Finding the perfect dress is hard for any bride. But Nina Gutierrez has an added complication: Her dress must look like what a bride would have worn in the 19th century.
Gutierrez and Talmadge Williams will marry in June in the parlor of Arlington House, Lee’s home, where he wed Mary Custis in 1831. The ceremony is one of a number of events at the historic home this year commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lee’s birth.
The house, which later became part of the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, is notable because it is where he decided to resign his commission in the U.S. Army and pledge his loyalty to the Confederacy, site manager Kendell Thompson said.
When considering events that would celebrate Lee’s life, National Park Service staff hit upon the idea of a wedding. They likened Lee’s famous personal decision to a wedding, also a personal decision with public impacts.
“The central theme is one of a personal decision and the ramifications that may have for the public,” Thompson said.
That rationale led staff to reject the possibilities of having a re-enactment of the Lees’ wedding, or an acted wedding, Thompson said. Instead, they wrote local historical societies and re-enactors’ groups, asking if anyone would get married in a ceremony at Arlington House that will be open to the public.
Gutierrez and Williams were the only couple to respond. Gutierrez on Tuesday was in Gettysburg, Pa., where a seamstress who specializes in 19th century clothing styles measured her for a silk wedding dress. A tailor has fitted Williams for a blue suit with a long coat, typical of the period.
“It’s an opportunity to get married and a fundraiser for Arlington House,” Williams said of the couple’s decision to participate.
The wedding is possible in part because Arlington House is undergoing renovation and all the furniture has been moved out, Thompson said. The couple are asking their guests to donate to the renovation fund instead of bringing gifts, Williams said.
