Colorful Art Gallery Wedding by June Cochran Photography: Angela and George -Munaluchi Bride

Angela and George met at the airport in Nashville, TN in 2002. Angela was a flight attendant and George happened to be working the ramp. He decided to go on the plane to get a cold drink and when he did Angela relates, “We hit it off immediately, joking and laughing before it was time for passengers to board.” Years later when George was ready to propose, he surprised Angela by inviting her to his sister’s deli. While they were having dinner, the song “The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing started playing. Suddenly, the person Angela was talking to held up a “W.” As Angela looked around the room, random people in the deli stood, holding up letters that spelled out “Will You Marry Me?” When she looked to her side, George was kneeling next to her with a ring. Angela is truly an inspiration. Make sure you read her story as she details how she got over her insecurity about a noticeable scar and shares why she decided to proudly wear her short natural hair on her wedding day. Her wedding, which took place in an art gallery, is full of bright colors and her natural beauty shines through every picture captured by June Cochran Photography. You can also find more gorgeous imagery in the wedding gallery here.

Bride: Angela Howard- Flight Attendant
Groom: George Thornburgh- Provisioning Agent
Wedding Date: 04/27/2013
Venue: Space Gallery, Denver, CO

How They Met

We met at gate C7 at Nashville International Airport in September 2002. George came to my airplane to “get a cold drink.” A lot of the guys on the ramp would claim thirst just for an opportunity to check out the flight attendants. We hit it off immediately, joking and laughing before it was time for passengers to board. As luck would have it, I was scheduled to fly through Nashville each week the following month and we agreed to meet on what we now call “gate dates.” He showed up each week to see if I was there, but he had no idea that I changed most of my schedule. On the last week of the month, George decided to meet the plane one last time on the off chance I would be there. I was!! We exchanged numbers and the rest is history. To this day, George still insists he was really just thirsty!

The Proposal
George and I were in Olympia, WA to visit family. A dinner with friends at his sister’s deli was planned for our second night. When we got there, I took my seat and chatted with our table mates while George was “helping” his sister in the kitchen. George came back to the table and “The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing started playing. I heard the music change in the background, but really didn’t think much of it until the person I was talking to stopped mid conversation and stood up, holding a sheet of paper with a “W” printed on it. All of a sudden, the people who I thought were just regular diners each stood with their letters spelling out “Will You Marry Me?” Next thing I knew, George is kneeling next to me with a ring. I was absolutely floored!! We’d spent the entire day together and George never appeared nervous or let on that something big was happening. It was an amazing night. So much excitement that we never actually ate dinner!

Description of Event

We got engaged in October 2012 and neither of us wanted a long engagement. We’d dated for several years and wanted to do something fairly simple. We’d initially planned to get married in the mountains. We even discussed including one of our favorite pastimes, skiing! I wanted nothing more than to ski down the mountain in my white dress!! Then I met Randy Fenoli from Randy to the Rescue. After saying yes to my dress, there was no way I was going to risk a snag or tear by flying down mountain. Further, the owner of the home we’d selected for our festivities decided that she wanted no more than 30 people in her home…..we expected at least 60. Back to the drawing board!

With 2 months to go, we set out to find a new venue. Space Gallery had been at the top of my list of dream places. It wasn’t too formal or fancy, it had multiple rooms for people to spread out and was near downtown. Oh….and of course, the art! Very little decorating was needed since a nice exhibit opened a week before our wedding. The timing couldn’t have been better! The paintings up for our wedding were colorful, fun and bright…..just like us!

Wedding Style

I’m not exactly a “girly girl” and certainly didn’t have a wedding “style.” I’d expected to find a nice white dress off the rack. Had little interest in shopping for a wedding gown. I’m tiny and was concerned that I’d drown in a big dress. I’d heard horror stories about huge alterations bills and really wanted to avoid that whole scene. Besides, I have a large scar on my arm. I was concerned about that scar showing in all my pictures. I wanted my guests to see me and didn’t want to be self conscious about the scar. I’d decided that in addition to a petite, unadorned gown, I’d also need sleeves.

Fortunately, my photographer shared that Randy Fenoli was coming to Denver and I knew I had to meet him! When we found out that I was selected, I kind of decided right then that I would let him help me find the perfect dress. I tried on five gowns that were brought over from anna bé. The second one I tried on was special, but I wasn’t convinced and kept trying on others. I kept going back to the second one, I liked the fit, the color, the clean lines and simple style. I tried it on another time and immediately teared up. That was my dress!

My hair was a different story! I have a natural TWA (teeny weeny afro). I felt like I had to have hair, braids or something, but that just wasn’t me. I wanted to look like myself in every way. That included my hair. After searching on line for some sort of head piece, I found just what I was looking for on Pinterest! A simple headband with layered pieces of fabric to resemble a flower. It was perfect! I actually made it the morning of my wedding!!

Joy and all the ladies from anna bé were so good to me! They knew we didn’t have much time with a short engagement, but they were so accommodating, even working around my flying schedule. Their shop was comfortable and bright with lots of mirrors. I still shake my head when I think that I just wanted to avoid the whole bridal salon. Going to the shop for fittings helped provide the whole bridal experience for me. And of course getting to leave the shop with my huge white garment bag! Everyone should get to experience that!

Culture

The most memorable part of the day for me was when I first saw George. We had a “first look” where we saw each other before the ceremony. We met in the hallway outside of our suite and had a really special moment between the two of us. Being with him helped calm my nerves and took my mind off of everything else. Reminded me that it was really about the two of us and none of the other millions of things a bride worries about. We actually rode to the venue in a cab together. Some thought that was strange, but it was total Angela and George. We giggled and joked with each other the whole way over. Perfect start for a perfect event!!

You Make Loving You So Easy

From the Groom… I love her smile! She is one of the most upbeat and positive people I know, always seeing the bright side of things and digging for a silver lining when things seem a little dim. No matter what, that smile is always present! It lights up a room, draws people to her and always makes me feel warm and loved. She is beautiful inside and out!

From the Bride…George has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. I can see every part of him in those baby blues! You know how you can look at someone and you just get them? George’s eyes reflect who he is as a person. Crystal clear, gentle and a little adventurous, too! His eyes remind me of our favorite things….the blue ocean and a bright blue sky!