‘It Should Always Be...': Jill Duggar Opens Up About Not Being Bridesmaid In Sister Jana’s Wedding

TLC star Jill Duggar Dillard’s conspicuous absence from her sister Jana Duggar’s wedding to Stephen Wissmann earlier this month has raised questions.

Published on Aug 25, 2024  |  06:55 PM IST |  223.2K
Jill Duggar Admits Feelings About Why She Was Not The Bridesmaid In Sister Jana's Wedding
Jill Duggar and Jana Duggar (PC: Instagram/jillmdillard/@janamduggar)

TLC star Jill Duggar Dillard’s conspicuous absence from her sister Jana Duggar’s wedding to Stephen Wissmann earlier this month has raised questions. Jana, who had her dream wedding on August 15 while hosting a heavy guestlist of 500 attendants, did not include her sister Jill as her bridesmaid or in the bridal party. 

The Duggar family, famed for their documented life experiences on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, have long been a topic of public interest, stemming from the unconventional way of life of couple Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children. 

During a recent fan Q&A on Instagram, a curious fan asked why Jill Duggar, the author of Counting the Cost, did not have the honor of walking her sibling down the aisle with her other sisters, amid speculation about family drama. "Why weren't you a bridesmaid? No hate! Just genuinely curious,” a comment, under a recent Instagram post bearing a montage of the wedding, asked. 

The 33-year-old reality star responded with an ambiguous statement about the decision resting on the bride itself. 

“I don’t know, but it should always be the bride’s decision,” Jill wrote in one of her Instagram updates on Thursday, August 22. 


Though the TLC reality series concluded after seven seasons in 2015, the fascination around the expansive family’s internal conflicts and drama has carried on. 

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Jana Duggar, one of the elder siblings, made headlines with her wedding ceremony in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, a new milestone for the Duggar family. Jana, 34, asked Jessa Duggar Seewald to be her maid of honor, while sisters Joy-Anna Forsyth, 26, Johannah Duggar, 18, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, 30, and Jordyn Duggar, 15, served as bridesmaids, in addition to sister-in-law Abbie Duggar, per US Weekly. 

Jill Duggar, who has been frank about her personal challenges and family issues, was the fish out of water during her sister’s holy union as she saw Jana and her other sisters lead the ceremony while she failed to attend. In contrast, she had invited Jana to her 2014 wedding to Derick Dillard. 

The mother of three, nevertheless, preserves immense love and joy for her sister and her husband as they embark on a new journey together. To mark the occasion, Jill shared a beautiful montage of Jana’s elegant wedding ceremony and penned a heartfelt note for her younger sibling in the caption.  

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“She’s married! Congrats to my sister @janamduggar and her husband @stephenwissmann on their wedding last week,” Jill wrote, complete with a pink heart emoji. She included Better Midler’s Chapel of Love as the background song as fleeting glimpses and snippets played in the montage. 

Meanwhile, Jana Duggar spoke to People about her “classic” wedding in Arkansas but did not address Jill’s absence from her special day. “I’m like, ‘Wow, this truly is something that I’ve dreamed of,’” she reflected on her “dream come true” wedding. 

Holy, Holy, Holy played while Jana walked down the aisle with her father Jim Bob, wearing a “classy” off-shoulder ivory satin ball gown. She emphasized the need to keep the ceremony simple and surrounded by loved ones, leaving Jill out of it though. 

ALSO READ: 'We've Been Fixing Up': Jana Duggar Reveals Move To Nebraska With Husband Stephen Wissman After Wedding

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