19 Courtships and Counting: How Much Money Does a Duggar Wedding Cost?
Fans of the Duggar family have been keeping up with their gigantic clan for over a decade — and considering how different their lives are from the typical, it’s no wonder why we’re still interested in what they’re up to after all these years. We remember when Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar first came on to the scene with 19 Kids and Counting, and since the kids are all growing up fast, that has since evolved to Counting On. Now, many of the Duggars who are over the age of 18 are married and starting families of their own — and they have seriously elaborate weddings, too.
Since courtships and weddings are so vital to the experience of being a Duggar, there’s no doubt they shell out serious cash to make their special day one to remember. Here’s how much a wedding reportedly costs.
A Duggar wedding day is a huge deal with a massive guest list
Duggar weddings are completely unique for more reasons than one. Not only does the ultra-religious family enjoy a lengthy church ceremony, but all the guests in attendance are also excited to see the first time the happy couple kisses. According to Duggar courting rules, the couple is not to kiss or engage in any intimate relations prior to marriage, and they can only begin front-hugging and holding hands once they’re engaged.
We’ve seen plenty of Duggar weddings thanks to the family featuring them on TV — and we’ve also noticed that the guest list for these weddings is ridiculously huge. In Touch Weekly notes Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s wedding had around 2,000 guests in attendance, and over 100 of these guests were just immediate family members from over 30 different states. Jessa and Jinger also had weddings that easily had over 1,000 guests — and while Josh’s marriage to Anna reportedly only contained a guest list of 300 (this wedding happened before the Duggars rose to serious stardom), this is still quite large for the average ceremony.
They have plenty of traditions they uphold on the big day, too
It’s not just a huge guest list that the Duggars are known for when it comes to wedding tradition. They also have plenty of other customs they’ve passed down over the years — and Romper reminds us one has to do with the wedding gown. We remember when Jinger discussed how she sewed a piece of her mother’s wedding dress into the bodice of her own gown, and it seems the rest of the Duggar women have also found their own way to commemorate their mom’s dress.
Aside from the dress, the kiss is always a huge deal on a Duggar’s wedding day, too. As discussed before, the big day is the first time the happy couple will lock lips, so it’s always the most anticipated moment for the huge audience. We’ll never forget when Jessa and husband Ben ran out of the church to go have their kiss privately, too, as it was totally unexpected and was also met with a large crowd chasing after them.
Jim Bob has allegedly said their weddings cost between $10,000 and $20,000
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have discussed their thriftiness at length in the past, but it seems they don’t hold back anything when it comes to their kids getting married. The Duggar Family Fan Blog notes Jim Bob has discussed how he spends between $10,000 and $20,000 per wedding — and if all of his daughters get married, that could mean he’s willing to shell out nearly $200,000. As he’s reportedly mentioned in the past, “In our family, it’s probably somewhere between 10 to 20 thousand for a wedding, with all the chairs and the church rental and everything. It all adds up in a hurry.”
Weddings are no small cost for the Duggars, but considering some of the guest lists contain over 1,000 people, the price could be much worse. And Reddit users noted that they believe the family is able to cut some of their costs by using their friends and family as free labor. As one user noted, “If these people actually had to pay for their weddings and actually made an effort to make the weddings enjoyable and welcoming to all 1000 of their guests, they would be spending closer to a million dollars than $20k.”
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