After months of anticipation, fans of Counting On got to see everything that went into making Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth’s wedding truly special during Monday’s two-hour special.
The Duggars’ resident tomboy and her spouse wed in May, but this is the first time fans got to see anything about the happy day other than a few select Instagram photos posted by the happy couple.
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Joy-Anna struggled with nerves sporadically throughout the process, she admitted, from picking out her long-sleeved gown to walking down the aisle. Through prayer, deep breaths and concentrating on the task at hand, however, the 19-year-old was able to keep her cool.
Up Next: Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth Break Major Tradition
“If I kept thinking this is my big day, I’d be nervous,” she said, “but I have my list of things I needed to get done … and just trying to focus on other things other than the wedding, because that would be nerve wracking.”
Austin drew strength from his wife, he said, even when he began to sweat on the day of. “She can handle this, I can handle this. It’s all gonna be fine,” he said.
Bucking tradition of keeping the bride and groom separate on the day of the wedding, Austin and Joy-Anna did a first look before the ceremony in an attempt to quash their nerves and check in with one another.
Austin isn’t known to be an emotional guy, but the day of the wedding he struggled to fight back tears.
“Babe, are you going to turn around and look at me?” Joy-Anna said to Austin, whose back was still turned.
Once he got it together, however, the 23-year-old gushed about seeing his soon-to-be bride.
“So beautiful,” he said. “You smell so good, too. You’re the most prettiest bride ever.”
The couple’s decision to push the wedding date up six months has been questioned by fans who called the ceremony a “shotgun wedding” and question the expecting mother’s March due date in light of her growing bump.
The date change was not addressed in the TLC special.
Up Next: Joy-Anna Duggar Accused of Having Shotgun Wedding After Pregnancy Reveal
Regardless of date, there’s no denying how gorgeous the outdoor-themed church wedding was or how adorable it was to watch Austin cry at the sight of his new bride gliding down the aisle.
“It was really hard to contain my composure,” Austin said of his tears. “It was kind of an overwhelming emotional time, but it was the most incredible thing pretty much ever.”
As for the first kiss?
“Austin did a good job,” Joy-Anna giggled. “He put his hand up on my face in case he missed.”
Counting On airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on TLC.
Photo Credit: Instagram / @theaustinforsyth
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
