When Duggar daughter Jessa married Ben Seewald, the pair decided to honeymoon in Paris, France. Of course, the TLC cameras followed along as the pair toured the Eiffel Tower and numerous churches in the area. However, one special moment that was captured which involved the pair attaching their custom “love lock” to the bridge Pont de l’Archevêché. However, in an ironic twist of fate, the padlocks were removed and are now being auctioned off with the proceeds going to refugees.
For Duggar fans wanting to own a special piece of Duggar history, the time is now. In a moment that was captured by TLC and remembered by most Duggar fans, Ben and Jessa etched their names and wedding date into a padlock and placed it on the Pont de l’Archevêché bridge in Paris. However, not long after the Seewalds placed their love lock on the bridge, local authorities deemed the practice unstable as the bridge was being weighed down too heavily by the weight of so many padlocks. Therefore, the decision was made to cut all the love locks, but the story doesn’t end there.
The Smithsonian Magazine reported that in 2016, less than two years after Jess and Ben placed their love lock, all of the padlocks were cut from the bridge , removing the safety hazard and opening up a new view of the Seine River which had been blocked by the growing number of padlocks that were attached to the bridge’s railing.
“The hundreds of thousands of locks not only blocked a grand view of the river below, but also added so much weight to the sides of the Paris bridge that it was becoming a safety hazard. City workers recently snipped all the padlocks off and installed plexiglass panes to prevent lovers from attaching new ones.”
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After the locks were removed, many wondered what would become of the lovers’ mementos. Messy Nessy Chic reports that the fate of the love locks is now known . The padlocks are being auctioned off this month to support three local refugee charities in Paris.
“The padlocks have in fact been kept in storage all this time, the majority of them still attached to the bridge’s old railings that were also removed in the process. And now, it has been announced that every last one of the love locks are going up for auction this month to benefit three charities that help refugees in distress.”
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While some of the padlocks are being sold individually, most are being sold still attached to the old railing in large chunks with dozens of other padlocks. Unfortunately for Duggar fans hoping to purchase Jessa’s padlock, it is not being sold individually and is, instead, likely on one of the large blocks with dozens of other locks.
If a Duggar fan wanted to secure Jessa and Ben Seewald’s lock, since it is being sold along with potentially hundreds of others and a piece of bridge, it would cost roughly $13,000 not including shipping costs. Therefore, it is safe to say that most Duggar fans will likely pass on the opportunity to own a piece of Duggar history.
Though Jessa’s love lock didn’t last long in Paris, the Duggar daughter is having no problem keeping the spotlight on her family in the latest Duggar series Counting On . The series, which was originally slated Jill & Jessa: Counting On , has focused on the older Duggar children as they start their own families. Jessa has remained in a key role on the show with her wedding, honeymoon, first pregnancy and the birth of the couple’s first child Spurgeon. With Jinger Duggar recently getting married and Joy Anna Duggar announcing her engagement to Austin Forsyth, Jessa has kept up with news of her own by announcing the birth of the pair’s second child Henry.
[Featured Image by Instagram]