Damian Cohen and Brittany Baril are engaged to be married on July 7, 2018 at Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood, TN.
In the classic fairytale of Beauty and the Beast, the story revolves around a cursed beast and his transformation after he comes into contact with a beautiful, loving girl named Beauty. Although this couple’s story does not follow the story exactly, both Damian Cohen and Brittany Baril will say how their story has similar aspects, including a transformation for them both.
How it Started…
Damian and Brittany with her parents Buffie and Chuck Baril, and brothers Brandon and Baron.
Brittany explains, “For me personally, I always wanted to make others happy with me, but this led to a life of a lot of self-focus and pride growing in my heart because of constantly pursuing praise and attention from people…Looking back, I see it came from a place of always wanting others to think the best of me and to mask the selfishness and sin in my heart.”
Damian lost a total of 40 pounds since coming to Remnant Fellowship, and since has kept his weight off and found a relationship with God.
Damian shared a similar story, saying “I was raised and taught to know scripture, but it never sank into my heart. I had a lot of pride in my knowledge of the scriptures but I wasn’t living righteously. I had greed, lust, selfishness, and I was prideful. I had secret relationships because I wasn’t allowed to date until I was 18, and even then all of those relationships were very shallow.
Brittany and Damian, however, both shared how their lives began to change after coming into contact with the teachings of Gwen Shamblin and witnessing the lives of their friends and loved ones at Remnant Fellowship Church.
The Transformation
Damian Cohen and Brittany Baril with Gwen Shamblin.
“Since making the decision to fully commit to seeking this wholehearted relationship with God, I have lost 35 lbs,” Brittany shared. “I now look for the will of GOD each day and how I can glorify Him instead of myself. I have so much joy, love, and peace in my life now, and so much hope which I never would have had if it weren’t for learning how to have a personal, wholehearted relationship with God thanks to Gwen Shamblin.
The couple both readily shared their gratefulness for Remnant Fellowship Church founder Gwen Shamblin’s love and devotion to God, as well as the selflessness and effort she puts into helping each wedding be as beautiful as possible.
“I became someone who is the opposite of who I was through what I learned at Remnant Fellowship Church. Gwen taught me that I must not only know what the scripture says, but do what it says out of love for God. It has been transforming.”– Damian Cohen
Since joining Remnant Fellowship, the couple said that the relationship they have had with each other has been completely different from their past relationships. Brittany shared, “when Damian and I began dating in Remnant it was the most meaningful, peaceful, prayed over relationship of my life. We became such close friends because of our mutual desire to run after God and this life of righteousness. Knowing I had gone to God every step of the way brought SUCH an incredible peace to my heart.”
The Proposal
Just as in the story of Beauty and the Beast, when they came into contact with the truest and purest love, it transformed both Damian and Brittany inside and out. From then on, it has been much like a fairy tale for these two.
Damian shared, “Our first date was the performance of Beauty and the Beast at her school, so her mom helped her pick out a gold dress the night we got engaged. I took her out to coffee before the performance so our friends had time to set up the decorations. We got engaged at the Historic Mountview estate, and there was a single rose on the floor. When she walked in, I explained my love for her, my appreciation for her, and what God was doing in our lives and relationship, and then got down on one knee.”
Damian proposed to Brittany at Mountview Estate in December 2017.
“He’s the first man to ever be in love with me and who I’ve ever loved back, and I know this is because God helped us get our hearts to the place where we each loved HIM first.”-Brittany Baril
Brittany shared her reaction, saying “I just stood there taking it all in… The Beauty and the Beast soundtrack was playing in the background…Damian told me all that he loved about me and all that God was doing in our lives. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and of course I said, I WOULD LOVE TO!!”
The Fairytale Wedding!
The Beauty of the Beast theme of our engagement has translated into our wedding as well. I can truly say that I am marrying a handsome, noble prince that has made this life feel even more like a fairytale because of his devotion to me and to loving and serving God with all his heart.”
Brittany and Damian’s fairytale wedding is set for July 7th ,2018, with music beginning at 5:30pm CST at Remnant Fellowship Church. They are so grateful for the opportunity to be married in the church where hundreds of volunteers on the Wedding Committee, Food Committee, and Decorating Team have helped make this dream a reality!
Check out RemnantFellowshipWeddings.com for more information on the couple and the details of their wedding!
We praise God for this beautiful couple striving to put God first in their lives!
Many Thanks to Co-Writer Kate Tran.
