Gwen Shamblin 4: Lick the Fork

[RFsurvivor]

14 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

It was weird watching these videos and the entire thing is Gwen with brief appearances by the bride and groom! It is someone else's turn to shine Gwen! 

I don't get their whole wedding website complete with a page devoted to wedding dresses. Can regular people use the church and get a wedding dress through them or is this just to show off the weddings they host? 

Must be a member to be married there. 

[quiversR4hunting]

1 hour ago, quiversR4hunting said:

The engagement video, 4 minute mark, the little girl dancing with Mrs. Haversham, the little girl's arms were normal and bigger than Gwen's (Haversham ) arms. Wow. 

Ok, I decided to do a screenshot in case they decide to edit what we comment on, so here is the screenshot I mention in my post.

And another thing, who in the hell owns and wears that many cocktail dresses? I would never make it in that church, my idea of a great evening is jeans and either at a country bar dancing or bonfire or a regular bar hanging with friends. I have a formal wedding next weekend, I'm already uncomfortable thinking of my dress to wear. Now I like dress up, send me into Klienfields for the day, I would be in heaven,  I just don't want to be fancy very often.

[RFSurvivor_2]

1 hour ago, formergothardite said:

Can regular people use the church and get a wedding dress through them or is this just to show off the weddings they host? 

You have to be a member in order to be married at Remnant Fellowship. The ENTIRE wedding planning process including the wedding dress is subjected to “suggestions” made by the wedding planners and/or leadership. 

[RemnantSurvivor]

37 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

You have to be a member in order to be married at Remnant Fellowship. The ENTIRE wedding planning process including the wedding dress is subjected to “suggestions” made by the wedding planners and/or leadership. 

And when you are given a “suggestion” by leadership, you better do it. It’s more of a “I’m suggesting this so you can’t say I forced you but I’m really forcing you” type of thing. 

 

Members ask for Gwen/Leadership approval/input on everything from college majors to where to live, etc. 

[RFsurvivor]

2 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

And another thing, who in the hell owns and wears that many cocktail dresses?

Since many members are skinny, people would loan/switch dresses with other members. Also people who were well off would sometimes give away dresses. There is also angels armoire, the church’s version of a consignment store that has a bunch of formal wear for sale.   I didn’t realize it was weird to have so many formal dresses until it was time for me to get ready for prom and I didn’t have to buy a dress unlike my non-Remnant classmates who stressed over picking one dress when I had quite a few to pick from due to collecting over the years. 

[AliceInFundyland]

@RFsurvivor Yikes to all of this. With all seriousness I ask, have you guys ever considered having another ceremony to erase her and perhaps recreate the experience so it is yours?.......

[RFsurvivor]

2 hours ago, AliceInFundyland said:

@RFsurvivor Yikes to all of this. With all seriousness I ask, have you guys ever considered having another ceremony to erase her and perhaps recreate the experience so it is yours?.......

We totally have, but not sure we will spend the money. We would rather go on a vacation than spend the money on a wedding re-do.

[JermajestyDuggar]

18 minutes ago, RFsurvivor said:

We totally have, but not sure we will spend the money. We would rather go on a vacation than spend the money on a wedding re-do.

Maybe it can be just the two of you renewing your vows on your vacation. 

[formergothardite]

So the website is just to show off the church weddings? Does the church help pay for these weddings because there is no way I could have afforded a wedding like all the ones of the website. Are members expected to go into debt to pay for these weddings? I'm assuming that saying "I want to get married at my family farm wearing my grandma's wedding dress with my uncle leading the ceremony instead of Gwen." isn't an option for church members. I'm going to also assume that no one dares to complain that the wedding videos cut out the bride and groom to focus on Gwen. 

RF folks who read here, if you don't want your church to appear to be a cult you should really allow individuality in weddings. I spent yesterday looking at the wedding website and there is no way that many people wanted weddings that were near identical. It looks like you can pick a color for the bridesmaids, but even those seem limited.

How many of the people who get married there end up staying long term in the church?

[Soulhuntress]

Do Gwens grandkids hve a part in every last one of these RF stage plays weddings?  Seriously does not help with the "not a cult" defense.  And your posed "happy" pictures are well a bit too fake guys.  #JustSaying.

[smittykins]

Gwen was still wearing her wedding dress when they left the reception at midnight?  I got out of mine as soon as I possibly could.

[Pandora Spocks]

How many Wookies have been sacrificed to make Gwen's hair?  I can buy a bozo wig that looks more authentic, no joke. Must really suck to abuse your body to the point that you can't grow hair anymore, eh Gwen? I just can't understand how people can look at that and think, this is someone I must follow.

And for goodness sake, can't her grandkids be allowed to wear something that isn't prissy for once? Let them be normal kids or they will have a real shock when it all falls apart and they have to live  in the real world where kids don't dress like Victorians  all the time.

I am feeling extra stabby today. Editing Elizabeth out of videos and pictures won't buy her any life, and no amount of finger twitching to their god or frilly dresses will bring her back once she is gone. Your hubris is killing your kid, Gwen. Wake the f--- up!

[Tatar-tot]

Eating disorders are extremely serious.   Elizabeth probably suffers a multitude of ills from her eating habits.  

From eating disorders hope:

The health consequences related to anorexia are noticeable: emaciated appearance, dry skin, and hair, bluish fingertips, etc. Unfortunately, the long-term and far more severe medical issues cannot be seen on the surface.

The brain actually shrinks due to lack of nutrition with a commensurate lowering of IQ. The skeletal system is damaged, especially if the anorexia occurs in adolescents before the bones are fully developed. Nearly 90% of women with anorexia experience osteopenia (loss of bone calcium) and 40% have osteoporosis (more advanced loss of bone density). This bone loss is usually permanent.(1)

Because the entire hormonal system is compromised by starvation, infertility often results and can be permanent. Perhaps the most endangered organ in the body is the heart. In fact, the most common cause of death in anorexics is heart disease. Much of this is related to muscle deterioration. As the body strives to maintain life, it starts consuming its own muscle; in effect, it starts eating itself. The heart is not immune.

You can only hope that her husband loves her enough to see facade and puts his family first.   

[SuperNova]

3 hours ago, Pandora Spocks said:

Editing Elizabeth out of videos and pictures won't buy her any life, and no amount of finger twitching to their god or frilly dresses will bring her back once she is gone. Your hubris is killing your kid, Gwen. Wake the f--- up!

Pandora, I'm not taking anything away from your comment. I wholeheartedly agree with what you wrote but now I'm curious. It's obvious that something was removed from the engagement video but do we know what was taken out? And why? Whatever was removed did nothing to lessen the crazy. 

[adidas]

I looked through Elizabeth’s Instagram photos and the visible deterioration over the past 2-3 years is so clear. Someone needs to step up and get help for her  

[neurogirl]

I know the makeup, hair, tan has something to do with it but she looked so happy before. This is 9 years ago. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 minutes ago, neurogirl said:

I know the makeup, hair, tan has something to do with it but she looked so happy before. This is 9 years ago. 

If you actually look at her eyes, there is a spark in them. She has emotion and life in her face. That is completely gone now. 

[FilleMondaine]

Ok, unpopular opinion, but I heart this wedding so much. I live for bonkers weddings and my favorite weddings have been watching friends marry in comic book shops, in full ren faire regalia, and multi-day affairs of fun. 

Caveat: Gwen is obviously a terrible person, and the participants in the wedding were probably compelled. No wedding is worth putting people's lives and souls in danger. With that being said (and my repulsion at Gwen truly felt), I am going to list all the things I love about this wedding.

-Her dress. Women should be able to wear whatever they want, especially on their wedding day. I loved the froth, and thought it was so cool how her frothy dress (and frothy hair) made a halo around her when she was back-lit. And as a small-breasted woman, it is so hard to find a frothy dress that feels balanced on top when there is no chest. But her dress is cut so nicely for a small-chested woman who wants to wear a full ball-gown.

-Her decorations are so...her. There is nothing natural about them: they are all screens and technology. I never lurked long on the Remnant "weddings" pages, but there are so many natural elements in others that just aren't there in her wedding. It's so perfect.

-The kiddos dancing around their grandmother. If the kids were willing, it would be so wonderful to dance and celebrate the moment (the kiss) when someone granny loves fully enters the family. Even older people deserve to feel love again (not necessarily the case here, but just thinking the best)

-I love the rehearsed dance! It is just so "them" (again, thinking the best possible reason for those two to be together)

If only such a bonkers wedding to be done by someone better. It would be such a blast to participate in such a highly-wrought ceremony and reception!

[HerNameIsBuffy]

My daughter is here this afternoon and I made her sit through the engagement video.  (Only fair as she once made me sit through her birth which took a lot longer.)

Halfway through she looked at me and asked, "what's wrong with you? where did you even find this."

I blamed you guys because ...your fault...

She thinks I should go back to upvoting cute pics on reddit because this is apparently "weird."

She is not wrong.

[Pandora Spocks]

@SuperNova, there was apparently a more recent picture of Elizabeth on Gwenzilla's public Facebook page. It was scrubbed after FJers commented on how unwell she looked. I think the same thing happened with the engagement video, but didn't see the version that was first linked here, so can't be sure.

My comment was to tell Gwenzilla that she can hide her daughter's pictures from the public, but can't change the fact that the weigh down principles are clearly killing Elizabeth. In hospice, we have something called the "eyeball test", meaning, "would you be surprised to see this person alive a year from now. For Elizabeth, my answer is yes. She has these beautiful kids that are going to not have a mother if she doesn't get medical help. It just makes me angry. Roddess Divine is a horrible mother, but I don't think she is directly killing her children like Gwenzilla is. So yeah, jRod did one thing right in my eyes. So far.

 

[Calypso]

19 minutes ago, Pandora Spocks said:

@SuperNova, there was apparently a more recent picture of Elizabeth on Gwenzilla's public Facebook page. It was scrubbed after FJers commented on how unwell she looked. I think the same thing happened with the engagement video, but didn't see the version that was first linked here, so can't be sure.

My comment was to tell Gwenzilla that she can hide her daughter's pictures from the public, but can't change the fact that the weigh down principles are clearly killing Elizabeth. In hospice, we have something called the "eyeball test", meaning, "would you be surprised to see this person alive a year from now. For Elizabeth, my answer is yes. She has these beautiful kids that are going to not have a mother if she doesn't get medical help. It just makes me angry. Roddess Divine is a horrible mother, but I don't think she is directly killing her children like Gwenzilla is. So yeah, jRod did one thing right in my eyes. So far.

 

Commending JRod for not actively killing her children. How does the fundy parenting bar keep getting lower.. ?

[formergothardite]

Admitting that her daughter has an eating disorder would be a crushing blow Gwen's pride. She didn't just come up with a weight loss program, she is telling the world God's one true way to eat. The way they pull pictures and were defensive when they came here about how she looks like she is on death's door, makes me think that many are aware of how bad she is, but aren't willing to accept that she needs help outside of Gwen and her advice. 

[WiseGirl]

21 hours ago, formergothardite said:

Gwen really is the bride at every wedding!

  Reveal hidden contents

Maybe I still have Halloween on the brain but imo, she kind of looks like the Bride of Frankenstein in this picture you posted. Or maybe it's just the hair reminds me of Madeline Khan in Young Frankenstein? 

[SilverBeach]

49 minutes ago, Pandora Spocks said:

Gwenzilla

LOLOL

Regarding Elizabeth, her seeming lack of affect is as alarming as her extreme weight loss. She doesn't smile anymore, and has an otherworldly, almost scary look about her. I know cults distort thinking, but this is Gwen Shamblin's daughter! I hope she has tried to get Elizabeth help and we just don't know about it. How could any mother stand by and watch their child deteriorate like this?

[SuperNova]

1 hour ago, Pandora Spocks said:

@SuperNova, there was apparently a more recent picture of Elizabeth on Gwenzilla's public Facebook page. It was scrubbed after FJers commented on how unwell she looked. I think the same thing happened with the engagement video, but didn't see the version that was first linked here, so can't be sure.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought I missed something. I saw the original videos but when I rewatched the edit I couldn't tell what was removed.