If the walls of Arlington House’s parlor could speak, they would invite you to a wedding. Not the June 30, 1831 vows between Robert Edward Lee and Mary Anna Randolph Custis, who committed their lives to each other there — although they might remind you of that. Rather, in a loud voice, these walls would trumpet the June 30, 2007 wedding between Talmadge Williams and Nina Gutierrez.
From 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Park Service rangers will host a series of interpretive and educational events about wedding customs and traditions of the mid-19th century with a focus on music, dancing, food and clothing. The day’s events will culminate in the Williams-Gutierrez wedding at 4:30 p.m. in full period clothing in the same room where the Lee-Custis wedding took place 176 years ago.
Williams is the chairman of The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, a partner with Arlington House and is president of the Arlington branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Gutierrez is an Arlington business owner and an active member of the Arlington community. The Arlington House is located at the center of the Arlington National Cemetery. For more information, call 703-235-1530. This event is free.
<i> Why the Arlington House?</i>
<b>Williams:</b> "It’s a wonderful and beautiful setting for a special event, our wedding, overlooking the nation’s capital. Most of all, it’s a chance to bring people to the house who people would otherwise not visit."
<b>Gutierrez:</b> "I feel that it is a big honor, and love the idea of being able to contribute with the fundraising for the Arlington House."
<i>If the walls in the parlor could speak, what would they say?</i>
<b> Williams:</b> "I am glad to see you here in a role other than a slave."
<b>Gutierrez:</b> "The love from our family remains here forever and welcomes you all."
<i> How did you meet?</i>
<b> Williams: </b>"We met at the office, planning for an event."
<b>Gutierrez:</b> "I am a business owner, and was invited to the NAACP to volunteer for their annual banquet, where I met Dr. Williams."
<i>How did you get engaged?</i>
<b> Williams: </b> "In a discussion, I asked her what would really make her happy. Her answer was to get married and to have a real family. So I saw this as a great opportunity to ask her to marry me. It was not planned, it just happened."
<b>Gutierrez:</b> "I felt very safe and comfortable, I was thinking that life is more enjoyable when we have someone to share it with.
<i>What happened next?</i>
<b> Williams: </b>"I announced the engagement in a small group meeting with a professor from George Mason University."
<b>Gutierrez: </b>"I called my mother."
<i>What’s the best book you read in the last year?</i>
<b> Williams:</b> I liked "Lay Bare the Heart: An Autobiography of the Civil Rights Movement by James Farmer." Also, I think "Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights" by Susan Straight spells out the courage of a woman in a mixed marriage.
<b>Gutierrez: </b>I read "Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk" by Peter Bernstein. I like how it helps the reader to understand risk, I am a risk taker."
<i>What’s your favorite movie and why?</i>
<b> Williams:</b> "I like ‘Seven Years in Tibet,’ which tells a story about finding the love of your life and marrying her."
<b>Gutierrez: </b>"My favorite movie is ‘Rocky’ because it shows what anyone can do if they have persistence and determination, as well as the need for money management. More than anything, it shows how families should stay together in the good and bad times."
<i>What’s your favorite restaurant?</i>
<b> Williams:</b> "I like the crab cakes at Carlyle Grande, the pasta seafood at the Olive Garden and the seafood at Red Lobster.
<b>Gutierrez:</b> "I like the couscous at Casablanca."
<i>What concerns do you have about the community?</i>
<b> Williams:</b> "I’m concerned about overgrowth and the lack of housing for the poor and middle class."
<b>Gutierrez: </b>"I am very concerned about the many people who have come to this country, as our ancestors did, looking for a better life and got caught in slavery. We should give them the freedom they need to get basic human needs, such as calling the police, going to the hospital and finding fair paid employment.
<i>What are your goals?</i>
<b>Williams:</b> "To bring together our families and add love that will unite us."
<b>Gutierrez:</b> "My goals are to have a peaceful life with my husband, and dedicate our free time to help others in need."