Josiah Duggar and Lauren Celebrate First Anniversary With ‘Romantic’ Picnic

Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson celebrated their first wedding anniversary in style. In lieu of a romantic beach getaway, the Counting On couple had a “romantic evening” picnic date, complete with all the odds and ends to make for a picture-perfect occasion. The couple had wed on June 30, 2018, and they took to Instagram exactly a year later to mark the day.

“Simple… but romantic,” Duggar and Swanson captioned a gallery of images, adding the hashtags “#1yearanniversary #summerevening #romanticevening.”

For the outing, the couple set up a pile of pillows and a pallet in a grassy field, completing the romantic spot with candles and a photo from their wedding day. Their food of choice? Steak, potatoes, and juice!

The romantic set-up drew a flood of comments from other members of the Duggar family and fans alike.

“So romantic!” Anna Duggar wrote. “Happy Anniversary!”

“This is so beautiful! Happy anniversary,” wrote a fan. “I hope you two enjoy your anniversary day.”

“Happy Anniversary, wishing you many more healthy and happy years and absolutely beautiful,” commented another.

Along with the romantic evening date, the couple had also marked the special occasion with a separate candid post, in which they opened up about the ups and downs that they have encountered during their first year of marriage.

“Can’t believe it’s already been a year since we said ‘I do,’” they wrote. “I remember the big day and just how excited we both were about getting married. Ohh the memories!”

“We’ve had more downs than ups than any newly married couple should ever have,” they continued. “We wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s our story. We are SO blessed! Looking forward to growing old and more in love with you.”

The couple, who tied the knot at John Brown University Cathedral of the Ozarks in Siloam Springs, Arkansas in 2018, have certainly faced their share of hardships. In February, they revealed that just months after saying “I do,” they had suffered the miscarriage of their first child.

The difficult time, during which Swanson admitted to finding it difficult to “praise the Lord” while grieving, eventually gave way to much more joyous times, as the couple announced in May that they are expecting their second child together.

“God’s faithfulness to us in our most difficult moments has sustained us and brought us such love and comfort,” their announcement read in part. “We cannot begin to tell you how much we are looking forward to holding this baby in our arms this fall.”