Plantation Weddings: Exploring The History And Controversy

A plantation wedding is a wedding held on a former slave plantation. These venues are often marketed as classic or timeless places to celebrate a couple's big day, but critics argue that they are physical reminders of human rights abuses and the violent conditions Black people faced under slavery.

Plantations are sites of violence and brutality, where enslaved people lived and worked in forced labour camps. Despite this, some couples still choose to get married on plantations, with some of the most in-demand venues hosting over 100 weddings a year.

The romanticisation of plantation weddings

Plantations have long been marketed as romantic venues for weddings, perpetuating a myth of antebellum life. However, this romanticisation ignores the violent history of these sites as places where humans were enslaved, abused, and separated from their families.

Plantations are monuments to American slavery, where millions of Black people were enslaved, tortured, and murdered. And yet, they continue to be sought-after wedding venues, with some couples even posing for photos in front of slave cabins.

The preference for plantation weddings is often justified as a practical or economic choice, with some venues being booked over a year in advance. In addition, some couples claim that they are reclaiming the past and rising above racism by choosing these venues. However, this reasoning fails to acknowledge the inherent racism and violence that plantations represent.

The romanticisation of plantations as wedding venues is not a harmless trend. It perpetuates a false and harmful narrative that erases the suffering and trauma endured by enslaved people and their descendants. By ignoring the true nature of plantations, we risk perpetuating racism and white supremacy.

In recent years, there has been a growing consensus that plantation weddings are deeply inappropriate. Several wedding-oriented companies, such as Pinterest, The Knot, and Zola, have stopped promoting plantation weddings and using language that romanticises them. Additionally, some wedding planners, particularly Black wedding planners, have spoken out against the practice.

It is important to recognise that plantations are not just beautiful homes or restored homes, as some commenters have suggested. They are sites of immense suffering and trauma, and using them as wedding venues is a failure to confront and address this painful history.

While it may be challenging to find alternative venues that are affordable and convenient, it is crucial to prioritise the impact that plantation weddings have on Black people and the broader society. We must strive to make informed decisions that demonstrate our commitment to racial justice and equality.

The history of plantations

In the early 17th century, when the British colonized what would become the United States, the crown offered large plots of land to settlers as an incentive. Many settlers combined their properties into larger settlements, which eventually became plantations, with the wealthiest men governing them. As these landowners needed manpower to maintain their estates, they turned to slavery, importing captured peoples from Africa as forced laborers.

Plantations were largely self-sufficient settlements that relied on the forced labor of enslaved people. They were agricultural and livestock estates that were large enough to contain the house of the slave owner and the residences of the slaves. The slaves were used to harvest cash crops and complete other related agricultural work. The most common crops that were harvested were cotton, rice, indigo, and tobacco. These crops were labor-intensive, and African slave labor was the most economical option for many plantation owners.

The vast majority of plantations did not have grand mansions. They usually contained a smaller and more modest slave owner's house. The slave living conditions were often terrible; slave homes were small and generally one-room shacks made of wooden logs or leftover materials. In contrast, the main houses of the slave owners were typically well-constructed farmhouses, with the grandest examples belonging to the most profitable owners.

Plantations operated in the American South for more than 250 years. During Reconstruction, or the post-Civil War years, the plantation system collapsed, with many estates being subdivided and leased to Black and white farmers. Today, some plantations have become museums, memorials, and educational historic sites, though others continue to be used as wedding venues, perpetuating a myth of antebellum life.

The ethics of using plantations as wedding venues

The use of plantations as wedding venues has come under scrutiny in recent years, with many arguing that it is unethical to hold celebrations in places with such a violent and brutal history. Plantations were sites of slavery, where African people and their descendants were tortured, raped, and killed. As such, many people argue that it is inappropriate to use these spaces for joyous occasions such as weddings.

Those who oppose the use of plantations as wedding venues argue that it perpetuates a myth of antebellum life, as depicted in films like "Gone with the Wind", and undermines efforts at racial reckoning and reconciliation. They argue that plantations are monuments to American slavery and should not be used as backdrops for beautiful photos or celebrations. Additionally, the use of plantations as wedding venues can be seen as a failure to acknowledge the true nature of these spaces and the trauma they inflict on those whose ancestors suffered and died there.

On the other hand, some argue that using plantations as wedding venues can provide an opportunity to educate people about the history of slavery and confront the violence of the past. Some plantations that host weddings claim to provide a powerful opportunity to talk about the history of slavery and allow wedding groups to visit the cabins where enslaved people lived. There are also economic considerations, as weddings can provide much-needed funds to help underwrite programming and keep the doors open.

However, critics argue that the justification that weddings support educational programming is "fiction". They argue that the resources and energy spent on coordinating wedding events could be better used for educational purposes. Additionally, the use of plantations as wedding venues can be seen as a form of white supremacy and the prioritization of white Americans' feelings and experiences over those of African Americans.

Ultimately, the debate over the ethics of using plantations as wedding venues centres around issues of historical trauma, racial reconciliation, and education. While some argue that these spaces can provide an opportunity to confront the violent past and address racial trauma, others argue that it is inappropriate to use these sites for celebrations and that they should be reserved for education and remembrance.

The role of the wedding industry in promoting plantation weddings

The wedding industry has long played a role in promoting plantation weddings, with various venues, planners, and media outlets contributing to the normalisation and romanticisation of these sites. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to address the ethical implications of holding weddings on former slave plantations, with some industry leaders taking steps to distance themselves from this practice.

Plantations have long been marketed as idyllic and romantic wedding venues, with their stately mansions, sprawling acres, and "Southern charm" appealing to couples seeking a picturesque backdrop for their special day. The wedding industry, including venues, planners, and media outlets, has capitalised on this appeal, featuring plantations prominently in their marketing and contributing to the perception of these sites as desirable wedding locations.

However, there is a darker side to the history of plantations that the wedding industry has often ignored or downplayed. Plantations were sites of forced labour, torture, and brutality, where millions of enslaved Africans and their descendants suffered and died. The contrast between the beauty and grandeur of the mansions and the horrific violence and subjugation that occurred there cannot be ignored.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to address the ethical implications of holding weddings on former slave plantations. Civil rights and social justice organisations, such as Color of Change, have led campaigns to raise awareness and encourage the wedding industry to reconsider its promotion of plantations as wedding venues. As a result, some industry leaders have taken steps to distance themselves from this practice.

For example, in 2019, several major wedding planning sites, including Pinterest, The Knot, Zola, and Brides.com, announced that they would restrict content that features or romanticises plantation weddings. They have removed related words from search recommendations, displayed messages about their policies when users search for plantation wedding content, and refused to accept ads from these venues. Additionally, some former slave plantations, such as the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, have explicitly prohibited weddings and engagement photography on their grounds, choosing instead to focus on educating visitors about the history of slavery and the lives of those who were enslaved.

While these changes are a welcome step towards addressing the problematic nature of plantation weddings, there is still a long way to go. Many plantations continue to market themselves as wedding venues, downplaying or ignoring their dark histories. Additionally, some couples, both White and Black, still choose plantations as their wedding venues, either out of ignorance, a desire for a picturesque setting, or a sense of reclamation and connection to their heritage.

The experiences of those who have had plantation weddings

Christi Ascue Kershaw

Christi Ascue Kershaw, a Black woman with roots in South Carolina's African-American Gullah Geechee traditions, chose Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in Charleston for her 700-guest wedding in 2009. She said that beyond the beauty of Boone Hall, a part of her wedding dream since high school, "we went there to honour those who built the plantation." Her mother, Pearl Vanderhorst Ascue, added that they were "back to the plantation — but it is for a different reason. Our ancestors, their spirit is still there for sure."

Maria and Julian Graves

Maria and Julian Graves, who live in Jacksonville, FL, got married at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in January. Maria, who is from Venezuela, said that she couldn't "relate on the same level" to her husband's family's discomfort with the venue because "the history is a little different." Julian, who is African American and Puerto Rican, saw the wedding as an opportunity to reclaim the past. "My ancestors very well could have been enslaved here, could have built this place," he said. "Never before did they think we would be able to possess this property, even for just one night — where we made the rules."

Tifyane Tipton

Tifyane Tipton, a 27-year-old Black woman who lives in Charleston, said she was proud to get married at Boone Hall Plantation in 2018. "This nation was built off the backs of my people," she wrote in an Instagram caption. "I thank my ancestors for all of the freedoms we have today. [...] Slavery still exists in many forms and fashions today in the U.S. [...] Are we to deny these atrocities happened? No. Are we to forget? No. That's why I got married on a plantation: to never forget where I came from AND to bring awareness to others that this DID happen [to] and will happen again if we aren't careful."

Lauren*

Lauren*, a 29-year-old woman who got married at Ormond Plantation near New Orleans in 2020, said that at the time of booking, the fact that it was a former slave property "wasn't in the front of my mind." She added that after looking into the history of the property, she didn't find any record of enslaved people. She apologised to her friends of colour, who said they understood that it was the best choice financially.

Jen*

Jen*, a 24-year-old woman who proposed to her fiancée and surprised her with an engagement shoot at Boone Hall, said that she didn't think about the history of the plantation until she was contacted for this article. "All I thought of was how beautiful the trees would look cascading over us for the engagement, and that it is where a scene in The Notebook was filmed, so that added a cool, romantic aspect to it," she said. She added that she would probably still make the same decision.

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