It wasn't your typical June wedding.
But then, nothing was typical about the wedding of Talmadge Williams and Nina Gutierrez last weekend.
The Arlington couple decided to wed in full 1830’s regalia at Arlington House, the former home of Civil War general Robert E. Lee.
The wedding took place on the 176th anniversary of Lee's marriage to Mary Anna Randolph Custis, the great granddaughter of George and Martha Washington, when he was a recent West Point graduate.
The ceremony was made all the more historically significant because the bride, the groom and a majority of the wedding party were either black or Hispanic.
"Have you ever seen a more inclusive, diverse wedding?" Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette (D), who was in attendance, asked. "It was absolutely beautiful."
The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Leonard Hamlin of Macedonia Baptist Church and by Circuit Court Judge James Almand. Some of the wedding guests also wore period garb while tourists ambling through the nearby Arlington National Ceremony stumbled upon the historic scene and watched in amazement.
The bride, who was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, arrived in a flowing peach-colored gown while the groom, a 30-year resident of Arlington, beamed in a black stovepipe hat and tails.
The wedding was the climax of The Robert E. Lee Memorial's celebration of Lee's 200th birthday. Throughout the day historical workshops and seminars educated wedding guests about the life and times of Lee and his mansion, Arlington House.
"It was really neat to learn about the history of the house," said Del. Adam Ebbin (D-49), who was decked out in a white and blue seersucker suit with an indigo bow tie.
But in the end, the day was about the newly-minted couple who, after the brief ceremony was over, were led off into the evening on a horse-drawn carriage.
"From generation to generation," Rev. Hamlin said, "There is something about uniting a man and a woman."