Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Derick Dillard!
19 Kids and Counting‘s Jill Duggar wed Derick Dillard today at Cross Church in Springdale, Ark., People reports. The couple said their vows in front of 1,000 guests, including Derick’s mother, who was unable to attend Friday’s rehearsal because she is battling cancer.
To close out the ceremony, the newlyweds shared their very first kiss — which both previously said they were eagerly awaiting.
“I think it is safer and makes it more special to wait to kiss until your wedding day,” Jill previously told People.
Derick added, “You can really get to know each other on every level without the physical part of it.”
Jill looked gorgeous in a beautiful gown with a modest neckline, cap sleeves, a cinched waist and train. (Possibly an adapted version of this dress from Allure Bridals.) She wore her hair loose beneath a lace veil.
And here’s a shot that includes her full train — just click to enlarge:
Derick and his groomsmen wore gray suits that looked lightweight enough to be mostly comfortable in the Arkansas heat.
After the ceremony, Jill’s extremely large family had plenty to say about welcoming a new son-in-law/brother-in-law.
“I’m very excited at this wedding,” 10-year-old Jackson Duggar said. “Derick is like a brother already. He tells jokes [and] he plays around with us.”
Jinger Duggar added of her older sister’s marriage, “Jill is just enjoying this time. Derick has such a tender, caring heart. I couldn’t have picked a better person for my sister. We are going to miss her so much.”
Dad Jim Bob Duggar said he is really going to miss having Jill around the home, as she will be the first daughter to move away. He explained that really hit him when she packed her bags the other night.
“We all realized she was really leaving,” Jim Bob said. “We are so glad that Derick is an answer to her prayers. It’s an emotional time, but a joyful time.”
After tonight’s reception — which likely won’t involve drinking or dancing, as per the Duggar’s ways — Jill and Derick will take off for their honeymoon.
Following their romantic vacation, Jill and Derick will settle down in Northwest Arkansas, where she works as a midwife and he is an accountant for the Walmart corporate headquarters.
