‘Counting On’ Bachelor Party Brings Joe Duggar Too Close to Fiancee Kendra

Joseph and Kendra Duggars’ combined bachelor/bachelorette party got a little too close for comfort for the soon-to-be newlyweds in Monday’s episode of Counting On.

The couple, who wed in September and is currently expecting their first child together, brought both of their families together for a day of fun at the lake. While some of the Duggars were happy to go on a leisurely ride around the lake, however, John David prided himself on being able to throw anyone off the tube.

So when Joe and Kendra decided to test their tubing acumen as a couple, things got a little close for the conservative couple, who upped their physical contact to two hugs a day only after they got engaged.

“It was pretty tough not to break the rules of engagement,” Joe told the cameras. “Just from the fact that when you’re tubing and you’re closer than you normally would be.”

He continued: “When they put you in a turn, it’s really hard not to try and counter for the turn, and so I kind of had to move from side to side, and therefore I was climbing over top of her and definitely in close quarters.”

Joe and Kendra have been open about the difficulty in keeping to their religious beliefs while engaged during this season of the TLC show. Another instance in which they found themselves in touchy territory was during their engagement photoshoot, which ws documented in a February episode.

“The things we set up for courtship were we give one hug in the morning, one hug in the evening,” Joe said at the time, after turning down a pose suggested by the photographer in which he was asked to touch Kendra’s waist. “Now, we give a few more throughout the day, holding hands, saying, ‘I love you,’ so there’s a few things that we added. But also making sure we’re saving things that are gonna be special for marriage and not stepping over anything we set up there.”

“I would say when you’re engaged, you almost need more chaperones,” Kendra added. “Because you’re getting closer, the desires are getting stronger, and I think it’s definitely wise to have a chaperone with you all the time.”

Counting On airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.

Photo credit: TLC