22-year-old reality TV star Jill Duggar got married to her fiancé, Derick Dillard, after a lengthy courtship on June 21 at the Cross Church in Springdale, Arkansas.
Jill Duggar (center) and many of her siblings
Duggar is known for her part on TLC’s hit reality show, 19 Kids and Counting. That’s right, she has 18 siblings!. Dillard, 25, proposed to his new bride on March 29 and the couple has wed after a relatively short engagement.
Duggar and Dillard actually got to know each other primarily over the web and through phone calls because Dillard was doing some work out of the country. “We began texting, then emailing, then skyping/ talking on the phone," Dillard said. "Over the next few months we became very grateful for modern technology as we continued to get to know each other better. Most of our conversations were centered around our values and life goals.”
Courting is a bit different than modern dating because of its conservative emphasis on preparing the couple for the possibility of marriage while devaluing the physical side of a romantic relationship.
"We got to know each other in the first few months pretty quickly," Jill said to People of their courtship. "I was in love with someone I had never met in person, but we really knew each other well."
Jill’s father, Jim Bob, is the man responsible for the couple’s initial meeting, as he believed the two young lovebirds would mesh well together. "I was impressed with him as I got to know him over the years. He sounded like an amazing young man. I felt like from the beginning, they had similar personalities and goals. I thought they would hit it off." Looks like he was right!
Mr. and Mrs. Dillard shared their first kiss on their wedding day as an official married couple. How sweet! Congratulations to the newlyweds!