Duggar weddings are always secretive affairs, and it’s not hard to see why the family keeps certain details concealed from their hordes of rabid fans.
After all, there are often more than 1,000 invited guests in attendance, which means a Duggar reception would be an easy party to crash.
But many fans believe the clandestine planning process sometimes has a more insidious motivation.
If you’re a follower of the family, then by now, you’ve likely heard the news that Josiah Duggar is engaged to Lauren Swanson.
Josiah and Lauren courted for just a few weeks before taking the next step, but that’s not uncommon in the Duggars’ world.
From a young age, Jim Bob and Michelle’s children are taught that they’ve been put on earth for two reasons: to praise God, and to procreate.
So it should come as no surprise that Josiah and Lauren decided to rush past the usual relationship milestones at breakneck speed.
What is surprising, however, is the fact that they’ve now chosen to push their wedding date by six months without providing any warning or reason.
Last week, insiders claimed that Josiah and Lauren would marry on June 30.
Now, several media outlets are claiming that the nuptials have been postponed, and will now take place on New Year’s Eve.
Needless to say, fans were floored by the revelation, as this is the exact opposite of the shady pre-wedding shenanigans that we’ve come to expect from the Duggars.
It’s not uncommon for the family to reschedule a wedding, but usually, the date is shifted in the opposite direction, and for a readily apparent reason.
For example, when Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth changed their wedding date, they moved it up several months.
Depending on whom you ask, this was either a pre-emptive move motivated by the couple’s inability to adhere to the rules of courtship, or Joy was already pregnant with Austin’s baby.
In either instance, there was an obvious incentive behind Jim Bob and Michelle’s executive decision.
The Josiah case, however, is much more mysterious — but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of fan theories circulating on social media.
The most common belief is that Josiah simply came down with a chronic case of cold feet, which isn’t entirely out of the question.
After all, Josiah is the first Duggar of his generation to enter a courtship that didn’t result in marriage, so maybe he’s just more choosy than his siblings.
Josiah courted Marjorie Jackson in 2015, and the couple broke it off for reasons that still haven’t been explained.
Combine that with Josiah’s rebellious reputation and it’s not hard to see why fans are convinced he’s chosen to buck tradition and date his future wife like a normal person.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
