Being that John David Duggar was about 10 years older than his married siblings when he met Abbie Burnett, the couple chose to follow slightly different rules for themselves. In a TLC clip for an episode of "Counting On," John David explained that they decided to get a bit more cozy during their courtship and engagement. "We all get to make our decision on what our standards are, and so, we chose to be able to have some contact versus no contact," he said. "I'll put my arm around her, give her a hug, and so we thought it was more appropriate in where we are in this stage of life."
The video clip did indeed show that they had their arms around each other during their engagement photo session. Abbie even placed her hand on John David's chest, which was, of course, covered up with a shirt. The marriage proposal was also captured on film by the TLC crew. He planned an airplane theme since he is a pilot and got down on one knee inside of a hangar in Texas.
