S09.E13: Jill's Wedding

[Chai]

I was cringing watching the little girls on the wedding altar. I thought they looked cute when they were all first getting on the altar, but I wanted someone to walk them around off the other side and bring them to a bench to watch over them and not disrupt the service. 

During the wedding, we have Ben say to Jessa, "we will be getting engaged soon" and on the news I hear their wedding took place yesterday! Does ANY part of this reality tv have any reality in it? LOL!

[duggarshow]

I would like to see Jim Boob's receipts. He is LYING. Didn't he claim last week that one could have a "lovely wedding" on "surprisingly little money"? He's expecting the viewers to believe they spent $200 per guest on that wedding? They don't live in a coastal state, they did not serve a sit-down dinner or alcohol to their guests... Here we go, ladies and gentlemen!

    Photography: Comped due to publicity and the family most likely got copies of everything People took as well as part of the deal.

    Invitations: Let's be generous -- $500. If they were done at Costco's print shop, perhaps less. Envelopes would be included in the order. We'll throw in $250 for postage. It remains unknown how many of those invitations were actually mailed; most fundies simply put an invitation on the bulletin board at church and call it good.

    Jill's dress and accessories -- FREE. The bridal shop was named on-air, their signage was shown on-air, and she's not paying one red cent for a dress after that.

    Bridesmaid dresses: Thanks to Jana, less than $500. Shoes were free. (Sponsor comp!) If they paid for the "test hairdo" salon, I'd be shocked.

    Michelle's dress: Maybe $100

    Jim Boob's suit: Maybe $100

    Suits for the rest of the Duggars: Less than $1000, if they weren't free. (Does Jim Boob believe that we don't realize he probably called up Men's Wearhouse or something and got a huge deal?) Fabric and notions for ties: $100

    Flowers: I'm guessing less than $1000. She didn't have wall-to-wall roses. She didn't have centerpieces. There were very few flowers in the church.

    Church rental: They didn't pay a red cent for that. Seriously. If they did, I'd be floored. I'm guessing they also didn't pay people like Erin Paine. The pastor's honorarium is usually $100-150.

    Wedding coordinator: $1000. Maybe.

    Janitorial staff: An offering. Jim Boob's cheap, so I'm guessing less than $250.

    Jill and her sisters stayed in a hotel the night before. Let's be generous. $200

    Cake for the reception: Jim Boob seems to forget that the rest of the world knows one can get a half sheet cake at Costco for less than $25 that will feed 48 nicely. The teeny pieces that were being handed out meant they got 100 pieces out of each half-sheet, so let's do the math. I'm estimating $750 for cake.

    $200 for cake mixes/frosting/cookie ingredients

    $50 for pickles

    $50 for popcorn machine

    less than $200 for paper products, cups for "root beer floats" and powdered lemonade

    $200 for generic root beer and generic ice cream

    I estimate less than $1500 for that train wreck of a reception, since they decorated NOTHING and the lopsided "love cake" was most likely donated by the woman who's hoping others will want to get their cake "where Jill Duggar got hers".

    The getaway truck was donated.

    Extra security might have been a couple thousand dollars. I'm sure People and TLC absorbed that cost to protect their investment.

    So, in other words, Jim Bob Duggar is expecting us all to believe that he spent in excess of $100,000 for the "home" reception? What were they serving? Filet mignon? I'll bet it was barbecue or some other large-scale food like lasagnas or casserole (TTC, anyone?) I'm betting the reception at home was less than $3K because they have their own soda machine and they most likely brought home lemonade and generic root beer...

 

My grand total, and I'll throw in $1000 for incidentals that crop up at the last minute... $6600.00.

Go ahead, Jim Boob. Show your receipts, cheapskate.

 

Jim Bob isn't lying. He never said he spent $200,000 on the wedding. Nor did he ever state that is cost $200,000 of TLC or anyone else's money. One of the tabloid tv shows made that claim (I think it was TMZ). At least snark fairly.

[Dejana]

A chyron during the show said that if the weddings of every Duggar daughter cost the national average (which will probably never happen), then that would amount to $200,000. This factoid got twisted, making it onto E! News as, "Jill's wedding cost 200K!" By the looks of things, it didn't even cost a tenth of that. It's more Jim-Bob's style to brag about how much money he's saved, as opposed to spent.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Dejana

[PlanetSassy]

Rewatching on TLC now, and it really strikes me how sick & sad it is for couples like this to be thrown into a marriage together, with a person they've never spent any time alone with. It may have been discussed before, but how do the fundys view divorce?

[GEML]

I doubt JB paid for any of it. I imagine that money from PEOPLE goes to Jill and Jessa (and their now husbands) and that is the money they used for wedding expenses, their honeymoons, etcetera. TLC would help ensure that they were able to get sponsorships (such as wedding gown subsidies) and perhaps the wedding special is their money as well.

For all the crying about giving his children away, I doubt that this included paying for much.

[Darknight]

I doubt JB paid for any of it. I imagine that money from PEOPLE goes to Jill and Jessa (and their now husbands) and that is the money they used for wedding expenses, their honeymoons, etcetera. TLC would help ensure that they were able to get sponsorships (such as wedding gown subsidies) and perhaps the wedding special is their money as well.

For all the crying about giving his children away, I doubt that this included paying for much.

I don't know why JB is so cheap. You don't have to spend a ton of a good wedding, but it shouldn't look like u don't care about your daughters getting married

[GEML]

If he were actually giving each child a house and/or setting them up with a business I wouldn't mind so much. But we have all of this endless "you can rent until I sell the house" and I am still wondering just how Jessa and Ben make this work unless JB supports them, in which case, you can't really make the argument that they married as two adults, which, say what you want, he and Michelle managed to do. So maybe the way he raised his children turns out not to be so superior to the way his "godless" father raised him?

[msblossom]

I don't know why JB is so cheap. You don't have to spend a ton of a good wedding, but it shouldn't look like u don't care about your daughters getting married

I agree with you.

My Aunt and Uncle were very wealthy millionaires, but my Uncle was the cheapest person I ever knew (my Aunt was not, so she balanced him out quite well). Anyway, he always insisted on buying the bruised up bananas with the ends cut off at the grocery store as well as the banged up canned foods because they were marked down. He also preferred to shop at consignment stores for things like sweaters and shirts rather than pay department store prices, although he purchased items like pants and suits at regular stores bc he was 6' 5". He purchased near new vehicles at auction, mostly. That said, he was very generous and paid for my college tuition and a used vehicle for me at auction. He paid for all his children and grandkids college tuition and left them all with a very nice inheritance. Oh, another funny thing about him was once he retired he would daily go to Nordstrom Cafe and spend 25 cents on a cup of coffee and get multiple free refills while reading their daily newspaper (that he didn't have to pay for) every morning. They knew him there by name! At any rate, with all his thriftiness, you wouldn't guess by looking at his lifestyle or anyone in the family as cutting corners, bc he was always a classy guy, just cheap.

Regarding the Duggars, I think the family thinks they are ministering to their viewers by showing off their thrifty ideology to teach us their ways and call it ministry in order to justify to themselves for doing a TV series and and making a boatload of $$ from it.

Edited for typos.

Edited November 2, 2014 by msblossom

[NikSac]

I don't know why JB is so cheap. You don't have to spend a ton of a good wedding, but it shouldn't look like u don't care about your daughters getting married

 

Very well said. At least look like you care!  I thought Jill and Derick were actually pretty cute when they were alone, but I hadn't really thought about how cheap the wedding was until I read here more.

 

I agree with you.

My Aunt and Uncle were very wealthy millionaires, but my Uncle was the cheapest person I ever knew (my Aunt was not, so she balanced him out quite well). Anyway, he always insisted on buying the bruised up bananas with the ends cut off at the grocery store as well as the banged up canned foods because they were marked down. He also preferred to shop at consignment stores for things like sweaters and shirts rather than pay department store prices, although he purchased items like pants and suits at regular stores bc he was 6' 5".

 

That's probably why they were so wealthy! 

[msblossom]

Yes, that, and he made a lot of very good real estate investments. They both held doctorate degrees in education and were very wise about a lot things, but they never neglected to invest in those they cared about and were very generous and kind to us.

[RazzleberryPie]

I don't know why JB is so cheap. You don't have to spend a ton of a good wedding, but it shouldn't look like u don't care about your daughters getting married

For years it was because he had to be cheap to feed, clothe and house a huge family. Now, I think it's just a pissing contest and control issue to prove he can weasel people down to a better deal due to his amazing negotiating skills.

[WTFFF]

JimBob loves to feel like he's gotten away with something.  You can see it in that smirk-followed-by-that-asshole-chuckle-he-does face he pulls every time he gets a "deal" or talks about one. 

 

He's a sad, sad little man who needs to feel like he can exert power over people.

[Jellybeans]

Well, maybe I am showing my age here... but when it comes to weddings, I do not see where it is written in stone that mom and dad somehow "owe" their children assistance with a wedding. Even if they are wealthy, parents are not obligated to provide a wedding for anyone.

It is a gift...from the parents when any expenses are picked up.

[Barb23]

Well, maybe I am showing my age here... but when it comes to weddings, I do not see where it is written in stone that mom and dad somehow "owe" their children assistance with a wedding. Even if they are wealthy, parents are not obligated to provide a wedding for anyone.

It is a gift...from the parents when any expenses are picked up.

Yes weddings are a gift from parents in a "normal" family. But many on this forum, myself included, think that Boob has socked away the money the adult children have earned from TLC, People, etc. So even tho they are adults, most of the adult children couldn't afford to help pay for a wedding on their own.

[kassygreene]

Cultural expectations vary.  Sometimes the show the parents of the bride (and sometimes the groom) make puts the parents' and family's status and wealth on display. This is especially true where status is tied to the size and generosity of the party you throw.  Sometimes it's a way for the parents to brag.  Sometimes a spoiled "princess" is expecting her day/week/year to be expensively indulgent.

 

For the Duggars, the childrens' weddings are a way to make money: directly, through the show, and indirectly, through the acquired "cred" (what is the fundy equivalent of street cred?).  Most people are willing to invest money to make money.  Boob & Mechelle, not so much.

[BradandJanet]

Frugality is part of the Duggar shtick. They had to be careful about spending before they became famous, but now they keep at it so they can blather on about being frugal. I think a lot of their fans project their own circumstances on the Duggars and would have trouble identifying with them if they displayed wealth.

 

That said, I agree that the kids should see some of this money since the kids were essential in earning it.

[MarysWetBar]

Well, maybe I am showing my age here... but when it comes to weddings, I do not see where it is written in stone that mom and dad somehow "owe" their children assistance with a wedding. Even if they are wealthy, parents are not obligated to provide a wedding for anyone.

It is a gift...from the parents when any expenses are picked up.

It is correct that parents don't owe their children a fancy wedding. However, these parents have made a pretty penny off their children and have also had unpaid labour from the girls for years. If any of those older girls invoiced for their time spent childrearing, cooking and cleaning for children they didn't give birth to, they could all afford lavish weddings and also nice down payments on houses. In this case, those lazy bad parents DO in fact owe their children, imho. Edited November 3, 2014 by MarysWetBar

[GEML]

And see, given their world, I don't think the weddings have been particularly "cheap" - just that the family isn't very stylish and that's what we are seeing. I imagine that the real reception back at the house had food and plenty of it. Sure, it might have been heated lasagna, bagged salad and breadsticks, but at three hundred people, that's still a decent bit of work to put together, provide and clean up afterwards.

I think the weddings are a little tacky and moralistic (the whole kissing thing is getting pretty tiresome) but by the standards of the people they are actually inviting as guests, what is expected of them and doing more risks flaunting their wealth and fame and rubbing it into people's faces who have SO much less as much as it does proving how much they love their children.

[Darknight]

Well, maybe I am showing my age here... but when it comes to weddings, I do not see where it is written in stone that mom and dad somehow "owe" their children assistance with a wedding. Even if they are wealthy, parents are not obligated to provide a wedding for anyone.

It is a gift...from the parents when any expenses are picked up.

JB owes his kids a lot more than a wedding. He owes them for years of pimping them out on national tv and raising their siblings. And how would these kids pay for a wedding if they can't even get a regular job?? Edited November 3, 2014 by Darknight

[TessHarding2]

JB couldn't find "used food" left over from another wedding or buffet? 

A co-worker of mine, after her daughter's wedding. told me the venue was putting the wedding left-overs on their buffet to re-sell it. I would have called  the Health Dept on them, myself.

 

This made me laugh so much, this is my laugh of the week and the week hasn't even started!

 

[NikSac]

And see, given their world, I don't think the weddings have been particularly "cheap" - just that the family isn't very stylish and that's what we are seeing. I imagine that the real reception back at the house had food and plenty of it. Sure, it might have been heated lasagna, bagged salad and breadsticks, but at three hundred people, that's still a decent bit of work to put together, provide and clean up afterwards.

I think the weddings are a little tacky and moralistic (the whole kissing thing is getting pretty tiresome) but by the standards of the people they are actually inviting as guests, what is expected of them and doing more risks flaunting their wealth and fame and rubbing it into people's faces who have SO much less as much as it does proving how much they love their children.

 

Weren't there hundreds of volunteers too? I hope they at least got fed.

 

Funny enough I've been to a wedding that was lasagne, bagged salad, and breadsticks... those of us close to the bride and groom were asked to bring a lasagna.  It felt way more personal than Jill and Derick's wedding though. I think you're right GEML they probably have to balance things money wise. Not that many people get famous for having tons of kids and I can see how that'd be really awkward.

[HeyNow]

I was thinking about this going barefoot as a bride business.  For a while, the older girls seemed to take an awful lot of pride in wearing their flipflops, even in questionable and unsanitary situations.  Some have speculated (me included) that they would pay the price later in foot problems.  Do you think they already have such problems?  Or could it be just that last holdout, that last prideful "I can wear what I want - or not - on my own danged feet, and what's it to you?"  (paraphrasing, of course)

[kelslamu]

Mechelle's dress is just a mishmash of unfortunate.

[NikSac]

I was thinking about this going barefoot as a bride business.  For a while, the older girls seemed to take an awful lot of pride in wearing their flipflops, even in questionable and unsanitary situations.  Some have speculated (me included) that they would pay the price later in foot problems.  Do you think they already have such problems?  Or could it be just that last holdout, that last prideful "I can wear what I want - or not - on my own danged feet, and what's it to you?"  (paraphrasing, of course)

 

You may well be right!

 

I've been to one wedding where the bride was barefoot (and pregnant, actually... she thought it was really funny and I agreed with her). I can't imagine them (the Duggars) having such bad foot problems at such a young age. Though I do love the thought about Jill deciding what she's wearing, or not.

Edited November 3, 2014 by NikSac

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Athlete's Foot anyone?!?   

[Turquoise]

Rewatching on TLC now, and it really strikes me how sick & sad it is for couples like this to be thrown into a marriage together, with a person they've never spent any time alone with. It may have been discussed before, but how do the fundys view divorce?

I've never been fundie, but from my understanding it's pretty much unthinkable. A lot of conservative religions will say that divorce is O.K. for adultery or abuse (though even then they encourage reconciliation), but you will be treated differently going forward because you are a "tainted" divorced person. My experience: I was the secretary at a Southern Baptist church when my first husband ran off with another woman. There were people in the church who actually approached the pastor and asked when I would be fired (even though they knew I was now raising my son on my own) because I was now divorced, and they did not feel I should hold a visible role in the church (needless to say, I am no longer a Baptist, but still a Christian). So I have to imagine that fundie churches are much, much worse than that.

[joanofarch4]

I was bored late yesterday afternoon (although I could've scrubbed the bathroom) and they were replaying the wedding, and I ended up re-watching it, parts of it in slow-motion, and that was highly entertaining!  It's definitely better the second time around, like warmed-up leftovers.  But I don't know if I'm losing my hearing or they're mumbling or Jim, the soundman, is falling down (or possibly asleep) on the job...  Does JB say to Jill, just before they walk out, "It's your time?"  And when he tells her for the bazillionth time that he loves her as they're interminably standing there exchanging sweet nothings (which gives me the willies), does she answer, "Praying for peace"?  LOL

[GEML]

The thing about fundie churches is that they can go either way.  I've seen people be outright frightful (such as Turquoise's story) and I've seen churches pull together around someone.  And what's odd is that there is no rhyme or reason behind it, and you can get two different reactions even within the same congregation depending on where the congregation itself is at that moment in time.  For instance, if the congregation itself feels attacked or persecuted in some way, then they tend to rally around, regardless of whether or not the person who is divorcing is "right" or "wrong."  But if the church is confident or in a period of self-righteousness, then they come across that way - such as the story above.  Congregations are living organisms, and they change and grow and move and breathe.  It's not easy to predict from the outside what they will do, or make a judgment call across time, because what was acceptable in the 1970's, becomes taboo in the 1980's, then opens up in the 1990's, then is ok again in the 2000's, then is prohibited again the 2010's.....

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Does JB say to Jill, just before they walk out, "It's your time?" 

 

 

I am pretty sure Jim Bob said "It's showtime!"

[joanofarch4]

I am pretty sure Jim Bob said "It's showtime!"

That's the JB we know and love!

[mmecorday]

I now know that when I get married, I'm going to hire a wedding director who looks a little like Nellie Oleson and kind of acts like her too.

Speaking of, didn't that dingbat ever once consider the possibility that the ice cream might melt before the reception? What exactly was the point of scooping the ice cream before hand? Not everyone likes root beet floats (Hey, Jessa!). They should have set up a root beer float station or something.

What was the deal with Michelle's dress. Honestly, did she see Dorothy Zbornak's wedding dress and say, "I want that, only in the color of duct tape." (Of course she's never heard of "The Golden Girls." What with all the defrauding and bed-hopping and such.)

Let's not dwell on the siblings' thoughts about something, especially if they are not particularly insightful, mkay? When Jessa's wedding airs, are we going to hear each brother and sister mumble something along the lines of "I can't believe Jessa is getting married!" over and over? And I guess we'll find out what Jessa's cutesy nickname is. My guess is Jessa -Bug.

[BitterApple]

 

Speaking of, didn't that dingbat ever once consider the possibility that the ice cream might melt before the reception? What exactly was the point of scooping the ice cream before hand? Not everyone likes root beet floats (Hey, Jessa!). They should have set up a root beer float station or something.

 

The single-minded obsession over the root beer floats was odd. If they had set up the station, it would have given guests the additional option of having just a dish of ice cream if they didn't like root beer. People could also have had a scoop of ice cream to go along with their cake as well. The whole endeavor just seemed like a big waste of time considering the floats ended up melting anyways (thanks Jinger!).

 

Given how snarky both Jessa and Jinger were over the floats, I'm wondering if they tried to tell Jill it was a bad idea and Jilly Muffin insisted on going ahead with it anyways.

Edited November 3, 2014 by BitterApple

[Almost 3000]

I now know that when I get married, I'm going to hire a wedding director who looks a little like Nellie Oleson and kind of acts like her too.

Speaking of, didn't that dingbat ever once consider the possibility that the ice cream might melt before the reception? What exactly was the point of scooping the ice cream before hand? Not everyone likes root beet floats (Hey, Jessa!). They should have set up a root beer float station or something.

What was the deal with Michelle's dress. Honestly, did she see Dorothy Zbornak's wedding dress and say, "I want that, only in the color of duct tape." (Of course she's never heard of "The Golden Girls." What with all the defrauding and bed-hopping and such.)

Let's not dwell on the siblings' thoughts about something, especially if they are not particularly insightful, mkay? When Jessa's wedding airs, are we going to hear each brother and sister mumble something along the lines of "I can't believe Jessa is getting married!" over and over? And I guess we'll find out what Jessa's cutesy nickname is. My guess is Jessa -Bug.

Its Jessa Blessa. Yes, really.

[Skittl1321]

 

 And I guess we'll find out what Jessa's cutesy nickname is. My guess is Jessa -Bug.

 

 

Haven't they always called her Jessa-blessa?

[floridamom]

I'm glad it's not just me, but I think the background music on the show is just too loud that I can't understand what they are saying sometimes. Their diction is terrible, the speed in which they alternate during a sentence, and they step away from the microphone,, mid "word" makes it hard to follow audio wise, sorry Mr. Jim, but I don't know what's going on with the show and it's broadcast sometimes.. I don't have hearing loss, as I have been checked for that, so it's got to be the audio on the show combined with the Duggar speech. Yes, I too had to rewind a few times to understand what JB and Jilly said to each other before entering the church.. it was "it's showtime" and she did reply "I'm praying for peace". That didn't make sense to me. I don't know what she meant by that....

[PityFree]

What did Jill get for her bridesmaids' gifts? What did Derrick get for his groomsmen?

[lottiedottie]

I finally saw the moment where Jill licked Derickdillard's fingers...Did you see the way she grabbed his hand and shoved his fingers in her mouth?! LOL If I knew how to make a gif of that, I would.

[luvbadtv]

I finally saw the moment where Jill licked Derickdillard's fingers...Did you see the way she grabbed his hand and shoved his fingers in her mouth?! LOL If I knew how to make a gif of that, I would.

 

 

 

I saw this move as more of  a motherly move -something she would have done to her buddies.  

[abseedee]

What did Jill get for her bridesmaids' gifts? What did Derrick get for his groomsmen?

The only gift I know of was the Nepalese knives Derick gave to his brother Dan.,

[HeyNow]

Yes, I too had to rewind a few times to understand what JB and Jilly said to each other before entering the church.. it was "it's showtime" and she did reply "I'm praying for peace". That didn't make sense to me. I don't know what she meant by that....

I thought that just meant that she had the jitters and that praying for peace was her way of coping.

[NikSac]

Mechelle's dress is just a mishmash of unfortunate.

 

And aluminum foil.

[crouton]

Its Jessa Blessa. Yes, really.

Oh my god, I thought this was a sarcastic nickname that was born here.

[Lucygirl2]

I don't understand how these chaperoned courtships are supposed to work in regards to building a foundation for a strong, healthy marriage.  First of all, you grow up not really being able to interact with peers of the opposite sex (unless they are siblings) to being able to choose your mate out of a handful of people your parents deem appropriate & even after all that, you have to be chaperoned every moment, not only on dates but texts need to be group texts.  I don't know how you would begin to get to know someone well enough to marry them.  With your every interaction monitored, how to you get to learn someone's hopes & dreams?  But I guess I keep forgetting these people don't really allow their children to have hopes & dreams beyond marrying & procreating... The creepiest part, to me, is if the wedding is at 2pm then at 1:45pm, no kissing & side hugs only, 2pm kiss the bride & 2:15pm go & multiply.

[joanofarch4]

Rich people -- not just fundamentalists and not just the Duggars -- get rich precisely by being "cheap" (I prefer "frugal" and consider a wedding day to be the single biggest waste sanctioned by society).  You don't throw money away frivolously with both hands and accumulate wealth or become independently wealthy; just sayin'!

 

I'm still curious to know what Derrick was trying to say when he began with "People were so..." and Jill interrupted with, "I was a stress-free bride!"  Between her me-me-me and having to be in constant contact with her husband (and his mom's cancer), hope Derrick's ok.

[WTFFF]

 And I guess we'll find out what Jessa's cutesy nickname is. My guess is Jessa -Bug.

 

 

It's Jessa-Blessa.  Jana's is Jana-Banana.  They're really into rhyming this stuff, I guess (also repeating syllables - Joe-Joe, Joy-Joy, Jin-Jin).  I'm just glad we'll never have to hear the phrase "Jilly-muffin" again.  I always thought that sounded weirdly disgusting (though I always had fun referring to her as that when she was being an insufferable fundie princess), and having to hear it every five seconds this season has put my teeth on edge.

 

BTW, James's nickname is Jamesy-bug.  So you were right that they used that nickname on one of their kids!

Edited November 3, 2014 by WTFFF

[GEML]

Well, arranged marriages DO function pretty well, overall, and it isn't on Christian ultra-fundamentalists who do them.  They are just such a foreign concept to most of us.  I personally find them dreadful to think about, but I will say that I've known a handful of people who are arranged marriages, and all of them did have, at least from the outside, as good of a marriage in the long term as any who chose for love.  If you grow up expecting that, it must make it far easier to accept, and you are pretty much cut off from throwing the curve ball of meeting too many people who would disrupt that process (although we do, of course, speculate about say, Jana and the guy Frank from the TLC production team).  But I'll admit, it's really hard, even with a good imagination, putting yourself into someone else's hands when it comes to marrying someone else.

[WTFFF]

A lot of cultures emphasize practicality in arranged marriages, though.  I feel like the reality of an arranged marriage doesn't it the "Prince Charming" notion the Duggar girls are groomed to want.  

[superguard9]

A lot of cultures emphasize practicality in arranged marriages, though.  I feel like the reality of an arranged marriage doesn't it the "Prince Charming" notion the Duggar girls are groomed to want.  

THIS. In most other cultures that have arranged marriages, both parties (usually) enter with their eyes open and knowing what that it won't be sunshine and sparkles the minute they say "I do"

 

Wanting the Prince Charming "happily ever after" is not bad per se, but expecting it immediately with a guy your dad chose, and with whom you've never shared more than your favorite Bible verse is unrealistic

[NikSac]

THIS. In most other cultures that have arranged marriages, both parties (usually) enter with their eyes open and knowing what that it won't be sunshine and sparkles the minute they say "I do"

 

 

Even if they don't do the whole sunshine and sparkles thing (which made me laugh!), do they expect the instant baby-making in a typical arranged marriage?  I honestly don't know. I have such a hard time with the no privacy at all to kissing to "GET PREGNANT NOW." It really bugged me seeing Jill's first kiss and then knowing she was pregnant about 5 minutes later, when she couldn't do anything more than a side hug a few hours earlier. I just don't get it, I guess.

[DangerousMinds]

It's Jessa-Blessa.  Jana's is Jana-Banana.  They're really into rhyming this stuff, I guess (also repeating syllables - Joe-Joe, Joy-Joy, Jin-Jin).  I'm just glad we'll never have to hear the phrase "Jilly-muffin" again.  I always thought that sounded weirdly disgusting (though I always had fun referring to her as that when she was being an insufferable fundie princess), and having to hear it every five seconds this season has put my teeth on edge.

 

BTW, James's nickname is Jamesy-bug.  So you were right that they used that nickname on one of their kids!

I think my eyes have rolled all the way to the back of my head.