot through an open field of flowers.” Austin said about Joy and wanted to bring the outdoors in. They cut a bunch of grass. Joe says he thinks Kendra doesn’t know. She keeps teasing Joe the whole time which is cute. They load everything up as quickly as possible due to light rain. They head to the church.
At the airport, Jinger and Jeremy arrive in Arkansas. They go drop off their dishes at the venue. Linda, the caterer, is happy to see them and they show her the plates. She’s a family friend and has catered every wedding. Jessa is glad that they’re back in Arkansas.
Meanwhile, the twins have run out of gas on the highway with all the wedding decorations. Miss Cindy is stressed about the flowers at the church needing water. They quickly get a little gas-enough to get them to a gas station. Jed apparently is responsible for both forgetting buckets for Jinger’s wedding and for not stopping for gas at the previous exit.
Jana and Laura have come in to save the flowers. The truck, now an hour late, pulls up to the church. The team unloads the trailer while Cindy goes to check on the flowers. She thanks Jana and Laura for their efforts. They unload the trucks and call it a day. Tomorrow is the rehearsal.
It’s the day of the rehearsal and Jinger and Jeremy arrive at the compound. the siblings are presenting Joy and Austin with their gift they made last episode. They give Austin the old camping stove. Jana gives the “something new”- the matching hardhats that everyone signed. Something borrowed is the family recipes and cooking supplies from Jessa. She added a smoke detector. Jessa says if they ever have her over to cook, they’ll need it for sure. Jinger gives the something blue- blue manicure set, mexican candy, candles, etc. They thank the siblings for the gifts. Jana says she is excited for Joy and Austin but she will miss her.
At the church, the decorations are coming together. It is the first time Joy and Austin will get to see it. They walk in and take it all in. They say they love it and it's creative. They like the outdoorsy feel. On stage, Kendra and Joe and standing marking the spots where Austin and Joy will stand. They say it feels like an eternity apart. Joy says they’re gonna have to stand closer. Joe is so excited that it will be them soon because he’s proposing tomorrow. First, Laura sets everyone up on the stage They practice walking in and the couples reminisce about their rehearsals. Joy says it’s crazy that this is her last day as a Duggar and Joy and Austin are eager to finally kiss. They practice walking out.
They get to eat and they see Jinger’s dishes which they love. Terry Forsyth gets to talk for a little, then Jill gets to talk about her relationship with Joy. Austin looks emotional at the end which is sweet. Then it’s Bobby’s turn to talk about how he met Austin and it’s funny and sweet as well. All in all good speeches.
The next day, Joy is excited to get married. They show her and Austin leaving their houses and heading to the church. Then Austin gets out of his truck with a bunch of suits in his arms. He walks in and meets Laura, the wedding coordinator who asks how he’s doing and says she has the rings. He asks about the Marriage Certificate, it is onstage and ready to go, she says.
Joy arrives with Johannah. Joy walks in and sees Austin, hugs him and says she loves him and missed him. Austin says he would be more nervous if he didn’t get to see her. They go pray together and then Joy heads to the bridal suite- which she says is surreal that this is her day. Renee is there with Joy’s gown, as well. Jinger remembers her wedding and having her sisters at her side. Jill says Joy shouldn’t run around like a chicken with her head cut off. Jessa says she wasn’t stressed because she had so many helpers. Jessa tries the headband on Joy’s forehead and she says she doesn’t really like it. Joy says she hopes to figure it out before she walks down the aisle. Jessa says this was the only stressful moment. Joy isn’t sure about a veil; Jessa says it’s now or never.
In the groom's room, Austin is getting dressed and he is more nervous as time goes on. John David says he is a groomsmen because they are such good friends. Austin says once he is in his suit, the temperature in the room goes up 100 degrees.
Joy comes over to see Austin. She asks him if he likes her hair like that or if she should change it. She says he looks handsome. He says she should do it how she likes it and asks about a veil. She asks if he thinks she should and he says it’s really up to her. Laura comes over to get Joy and Austin calls her a “fiesta pooper.” They hug and joy goes to put her dress on and Kendra goes over to see Joe. He is still in a t-shirt and jeans. Kendra is in her bridesmaid’s dress with her hair all fixed. Joe compliments Kendra’s hair and touches the end of it. Kendra asks what Joe will wear- grey suit with a navy tie. While talking, they see Pastor Caldwell and walk over to say hi. Joe is nervous but trying to keep it together.
Back in the bridal suite, Joy kicks out everyone but Michelle and Renee to get her gown on. The bridesmaids gather around for the reveal. They are so excited to see her in the gown. She does look nice here, but her hair is starting to fall out of the waves. Jessa says it is crazy seeing Joy in her wedding dress. The bridesmaids all agree she should wear a veil. Jana says it finished out the look. Jenni comes and gives Joy a huge hug. Jim Bob does his usual canned wedding reaction and is in his usual grey wedding suit. They hug and cry a little.
It’s first look time. Austin says they decided to this because he says he would have lost it if he saw her for the first time coming down the aisle. She walks up the aisle while he is looking the other way and she says he can turn and look at her. He has a huge smile on his face and he takes her by the hands. He says she is so beautiful and she smells so good as well! On the wedding stage, Austin gives Joy a shadow box with a letter he wrote for Joy and all the flowers (dried) that he has given her over the course of their relationship. They take some photos together but it is time to separate again for the ceremony to begin.
Laura tells the groomsmen two minutes and they pray together, and then the groomsmen get in their places. One Groomsmen jokingly tells Austin loose knees so he won’t lock his knees and pass out on stage.
This is cut with Joy and the bridesmaids heading down to their places. They all embrace because Joy says there won’t be time afterward. Jenni gets upset at this point; Joy says she did the same at all her sister’s weddings. Joy talks to her for a minute but then it is time for the ceremony to begin. Joy is finally nervous. She tells Jim Bob not to make her cry. She looks into the church and she is amazed at the sun through the windows hits everything perfectly.
It’s aisle time. The bridesmaids and groomsmen make their way down the aisle. Joy says she hopes she won’t pass out; Austin tells Pastor Caldwell to catch him if necessary. Jill walks down the aisle alone as MOH. Austin comes down with Michelle and his mom and his dad following behind. It’s time for Joy’s big walk. Austin gets teary eyed as she comes in. Jessa says she always looks for the grooms reaction when the bride walks in, and Austin’s face was priceless. Jim Bob gives Joy away and Austin helps her up the stairs.
The wedding ceremony is about how you would expect. Austin says this is the moment they have been waiting for for their entire lives. Pastor Caldwell talks about how marriage is a covenant. They say they understand the weight and Austin takes their vows out of his pocket. They read vows & exchange rings. Pastor signs the marriage certificate and Joy & Austin sign their vows. Joy says, “I can put my name now, can’t I” and Austin says “Joy Forsyth? Yeah” and Joy gets the nicest smile on her face. They pray with their parents. Pastor: You ready? Joy: For what? (wiggles her eyebrow at Austin, he grins) Pastor Caldwell pronounces them husband and wife. Joy & Austin both loudly clear their throats which is cute and they have the first kiss. They try to leave, but Pastor Caldwell stops them and says: “I’ve got one more thing to say, Pastors are never done” which is funny and then says “For the very first time, Mr & Mrs. Austin Martyn Forsyth” and Joy whoops and they run off. There is a surprise confetti drop and Joy says “What was that? oh my cow” which is also great.
The rest of the wedding party processes out. Everyone like the confetti cannon, Jessa said it was in everyone’s hair. Joy says the first kiss was amazing and Austin did a good job putting his hand up and it felt very natural. But now it’s reception time.
The best man comes out and introduces Mr & Mrs Forsyth for the second time. They thank everyone for coming. They cut the cake with lots of laughter, “We’re not gonna get each other dirty, right?” Joy says and kiss again after feeding each other cake to lots of cheering.
Now it time for the bouquet toss, proposal. Joy spends a minute getting everyone in place. Jana brings Kendra to the front with her. Joy says she teased Joe before the wedding and he says he was very nervous. Joy says “Y’all ready” and pretend to throw it but instead turns and hands it to Kendra. Kendra is surprised but seems to think this is just a sweet gesture until Joe comes forward. Kendra was shocked and pretty excited as Joe puts the ring on her finger. Kendra says it felt like the whole world stopped for a second- Joe says Kendra didn’t hear him but she saw the ring. Kendra says she didn’t hear him but she assumed, and Joe says he didn’t hear her say yes. Austin comes over with a helpful “no kissing” tease.
Jessa is glad to have a Duggar brother finally getting engaged and planning a wedding. Josiah says another one bites the dust and he has broken the streak of sisters getting married. The twins says it won’t be too long until they walk down the aisle. Jinger says the weddings are coming pretty fast and she’s gotten to see her family more than she expected. Austin and Joy bring Joe and Kendra up on stage and announce the news. Joy says they should make the most of every moment. Joe says they are wedding day bound. He says he can’t wait to marry the wife of his dreams.
They ask Joy to describe the word in one say and she says epic, he says super special. He teases her and tell her hers is a fad word and it’s going away. “I’m keeping it in. EPIC” she says.
They head out in their truck. In the talking head, Joy tries to kiss Austin and he teasing pulls away. She says “I’ll just tackle you down and kiss you” Joy says up next is their honeymoon to Switzerland. They show their rings to the camera and say “We’re Married!”
*Episode 7: Joseph’s Wedding
In Arkansas, at the Caldwell Home, Kendra and Lauren are washing their faces together and talking about how they always get ready together. Kendra is looking forward to the first kiss and says they’ve decided that Joe will be the one who does it. She is nervous about the little details when she’s never done it before. Kendra and her entourage pack up and get ready to head to the church. Right now they’re good on schedule, Kendra says.
At the Duggar house, Joe is still at home putting letters for each of his siblings thanking them for their influence in their life. Joe, you sweetheart. Joe says it’s gonna be a good change.
At the Church, Cindy is stressed about the wedding. She compliments Jer’s design on the cross. Cindy says she doesn’t know the bride as well as the Duggar girls but she tried to make sure she feels as honored as the Duggar girls. Jer says greenery has become his job across 3 weddings. He was accidentally creative he says. Cindy is stressed the flower she order were accidentally shipped 3 hours away and have not arrived yet.
Kendra pulls up to the church with a huge grin on her face. Laura greets her and she goes to being getting ready. Kendra greets Jinger and she and Lauren talk makeup. She then greets Jill and Michelle. Kendra says she gets stage fright but with Joe there it will be alright.
Joe arrives and is excited for the kiss. Jessa is helping getting the guys together. Pastor Caldwell doesn’t have a shirt. Joe doesn’t have the right color belt. Joe also injured himself playing broomball. Joe puts on his socks and his vest. The Duggar guys are excited for their brother. Jason says 3 weddings in less than a year is not the standard rate for the Duggars. Joe pretends Jana sticks him with the boutonniere and Cindy does the rest. Justin says this is his first time as a groomsman. He is glad Joe will be nearby.
In the Bridal suite, Kendra is having her hair done. Kendra’s mother looks so young! But she says Joe and Kendra complete each other and she can’t believe the day has come. Joy says it's crazy that they’re having another wedding already.
The flowers haven’t come but Cindy is using what she has and she thinks Kendra won’t have to know.
They guys line up for a photo-they’re missing Jed who runs up at the last minute. They take lots of pictures.
Kendra gets her dress on and Pastor Caldwell waits to see her for the first time. He is emotional as she comes out to meet him. She laughs and shows him the ruffle all along the bottom of her dress from her mom’s dress. She gives him a picture and a card. The Caldwells are all emotional and it’s very sweet. Kendra says this is the best day of her life but its very emotional too. Pastor says she looks like her mom. Kendra follows Laura out to take pictures.
Jana puts makeup up on Joe’s injury. Jana jokes that it probably wasn’t the best idea to play broomball right before the wedding. The makeup helps. Joe is so excited to get married.
Kendra shows everyone her dress in the church and they all compliment her. They take a bunch of bridesmaids photos.
Jim Bob and Michelle spend a few moments with Joe and tell him don’t go to sleep angry, speak kind words to one another and cherish her and treat her with the utmost respect and speak words of affirmation and encouragement to her. Jim Bob says to always thank her, praise her and always communicate how much you love and cherish her everyday. Unlike the daughters, today is not bittersweet, it’s all sweet. Kendra is gorgeous and godly and Jim Bob is glad she will be a Duggar.
Jer sets up his cross behind the altar and it’s time to start seating people.
In the bridal suite, they’re sewing the ruffle from Kendra’s mom’s dress back on in order to ensure it will stay on. Jana to the rescue! She brought her sewing machine and sewed it on quick.
Joe comes into the groom's room and is playfully teased by his brothers. Joe says he is a little nervous but he knows she is the one and he is excited to kiss her and that they saved that for marriage. Josiah says he is going to take over Joe’s bunk. James is napping. Jim Bob comes in and calls them all together to pray and then line up.
Kendra has last minute lipstick touch up. Joe is so excited to see her walk down the aisle. He says he might cry.
It’s time. They seat the grandparents. Jana and Anna add some bobby pins to keep the veil in place. Joe walks in with his parents, seats them, and heads up to the stage. He is so happy I cannot handle it. The wedding party makes their way down the aisle. Jordyn is a bridesmaid! Oh, she must have been so excited!
Kendra jokes that she wishes she had a little thing in her ear telling her way to do. Jinger, Jessa, Joy and their escorts make their way down the aisle and then Mrs. Caldwell goes. Pastor puts Kendra’s veil over her face, Lauren makes her way down the aisle, and then the ring bearers and flower girl head down. Finally, Joe gets to see his bride. You know his reaction-you’ve probably seen Annie’s gif about 10 times. He cries. Mrs. Caldwell has tears in her eyes. Pastor gives Kendra away, lifts her veil but starts talking. He jokes about how much he paid for food and clothes but says that doesn’t cover all the joy. He said he prayed when he had Kendra that she would be a little bit like him even though he didn’t have a son (yet). He did- she threw fits and whined. So he prayed she would be like her mother, and she is, sweet and kind and can cook and take care of kids. And then he prayed he would be like Him. And he made her prayerful and compassionate. He says she has been such a sweet blessing but he hopes that her ray of sunshine will light their new home, and he says they should keep serving the Lord. He hugs Joe and then Kendra and then all three take their place on stage.
He begins the marriage ceremony. They say they understand the weight of their covenant. They both say they will have each other to be their spouse. They exchange rings. Josiah can’t find Kendra's ring and someone rappels down from the ceiling with the ring. Kendra cannot stop giggling. Joe says his vows. Kendra puts the ring on Joe’s finger and makes her vows.
They light the unity candle, they sign the license, and the parents come pray over the new couple. The song “Butterfly Kisses” plays at this time-usually a father daughter dance song but sure.
Pastor Caldwell’s pronounces them Husband and Wife. Rose petals rain down as Joe kisses his bride! And what a kiss it is. She says she loves him and it was the best kiss ever and kids him a big hug. The lights cut out and Pastor Caldwell announces Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Duggar and they run out in the dark. The power seems to have gone out in the whole building- the whole city Jana says! They light everything with candle light for the reception and the power kicks back on shortly. Joe and Kendra sweetly talk about their wedding. They walk in and smoosh cake into each other’s faces and kiss again- they’re pros already. They depart the wedding, surrounded by sparklers. He dips her and give her one big kiss before helping her into the truck and whisking her off.
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