Jana Duggar and Stephen Wissman start married life by moving to Nebraska and fixing up their new home.
Jana Duggar, known from the reality show Counting On, is beginning an exciting new chapter in Nebraska alongside her husband, Stephen Wissman.
The 34-year-old former reality star and her 31-year-old husband exchanged vows on August 15th in a classic, elegant ceremony held in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. Following their wedding, the couple is preparing to settle down in Wissman’s hometown, ready to start their married life together.
Jana and Stephen, who have known each other for several years, have been busy fixing up a house they recently purchased. The couple is eager to make this place their home.
“He has a little house we bought that we’ve been fixing up and getting pulled together, and so that’s been fun,” Jana shared in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. The two are excited to leave behind the long-distance part of their relationship and finally be together every day.
The Duggars and the Wissmanns have crossed paths before—Jana’s brother Jeremiah is married to Stephen’s sister, Hannah. Jana and Stephen’s journey as a couple, however, has had its ups and downs.
The pair briefly dated a few years ago but decided to go their separate ways at that time. Despite the breakup, they remained in contact over the years, keeping their connection alive even when they weren’t actively dating.
It wasn’t until earlier this year that Jana and Stephen reconnected in a significant way, realizing that their feelings for each other hadn’t faded. “It was like, ‘What are we doing? We still enjoy each other.
We still really appreciate each other,’” Jana reflected on their rekindled romance. This realization led to Stephen proposing to Jana on June 15th, marking the beginning of their journey to the altar.
For Jana, getting married later in life has brought its own unique set of experiences and perspectives. As the eldest child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Jana has watched many of her younger siblings go through relationships and marriages.
Now, as she walks through her own marriage journey, she recognizes that her experience is different from theirs. “I haven’t always understood what the bigger picture is, but I know that God knows what is best for all of us. And so for me, it’s getting married later,” Jana explained.
This later-in-life marriage, according to Jana, feels different from the experiences of her younger siblings. “I think that’s been the biggest thing, the comparison of the younger ones, going through a relationship,” she said. “I mean, I’ve watched all of them walk through that, and then now me walking through this, and it is different, but we are older.
We are in a different stage of life. We’re a little bit more established, so we’re a little bit more stubborn, but it’s good. We’re learning. We’re growing. And it’s been different, but it has been so sweet.”
The couple is now embracing the sweetness of married life, cherishing every moment they get to spend together. The days of long-distance dating are behind them, and they are looking forward to building a life together in Nebraska.
“Just doing life together with Stephen and being together,” Jana said, expressing her excitement about this new chapter. “It’s been a challenge being long distance, so I think just being together, being able to just have someone that you do everyday life [with]. It’s a sweet time that I’ve hoped for and wanted for a while.”
