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Monday, March 26, 2018

'Joe and Kendra Say I Do' Recap

Counting On "Joe and Kendra Say I Do"
  • One week before the wedding, Joseph is working on the electrical lines for the house that he and Kendra will live in. Grandma Duggar has owned the house since Jim Bob was a child, and the family recently transported it to the Duggar property.
  • “Living…so close to the big house is probably something that we never thought we would do,” says Kendra. “I think that Mr. and Mrs. Duggar will probably be good at keeping the kids not at the house…probably for the first year.” 
  • “Joe and Kendra, it might be fine for them, but I just needed a little more space,” admits Austin. He and Joy live 30 minutes away from both families.
  • Renee Miller brings the dress down to Arkansas for the final fitting. The Caldwell and Duggar ladies gather for the big reveal.
  • Kendra’s mom gets emotional. “Just seeing her in her dress and packing up her things, it’s hard to let go,” says Christina Caldwell. “We’ve raised her for this day, but I don’t think you’re ever ready for it.”
  • The siblings share their thoughts about Joe and Kendra:
    • “I really admire Joe’s character,” says John. “He’s very disciplined.”
    • “He’s a humble guy,” says Jana. “Loves you as you are.”
    • “I met Kendra probably seven years ago,” says Josiah. “[The Caldwells] were always happy, always had a smile on their face.”
    • When you’re having a bad day, Kendra will quickly change your mood with her contagious laugh, shares Austin.
  • The wedding is four days away, and Jana, Jessa, and Joy are making spaghetti, homemade meatballs, and salad for Jeremy’s birthday celebration. Joy is in her second trimester and feeling great. The girls forget to add the herbs, so the meatballs are flavorless. Thankfully, the marinara sauce saves them.“It’s rare these days that all of us are together, so we definitely cherish these moments,” says Jana.
  • Wedding coordinator Laura gathers the family to make a scrapbook and build a bench that guests can sign (an alternative to a traditional guestbook). “I was excited to hear that we were assigned a manly job,” says Josiah, who works on the bench with the other guys. 
  • It’s time to start decorating the church! Cindy, Michelle’s childhood best friend, is the wedding designer. “Miss Cindy, whatever she gets her hands one, it looks amazing once she’s finished,” says Joe.
  • When the rehearsal rolls around, arranging the 22 bridesmaids and groomsmen on-stage takes a bit of time.
  • During dinner, family members step up to the mic to share how Joe and Kendra have influenced their lives. “Ever since we were little, Kendra and I have been really close,” says Lauren. “I treasure your friendship and the joy that you do bring our family every day.”
  • “…Joe, I’m so thankful for you,” says Joy. “You really did change my life. Just through my teen years, I think I was having a hard time taking my parents’ faith as my own, and you really befriended me as an older brother… It just really meant a lot to me.” Joy gives her brother and future sister-in-law each a big hug.
  • The wedding day has finally arrived. Joseph has written each of his siblings a personalized note, and he places them by their beds before leaving the house. Meanwhile, Kendra and Lauren are at their house getting ready together for the last time. “I love everything about Kendra,” says Joseph. “She is going to be the best wife ever.”
  • Joe is anxious to see his bride, but Kendra wants their first meeting that day to be their first look. While the bridesmaids get ready, Josie and Jordyn help decorate the cakes, which turn out great.
  • When Kendra has her first look with her dad, the tears start to flow. “Growing up, I mostly wanted a future spouse…similar to my dad,” says Kendra, who gives her dad a picture of the two of them and a note.
  • Finally, the time comes for the bride and groom to have their first look. “The dress was even more beautiful than I thought it would be,” says Joe. “I didn’t know you could put so much sparkle on a wedding dress. It’s perfect for her.”
  • The siblings share marriage advice with the bride and groom:
    • “The more you get to know the other person, the more you get to realize, they’re an imperfect human, just like me,” says Ben. “Hardest thing you’ll ever do but also can be the most rewarding,” adds Jessa.
    • “Try and enjoy every little thing that comes your way because life changes really fast,” says Joy.
    • “Take it all in,” says Jinger.
  • “I am very excited about Joseph getting married today,” says Michelle. She and Jim Bob sit down with Joseph to pray with him and give him a few pieces of marriage advice. Joe says that he has always wanted a woman like his mom, who is diligent, merciful, and caring. He has found that in Kendra. 
  • Read our recap of the wedding preview for more details of the ceremony.
  • It’s go time! Joseph walks his parents down the aisle before taking his place on-stage. Kendra waits patiently at the back of the church with her father.
  • The doors open, and Joe begins to sob. “I kind of lost it,” admits the groom, who is not usually a crier. “I was totally shocked,” says Kendra. “It was such a sweet moment.”
  • When Pastor Caldwell turns to Josiah for the ring, a friend drops down from the ceiling to deliver it. “This is Josiah, of course he’s going to have some kind of prank up his sleeve!” says Kendra. Both she and Joe love it. “Josiah’s got friends in high places,” says Jeremiah.
  • After the vows and unity candle, the parents huddle around the couple to pray over them. 
  • As the couple leans in for their first kiss, they are showered with rose petals. “It was the most amazing thing ever,” says Kendra of the kiss. “I forgot about all the people…and it just felt like it was just the two of us.”
  • Just before the couple is pronounced husband and wife, the power goes out. Thankfully, they have a lot of candles already lit. The wedding party runs out the back of the sanctuary, and everyone heads to the [now candlelight] reception. The power finally comes back on.
  • During the cake cutting/feeding, Kendra makes sure to rub a piece all over Joseph’s mouth. “I was so proud of her for smearing it in his face,” says Christina. “I had encouraged her to do that.”
  • Joe and Kendra leave in a red pickup truck, decorated with paint, while guests light their path with sparklers. Next up is their honeymoon in Greece!

    A new season begins this summer!

67 comments:

  1. Anytime a man takes on a task and does it to the best of his abilities then it can be considered a “manly” task. Josiah needs to understand there are no womanly or manly tasks just tasks.

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    1. I just hope they wire houses better than they figure out how to build benches.

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  2. Never did understand this silly tradition of smearing cake on the bride’s and/or groom’s face. Is there a purpose ?

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    1. Some people think it’s fun, but I wouldn’t do it.

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    2. Joe didn't look like he particularly cared for it.

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  3. Wonderfully done! Joe and Kendra are lovely. Rock solid and gracious!

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  4. I really appreciate these recaps you provide - thank you :)

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  5. Time 6:56AM Tues 3/27/18
    I seen the wedding before. I would love to see It again on YouTube. No longer have cable. The next weeding for the Duggar family is Josiah & Lauren. Can't wait for a new season of Counting on.

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  6. The married siblings advice. And joys speech to joe are all very telling....

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  7. The Duggars could soon incorporate their own village, considering so many of them stay put on the property in one way or another. It's great that Austin could speak up and say he needs space and find a home for him and Joy that's not in the Duggar backyard. Families and in-laws can be wonderful, but such close proximity and a potential 24/7 presence could be challenging and overwhelming, to say the least.

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    1. Great Austin said that. The daughters seem to have a hard time breaking from their families when they get married. Could be because they have never lived anywhere else.

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  8. That was a 2-hour giggle fest. I'm truly wondering if Kendra is going to giggle through labor and delivery, too.

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    1. Hey if you can giggle through labor and delivery you’re doing something right lol

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    2. LOLOL!!!!
      I actually have a friend who giggles when in pain rather than crying. It does feel like she is always giggling. But that's just their personalities iguess

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    3. I think it was nerves I giggle when I am nervous.

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    4. There was a good movie on another channel, so I kept switching back and forth. Every time I switched to CO, there was Kendra giggling! So I'd switch back to the movie.

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    5. Anonymous @12:25- I'm not a giggler (unless I'm really sleep deprived), but I do actually laugh when I'm in pain (not by choice). It's really annoying and my concerned family can never tell if I'm alright or not. Not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure it's a type of shock (like some people feel nauseous when they're hurt, some feel faint, etc.). It's pretty annoying actually because while I'm laughing to the point of tearing up, I'm trying to gesture that I need help. I wish someone would do a research study on that for their medical grad school thesis. One day I was pumping gas and was trying to get to the car door and didn't quite lift my foot up high enough to clear the gas pump hose. Instantly I was face down on the concrete island, with my back leg hung up on the pump hose...laying there in pain and laughing. It was awful. By the grace of God I didn't break anything, but I was pretty beat up and sore for awhile.

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    6. What's so bad about Kendra giggling? Obviously Joe doesn't mind even if others do. I also got a sense most of the giggling she did this episode was out of her nerves. Not because she's not taking her own wedding seriously.

      I actually did like how Joe mentioned that he is somewhat of a quiet guy and her outgoing nature provides a good balance to that. Not just that she's a hard worker who loves God (not that there's anything wrong with either attribute but I'm sure most of the Duggars can say that about good friends of theirs, too).

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  9. I loved the episode. I know a lot of people have an issue with how TLC lays out the episodes (too behind schedule, jumps around etc) but I like it. AND - 95% of this episode was all new/never been seen so I don't think of it as jumping around.

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    1. I was sooooo happy ! Mostly new content !

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    2. I agree,good episode with mostly new content. I was pleasantly surprised! Can't wait for the next season!

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    3. I agree with you. The last season all they showed was the actual wedding. With all the other weddings they showed the "details"leading up to it. So I think it was cool they gave them the same coverage. It really cracked me up to see Jessa and Jana acting like imperfect cooks trying to put meat balls together. They just look like normal girls. How many times have I winged it following a recipe lots! lol Its how you learn to cook:) The more I learn about both of them, the more I like them as a couple. So maybe people feel like the parents are to strict on them with the dating rules, but they all seem to pick good mates. That is rare now.

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    4. I also liked how they gave Josiah some of the spotlight with his practical joke and how he had more face time in the interviews than he has before. Good way to get fans to take notice of him before he gets put on center stage along with Lauren. The show being behind real time does give the producers room to do things like that.

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  10. Joe "worked on" the electrical lines for their house? Unless he's a licensed electrician or was supervised by one that's a risky behavior. Has his work been inspected?? Is it up to code? If not then they're just begging for trouble.

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    1. Most city and state codes require an inspection and building permit. Funny how people assume they are doing it the “wrong” way.

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    2. Risky behaviour indeed. Maybe Joe should ask a fireman, any fireman, what they think about an amateur working on electrical wires

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    3. I was really worried when I saw that. Hope everything is OK. I know they do a lot of things themselves but that is plain dangerous.

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    4. Electrical can be dangerous if you don’t have a good grasp on how to do it, but you don’t necessarily need to be a licensed electrician to run lines or install outlets or install new breakers for that matter.

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    5. My husband has an engineering degree along with decades of electrical training and work experience in the power industry. He has a thorough understanding of electricity and wiring. But without a license, he won't touch our house wiring or work on it himself, for liability reasons. We always hire a licensed electrician. I would not buy a house where the homeowners did anything electrical themselves. Nor would I sell one to somebody. I could be sued if something happened.

      I doubt Joe has that much training and experience, or a license. They sure are taking chances doing that work themselves. It's one thing to paint or lay tile. It's quite another to do wiring. I hope that whatever he did, it was given more than a passing glance by the county inspector. Good luck to them. Fires due to faulty wiring do happen. Happened last weekend at an apartment building in my town. Three alarm.

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    6. @ Kathy. I don't think anyone is saying Joe is doing it the "wrong way" but if he's not a licensed electrician he has no business running electric lines. That's illegal and many fires are caused by faulty wiring. Also unless the house is certified for occupancy by the local housing authorities they should not be living in it.

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    7. 2:24 PM -- My Dad's a general contractor and always told me the same thing. Don't do electrical yourself. Hire a licensed electrician.

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    8. The Duggars grew up working on their own homes... they know what they're doing. I am not concerned at all. My husband grew up the same way (learning electrical,water, etc) and if we need something fixed, he fixes it. In most (if not all) states you are required to have an inspector come and check everything out. The Duggars are not dumb... they know what they're doing.

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    9. Good for these boys to have gained enough knowledge to build their own homes! If only more people were this self-sufficient!

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    10. If I recall correctly, the Duggars had to have professionals come in and finish that big house for them. And Jessa had to have someone finish that lighting project in the bedroom. I'm still not convinced any of them fully know what they're doing, especially when it comes to wiring.

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    11. Agreed @ March 28, 11:53 AM

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  11. I enjoyed seeing their home. I had wondered where they were living. The Duggars all do a good job of creating beautiful homes, even if the homes have humble beginnings.
    I would love to see the 2nd part of Joy and Austin's honeymoon, in Israel.

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    1. Yes. The houses look nice, but when you do major structural changes, electrical and plumbing work without licensed professionals you're asking for trouble. I also wonder if their upgrades are up to code and have been inspected by the local building inspector.

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    2. I think they got to be alone without a film crew for the Israel trip.

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    3. Anon @ 9:11 It is my guess you won't see the Forsythes trip to Israel as it was a mission trip and therefore not paid for or filmed for the show.

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    4. Kathy Borders: People assume they are doing it the “wrong” way because that is what we are shown. I’m sure viewers would be relieved to see an electrician working with Joe on the wires or an inspector passing the work but all we get is an amateur doing the work of a professional.

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    5. It would be really neat to see their electrical and renovation work being inspected by an actual building inspector. It certainly would give validity to the Duggars' claims that they're skilled in so many areas, viewers would like their questions answered, and it would make an interesting episode for all those who've had work done on their homes or done it themselves-kind of something in common they could relate to.

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    6. If you have the knowledge and skills, it is just fine to fix your own home. I realise that some people are dumb enough to DIY with no knowledge or skills and then the licensed professionals are called in to deal with the mess!

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  12. Has anyone noticed it hasn't shown up on their iTunes. i don't do cable. I would be upset if it was considered a special episode and not part of the season pass? Ellie do you perhaps know? Thanks!

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  13. The previews for this current season that started Feb. 26, 2018, included footage of Joe and Kendra's honeymoon; however, their honeymoon was never shown. And it will not be shown until the summer. Why did TLC tease us in February that we would be seeing it this current season?

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  14. How many houses did Grandma Duggar own? I always thought Jessa and Ben's house was hers.

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    1. Grandma has often said she owns several pieces of property.

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  15. I loved seeing Joe and the boys working on their home. I wondered how they moved the house. Was it all in one piece or did they move it log by log. That would've been a super interesting show also. I hope that they show much more of that. I wish that they had showed more of Joy and Austin's home in the in process stage. Hopefully, they will give us a tour next season.

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    1. They showed a photo about a year ago of a section of log cabin house being moved in one big piece. Looks now like it was part of that bigger new/remodeled house, maybe the left or right side.

      Where did they live til the house was finished?

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    2. I've missed watching some of the episodes. They usually show the homes so I'm surprised these two homes weren't shown more. Especially when the house was moved. I don't know? Maybe Joy-Anna & Austin wanted more privacy?

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  16. It was a cute wedding. Kendra is sweet but seemed a bit nervous.

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  17. Most perfect wedding! Even without electricity, it was so joyful!

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    1. No electricity? Maybe Joe was working on the wires!

      Relax folks; it’s a joke

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  18. Such a precious and sweet couple! Great wedding!

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  19. Why do the Duggars always run down the aisle? Is it a family thing? A Southern thing?

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    1. Not a Southern thing

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    2. Looked very strange with all of them running out.

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    3. I've always lived in the South so I know it's not a Southern thing.

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    4. Maybe they're in a rush to start the honeymoon...

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  20. Did you notice when Austin was talking about his wedding rehearsal, he said that he wanted to go ahead and get married right then, not wait one more day. "Let's do it. Why wait?" and so on. Joy slaps him on the leg, out of camera range, after he says that! You can very plainly hear a slap. Did anyone else catch that?

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  21. I wish the Duggar girls would learn to cook better. Who can't follow an online recipe for meatballs, or figure out that they need some seasonings other than onion? And that sauce. Straight out of a jar. I hope they doctored it up with herbs and spices, too. Some red wine would have helped. If they could eat fondue, they could use some wine in a sauce.

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  22. Favorite Duggar wedding ever. Love this couple. And miss Cindy should get major bonus points for decorating in a way that helped save the day, lol, what are the odds?

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  23. I really like the Caldwell family. They seem so genuine in their affection with each other. Honestly, though, from my mama heart I feel sad for the parents that they "have" to let their daughter get married at such an early age before she experiences college, etc. I know it is their choice and all but it makes me sad.

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    1. The Caldwells certainly didn't "have" to let their daughter marry, Joe did ask her father's permission to both court and marry her. And from what some of the Duggar women have stated about JB turning down suitors on their behalf, that's not just a formality.

      So I'm sure that if Pastor Caldwell had told him "sorry Joe, Kendra's still too young to think about marrying" then that would be that. (Or Joe might have asked again when Kendra got older).

      As for college, certainly not everyone in the Duggars' social circle are opposed to women going to college. Most of the Bates women old enough to do so have, and so did Marjorie, the woman Josiah briefly courted a few years ago. We don't know exactly what the Caldwells believe about this.

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  24. I wonder how miss Renee felt knowing Kendra's wedding dress tore before the weddin?

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  25. It's so annoying. Our one cable provider hasn't put up anything since Joy's wedding a year ago, we haven't been able to see any. Tlc wont let people in Australia watch episodes on their site, Amazon won't let us buy, and youtube won't play. It is not fair.

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