Entertainment

Josiah Duggar & Lauren Swanson Received Some Pretty Amazing Marriage Advice

by Alana Romain

Following their recent wedding on June 30, reality stars Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson are totally ready to begin building a life together (without any chaperones!). Luckily, the young couple also have plenty of happily-married couples in their inner circle they can look up to if they need examples though, and it sounds like their parents have already stepped in to share their wisdom. This is the marriage advice Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson were given before they tied the knot, and honestly, it's pretty solid, even if you don't share their religious views.

After publicly announcing their courtship in January, and then their engagement in March, according to People, the couple made it official last month, in a ceremony at the John Brown University Cathedral of the Ozarks in their adopted home-state of Arkansas (Lauren is originally from Georgia, according to TLC). And though that might certainly seem like a whirlwind romance to many (especially since Lauren is only 19 years old!), their relationship timeline is actually pretty standard for the Duggar family. But given that they hopefully have many, many years of wedded bliss ahead of them, it sounds like turning to their parents for some guidance was a really good idea.

The couple told People that, for the most part, both sets of parents gave them the same advice about the importance of maintaining a strong sense of faith in their marriage. Josiah said their families "emphasized how important it is to keep Christ central in [their] marriage," and that "putting Christ first is the most important thing [they] can do to ensure a marriage that is strong, healthy and able to withstand all the ups and downs of life." That obviously might not be advice that feels useful to all couples, it's certainly fitting with the Duggars' super-conservative Christian approach top relationships and marriage.

The Duggars, of course, don't believe in birth control, and pre-marital kissing, full-frontal hugging, and social media use is also a no-no. They generally take a pretty strict approach to modesty too, with women and girls eschewing pants and form-fitting clothes for skirts and dresses to avoid "defrauding" men (though some of the married Duggar ladies do seem to be rethinking this strategy!). Unsurprisingly, the Swansons sound pretty similar: Lauren is the oldest of nine children, for example, and her father, Dwain Swanson, is a Christian pastor who actually officiated their wedding. Her mother, Lana, also reportedly gave birth to her youngest son, Duke, in February, so it sounds like the Swansons are also proponents of having big families. And if they intend on having even more children? It's possible that Lauren could even end up pregnant at the same time as her mom — just as Kendra Duggar's mom also happened to be expecting when she and Joe Duggar welcomed their first child, Garrett, in June.

But as much as the advice Josiah and Lauren were given may have been heavily influenced by their religious beliefs, some of it was more widely applicable to all couples. For one, Josiah told People that his parents "encouraged [him] to look for every chance to serve Lauren — to genuinely serve her and put her first," which seems like a wise sentiment for all couples (I mean, who doesn't want their spouse to make them a priority?). And Lauren shared that, actually, her parents told her much of the same thing. She said,

My parents encouraged me to be Josiah’s biggest fan, offer him support and encouragement. Think the best, never assume the worst. Be his biggest cheerleader.

In a video shared Monday, Josiah and Lauren offered up their thanks to everyone who had supported them in the lead-up to the wedding, and said they felt like their big day was "truly incredible." As for what's next for the couple? As with their married siblings, almost all of whom announced a pregnancy within a few months of getting hitched, it sounds like Josiah and Lauren have babies on their minds. Lauren told People, "We both love kids a lot. We are looking forward to raising a family together."

2018 has certainly been an exciting year so far for the newest Duggar newlyweds, and it sounds like they're loving every minute of it. Like all couples though, Josiah and Lauren will inevitably have their ups and downs, but when they do, it definitely seems like they'll have plenty of love and support from their families to help them through.