Jana Duggar breaks flirting rules in pre-wedding video

Before Jana Duggar tied the knot with Stephen Wissmanshe did not follow her family's typical courtship rules during their relationship. 19 children and counting alum gave fans a glimpse into the early days of the couple's romance with a throwback video posted to YouTube on Saturday, August 24.

In the video titled “Surprise my boyfriend at work!” Jana, 34, enlisted the help of sisters Johanna Duggar And Jennifer Duggar on a road trip from Arkansas to Nebraska. After seeing a picture of Stephen's workplace, she was able to pinpoint his work location and came by to surprise him. Stephen, 31, was completely stunned to see his then-girlfriend at his workplace.

As the two greeted each other, Jana hugged Stephen from the front. The Duggar family is known for “courting” rather than dating, meaning that certain rules are followed during relationships. One rule is that couples can only show physical affection through side hugs. The video then switched to Jana and Stephen chatting while he drove and she sat in the passenger seat. They held hands the entire ride, which also goes against the Duggars' usual courtship rules.

During Jana's visit, she and Stephen worked on some home projects together and spent a lot of time with her sister. There was even a clip of Stephen jokingly proposing to Jana with a ring. It's unclear exactly when the footage was shot, but Stephen actually popped the question in June. The couple kept the news of their engagement under wraps, but fans began to suspect Jana was tying the knot when they noticed her wearing a diamond ring on her left hand in Instagram photos from July.

Jana and Stephen were married on August 15 in Arkansas. After the wedding, Jana confirmed People that she would be moving to Nebraska to live with her husband. “He has a little house that we bought and we renovated and fixed up, which was fun,” she revealed.

Although Jana and Stephen have only been together since the beginning of 2024, they have a long shared history. Their families have known each other for years.”[The Wissmann’s] would travel and sing,” said Duggar People“I remember them coming to our house about 13 years ago and eventually getting snowed in, which is rare in Arkansas. I remember us playing games late into the night and doing puzzles together until the snow melted and they could go home. I don't remember Stephen that well because I'm older than him, so he wasn't on my radar at all.”

Jana revealed that she and Stephen dated for “a few years” before their wedding. They stayed in touch after they ended the relationship. Jana's brother Jeremiah Duggar then married Stephen's sister Hannah Wissmann in 2022.

In January, Jana and Stephen got back in touch. “It was like, 'What do we do? We still enjoy each other. We still value each other a lot,'” she explained. “I was a little slower, but over time his character has improved, he's come back and he still loves me no matter what. I know we have a big, crazy family and [are] still puts up with a lot of things. I think to myself, 'Gosh, there aren't many people who do that. He must really, genuinely care about me.'”