Jed Is Running for State House and Now He's Engaged

[SassyPants]

3 hours ago, DalmatianCat said:

If you Google “Jed Duggar secretly engaged” all the articles that come up are still about him being engaged to Lauren Caldwell as recently as the first week of March. Yikes for both girls! Makes me wonder if they’ll start listening a little closer to Jill when she says it was hard not being able to share their own news because the show/family dictated what was allowed to be shared. The fun of getting to share “I’m engaged!” and have it be fresh news is gone for Katey, and Lauren has had to endure weeks of speculation that she was engaged to someone (who was really engaged to someone else) shortly after her own engagement ended. I feel bad for the girls. When I got engaged I started telling everyone right away and it was FUN to do so! I do not understand all this cloak and dagger secrecy.

Because in JB’s fiefdom, Everything is about God money.

[EmiSue]

So, to recap (and correct me if I'm wrong):

Jed and Katey got engaged around Christmas without previously announcing anything, and will likely get married next month. He put more effort into his proposal than his campaign.

Jer is courting Hannah Wissmann, which overlaps with his twin's engagement.

Jana is courting Stephen Wissmann, at least since Christmas time but maybe since summer or fall.

The Wissmanns managed to be the first family to make a double match with the Duggars AND managed to score the coveted title for their son of Mr. Jana.

Lauren Caldwell is still not officially in a relationship with any of the Howlers, despite the best efforts of many tabloids.

Whew! And to think I almost gave up fundie-snaking for Lent. Glad I rethought that one. 

[closetcagebaby]

Wait, is the Jana courtship actually confirmed? I read that comment from our insider as disconfirming...

[sansan]

24 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

Unlesd the Duggars are becoming secretive on courtship and weddings like the Maxwells I don't believe it.

Hmm, all those pictures is a whole lot of deception, if not true. Maybe the Duggar’s have decided to start throwing curve balls.

[Johannah]

Where was that engagement? Looks way too snowy to be Arkansas. 

[HereticHick]

I think the Duggars should one-up the Staddons and others who practice the ridiculous "wait until the trumpet blows and the bridegroom comes to claim the bride" conceit of ceremony timing.

They should just invite folks to a "Duggar wedding" and post generic bridal registries of bland neutral items.  Guests show up, and who knows? Maybe it will be Jed getting married. Maybe it will be Jana getting married. Maybe both. Maybe Katey will be involved. Maybe Lauren. Maybe a Wissman, or two. Or three.

Who knows what bridegroom(s) will be standing at the altar? Who knows what bride(s) will come down the aisle?

[Cheetah]

19 minutes ago, closetcagebaby said:

Wait, is the Jana courtship actually confirmed? I read that comment from our insider as disconfirming...

It was written somewhat ambiguously but I think a lot of us are taking it to mean that she's confirming it but doesn't want to take credit for confirming it.  Llike, "yeah it's true but you didn't hear that from me" sort of deal.  

[JermajestyDuggar]

Oh god will there possibly be FOUR Duggar weddings this year? Three of them twins? Ugh.

[Marionette]

1 hour ago, AnnaRuk09 said:

Is it an 'official' thing for both of them?

As far as I know it is for both.

Also yes, I was trying to confirm under the table, but not wanting to be the source. Sorry for the confusion! I am not sure why they are being so secretive about relationships these days. It made sense with Justin since he was underage. I know TLC is sometimes weird about the announcements, and it’s not something the Duggars or JB have control over. I remember several instances of courtships & pregnancies being announced to friends, but us being told to keep quiet because they weren’t allowed to announce yet (due to TLC). Not sure if TLC is controlling these announcements, or if they’re just trying to wait to see if they work out because of Josiah’s first courtship. Maybe Katey in particular doesn’t want to be in the public eye. No clue! 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Marionette
Clarifying

[viii]

I'd rather wedding palooza than baby, but it all leads to the same anyway. 

At least a shotgun wedding would have made this match more interesting... 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I just want to point out that if there are 4 Duggar weddings this year, all the brides will be older than the grooms. We know Claire is older than Justin and if Katey’s birthday is in the summer of 98, then she’s a little bit older than Jed because he’s a December birthday. Hannah Wissmann is over 3 years older than Jer and Jana is over 3 years older than Stephen.

[nst]

I am shocked I tell you shocked.

[SorenaJ]

In case anyone is interested, here is the story of Katey's paternal great-grandparents, who were Japanese immigrants (making Katey 1/4 Japanese): https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=wcaaspapers

Katey is Katelyn Koryn Nakatsu, her father is Kory Raymond Nakatsu, her grandfather is Frank Isao Nakatsu (1933-1992). Frank was one of nine living children to Koryo and Tomi (Aisawa) Nakatsu, who immigrated from Japan to California in 1908 and 1914. They moved from California to Arizona before Frank's birth.

Frank was married to Elsie Elaine Bennett, and later to Paula Janice Klinkefus. Kory has one sister, Jaimie Sue Nakatsu. 

Frank served in the US Navy from 1952 to 1956. 

I hope all the info is correct, it was just a relatively quick google from familysearch, ancestry and findagrave. I'd be curious what other people can find! 

[VBOY9977]

I wonder why the family hasn’t even acknowledged it yet. The cat’s out of the bag already, you’d think they’d make a post about it at least. 

[seraaa]

Proposal is cute and they seem happy.

Here's your daily quota of positivity

[fundiefan]

5 hours ago, DalmatianCat said:

If you Google “Jed Duggar secretly engaged” all the articles that come up are still about him being engaged to Lauren Caldwell as recently as the first week of March. Yikes for both girls! Makes me wonder if they’ll start listening a little closer to Jill when she says it was hard not being able to share their own news because the show/family dictated what was allowed to be shared. The fun of getting to share “I’m engaged!” and have it be fresh news is gone for Katey, and Lauren has had to endure weeks of speculation that she was engaged to someone (who was really engaged to someone else) shortly after her own engagement ended. I feel bad for the girls. When I got engaged I started telling everyone right away and it was FUN to do so! I do not understand all this cloak and dagger secrecy.

That is one of the things that always made me despise these people. Anything their kids do, from "courting" to engagement to wedding to babies - they don't get to talk about it, they don't get to clear up rumors, they don't get to share their own excitement/feelings - every single f*cking thing they do has to be put into their father's TLC box and he gets to do with it what he chooses. They have zero choice, zero control. 

Also, I would not want to get engaged with a camera crew, from TLC or whoever took all their pictures, present. That's a moment between two people, not fodder for ratings/money for daddy.

[becky_m2001]

2 hours ago, closetcagebaby said:

Wait, is the Jana courtship actually confirmed? I read that comment from our insider as disconfirming...

She was confirming without confirming. That's how I read it anyway...

[anaandrade]

Dang. This is honestly the first time I've been surprised by these people. 4 weddings this year seems really likely now. The Duggars can literally have a wedding every season this year. 

Justin and Claire - Winter, Jedidiah and Katey - Spring, Jana and Stephen - Summer, Jeremiah and Hannah - Fall. The last 2 are interchangeable.

I can't seem to find the link to the livestream, Anyone have it? Also, this makes me wonder what is going on with Lauren Caldwell. It wasn't really confirmed that the engagement was broken off, was it? And if it was, is she with a Duggar boy now? If she is, the only options are Jason and James.

Edited March 16, 2021 by anaandrade

[Alisamer]

3 hours ago, HereticHick said:

I think the Duggars should one-up the Staddons and others who practice the ridiculous "wait until the trumpet blows and the bridegroom comes to claim the bride" conceit of ceremony timing.

They should just invite folks to a "Duggar wedding" and post generic bridal registries of bland neutral items.  Guests show up, and who knows? Maybe it will be Jed getting married. Maybe it will be Jana getting married. Maybe both. Maybe Katey will be involved. Maybe Lauren. Maybe a Wissman, or two. Or three.

Who knows what bridegroom(s) will be standing at the altar? Who knows what bride(s) will come down the aisle?

They should have done that at the height of their popularity as a pay-per-view. All the of-age girls in wedding gowns, all the of-age boys in tuxes... a big group of random fundies all there, and JimBob up at the front behind the pulpit with a fishbowls full of slips of paper with their names on it. He draws one non-Duggar name, and one Duggar of the opposite sex name, and that's the couple! How many weddings will there be? You'll have to tune in to find out!

51 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

Also, I would not want to get engaged with a camera crew, from TLC or whoever took all their pictures, present. That's a moment between two people, not fodder for ratings/money for daddy.

I agree about the ratings thing, definitely, and the fact that everything they do has to be looked at as to how it will benefit daddy.

I disagree with the no-camera-crew thing, though. I'd be thrilled to have a professional photographer present. I wouldn't even mind video. It's a once in a lifetime thing that only lasts a moment (especially for these kids) and it's nice to have a record. 

My whole family was present when BIL proposed to my sister. I got a couple OK photos of it... I knew it was coming soonish and was ready!

[Maggie Mae]

The most surprising part of this is even with Jed out of the house, there are still 5 boys and 5 girls at the Tater-tot House. (I included the non J-boy) that's still 10 kids in two bedrooms. 

[Babysitter]

With the four weddings in a year, I imagine the Duggar/Wissman pair's will be set up to have the smallest age gap in print, like Claire was 19 when she got married (for all of a day)? . Not sure when Hannah/Stephen's birthday's are, weddings will probably depend on that. 

 

Jer's seems like the newest relationship so he might be in 2022?

Edited March 16, 2021 by Babysitter
confused the twins

[Mlissmartin]

4 hours ago, Melissa1977 said:

Please, no. Don't say that. I know it's a snark site but that kind of statements hurt people. I had to listen a thousand times that my exboyfriend was too ugly for me (he was funny and loved me, but apparently it wasn't enough for some people). A friend of me was "too fat" for her good looking boyfriend. Etc. It hurts. Should people only date others with same beauty-level, same skin colour, same social class, equal finances?

 

Thank you. I agree. If this were reversed and someone said that Duggar girl is not pretty enough for that man, I think there would be more down votes. Not cool either way.

[ADoyle90815]

I can imagine that JB is upset that he didn't get to do the People Magazine exclusive engagement announcement at this point, but it means that they can have several weddings to boost ratings for the show. I just hope they don't do a double wedding for the twins since each couple deserves their own wedding day.

[OHFL2009]

24 minutes ago, Babysitter said:

With the four weddings in a year, I imagine the Duggar/Wissman pair's will be set up to have the smallest age gap in print, like Claire was 19 when she got married (for all of a day)? . Not sure when Hannah/Stephen's birthday's are, weddings will probably depend on that. 

According to Fundie Wiki, Stephen's birthday is July 15, 1993 and Jana's birthday is January 12, 1990, so basically any time in the second half of the year Stephen will be 28 and Jana will be 31. 

Hannah's birthday is June 23, 1995 and Jer's birthday is December 30, 1998, so they'd have to marry in the next few months for Hannah to be 25 and Jer 22. Or wait and have a New Year's Eve wedding when Jer is 23 and Hannah 26.

 

[VineHeart137]

Do we think they'll care as much about the age thing with these two couples, particularly Jana and Steven? We're not talking about 18 year olds here like Justin. In the secular world most people wouldn't really bat an eye at a 27 year old man marrying a 31 year old woman. Is it a big deal for the fundie set for the wife to be older than the husband?