The Reason Jessa Duggar Didn't Want To Kiss Her Husband At Their Wedding
The Duggar family has a lot of rules around dating and marriage that seem unusual to those on the outside. In fact, the Duggars don't believe in modern dating at all. Instead, the Duggar kids go through the process of courting.
"Courting is getting to know each other in a group setting, both families spending time together and the couple setting goals together to determine if they are meant to marry," patriarch Jim Bob Duggar explained to People. "With dating, a couple will often pair off alone and that sometimes leads to a more physical relationship."
About those physical relationships? Courtships in the Duggar family mean no contact beyond the occasional side hug. That means that for many couples in the family, their first kiss is at the altar.
Jessa was the third of Jim Bob and Michelle's 19 children to enter a courtship. The family announced that Jessa was courting Ben Seewald, who she met through her church, in September 2013 (per Romper).
Jessa and Ben decided to keep one aspect of their love story to themselves
Fans of 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On feel like they've watched many of the family's relationships unfold over the years. Jessa and Ben's is no exception. While they may be used to sharing many aspects of their lives, there are some things they decided to keep for themselves.
When Jessa and Ben tied the knot in November 2014 in front of 1000 people, they didn't exchange their first kiss as husband and wife. Understandably, that many people bring a certain degree of pressure that might dampen the moment. Instead, the two decided to share their first kiss privately (per Us Weekly). Then, they came back to share a kiss in front of their guests.
"Our first kiss was nice and slow and romantic," Jessa told TLC cameras after the fact. "And I'm sure we'll be doing a lot more kissing from here on out!"
That certainly seems to have been the case. Fast forward six years and the couple are parents of three, expecting their fourth child in summer 2021 (per Today).