Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children made the 20-hour trip from their Arkansas home to Tennessee to attend the wedding of "Bringing Up Bates" star Michaella Bates to Brandon Keilen this weekend. Jana Duggar served as a bridesmaid in the televised wedding on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Jana was the only member of the Duggar family who was asked to be part of the wedding party, since she is reportedly one of Michaella's best friends. The Duggars are said to have arrived a day early in Tennessee to help with wedding preparations.
The Duggars shared new pictures on their official Facebook page as they prepared to go on their trip to Tennessee. On Aug. 14, the family posted six pictures of different colored dress shirts with ties and bowties captioned, "Very important part of getting ready for the great Bates wedding is sisters getting to select boys attire for the brothers!"
On the same day, they posted a picture of Jinger driving the family vehicle captioned, "Our Jinger at the helm as we make our way to the Bates wedding!"
While most of the Duggar clan drove to the wedding, the Inquisitr reports that Jill and her husband Derick, and Jessa and husband Ben took a flight from New York City to Tennessee. Duggar matriarch Michelle is said to have joined them for the flight. It was reported last week that Jill and Jessa were in New York to shoot the TLC documentary "Breaking the Silence," which was inspired by Josh's molestation scandal.
The website reports that the wedding took place at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church and that the ceremony was filmed by UP TV for the Bates' reality show, "Bringing Up Bates."
Gil and Kelly Jo Bates are known to be very close to Jim Bob and Michelle. Like the Duggars, the Bates couple have 19 children. Members of the Bates clan have appeared on past seasons of the Duggar's cancelled reality show, "19 Kids and Counting," with one 2013 episode even featuring Erin Bates' wedding to now-husband Chad Paine.
Earlier this year, Erin joked that a Bates-Duggar romance was "almost inevitable" given how much time they spend together.
"As much as we see each other, I think there's going to be an attraction somewhere," she told Entertainment Tonight in February. "I don't know where yet, but I think it's going to happen."
After Michaella's wedding, the Duggars posted on their Facebook page that they would be sharing pictures and videos as soon as possible. "For now we are still celebrating!" they added.
Michaella and Brandon's wedding will be part of a future episode of "Bringing Up Bates." The show is currently in its second season on UP TV.
