Is a wedding at a 'plantation' bad form? or romantic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got married 20 years ago, which is almost a generation ago. My DH and i got married in a church and had our reception at Gunston Hall Plantation (George Mason's home.) I wanted a unique location. Also, I majored in History in college and liked the idea of celebrating my marriage in a historic, Virginia location. Back then, most of my friends were having receptions in hotel ballrooms and I wanted something different. The reception was not held in the home but in their museum, which is a modern building. We did take photos outside of his house and I have one of us standing in front of the house displayed prominently in my living room. The other aspect I really liked about the location is all of my guests received a guided tour of the house while we were taking photos. The thought of Mason owning slaves never entered my mind. I'm not sure if I would choose the same location today but he is a very prominent figure in our history.

Honestly, if you're white, you shouldn't be okay with this. It's white privilege to be able to pick and choose when we think about race and when we put it out of our mind, and this is all the more significant when we are talking about a building specifically constructed to profit off of the horrors of slavery. It's natural but something to be mindful about it.

Oh, get over yourself. How dare you tell someone else what they need to be "mindful" of. Who died and put you in charge?

I dare because I don't mind telling the truth, and to be honest telling somebody they need to be mindful of something is pretty tame. They should be able to handle it.

+1

I'm always trying to be more mindful of other perspectives. It's a constant process and a positive one
--person who was left in charge after George Mason died.

Well, you're failing miserably at the moment. Because anyone who is "trying to be more mindful of other perspectives" would not be so set in her ways on this position, now would she?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the issue. It's history.

Do you also not tour houses like Mount Vernon?

Mount Vernon is a museum. And they talk a lot about slavery there. Similarly, former concentration camps are now essentially museums.

Not all museums are appropriate for weddings.

But they also cater events there to pay the bills. If you want those slave quarters preserved to teach our children, the owners or nonprofits need the funds.

[Anonymous]

Someone pages back had a good observation. The past has a vote but not a veto poster. There are going to be people who will be offended by it because of slavery and they feel personally affected by it, even 150 years after the fact. But they are likely not offended by a lot of other injustices. So it's a selective offense. But they will still judge you by it.

In other words, you will never win. No matter what you decide to do someone, somewhere, will be offended by it and shame you for it.

Lesson: stop caring what others think. Do what you want to do. If you want to host a wedding on a historic site that just happened to be a plantation in the past, go for it. It means nothing and it represents nothing about your current value because it's an old historic property and a pretty site to hold a wedding. If someone is bothered by it, it's their problem, not yours.

But if you want to host the wedding on an old plantation site because you have a romantic vision of being a plantation belle with lots of black slaves waiting on you hand and foot, then yeah, there is probably something a wee bit wrong with that vision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally ok with it but you have to decide how you feel.

We are all living on land we violently took from Native Americans and we don’t let that bother us enough not to do it.

This is the truest statement in this entire thread. If you complain about plantations, you better complain about every inch of soil you step on day to day. Cause guess what, you’re just as guilty.

This is crap. No one group has special rights to a land or especially a continent. The history of the world has been peoples of all colors conquering each other and the land that goes with them. The people living in the Americas were no more deserving of its possession than the mostly peasants from Europe who took it. No guilt for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally ok with it but you have to decide how you feel.

We are all living on land we violently took from Native Americans and we don’t let that bother us enough not to do it.

This is the truest statement in this entire thread. If you complain about plantations, you better complain about every inch of soil you step on day to day. Cause guess what, you’re just as guilty.

This

You honestly don't see the difference in someone *choosing* to hold a wedding on a plantation? Seriously? And considering it "romantic"? Come on.

No, I honestly do not. Do you view the Native Americans as lesser than everyone else or something? Because you seem to have no qualms about sticking your head in the sand about the land you live on.

First, don't tell me how I live my life. Of course I don't see American Indians as lesser, and I stand up for them a hell of a lot more than I see many do (people who wear Washington football team gear, I'm looking at you).

Second, I didn't choose to be born in this country. I did choose where to hold my wedding, though, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be on a plantation.

So again, just to be clear, you’re totally cool with living your life on stolen land. You libs are absolutely hysterical the way you talk out of both sides of your mouth. The horrors perpetrated on the Native Americans aren’t the trendy issue du jour for lib America so apparently it just doesn’t matter. “But look at me! I heart the blacks! Equality for everyone!” You have zero credibility. #whatindians #hypocrite

You are pretty disconnected from reality. Issues of decolonization and repatriation have been happening in politics and academia for many years now. Almost every talk I attend includes acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization. Educate yourself on what people are actually doing about Native rights about before you start sound off like a triggered Fox News personality.

DP. Acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization? Really?

I've seen some of that but didn't realize it was mainstream. Serious talk of decolonization.

It's "mainstream" in cultural heritage fields. Canada's more ahead of the United States. It's about as serious as it can be during this administration, meaning we mostly talk about it and museums are working closely with Indigenous tribes to better contextualize or repatriate objects, but the administration continues to cause more harm.

How does this administration "continue to cause harm"?

[Anonymous]

Don’t do it. The fact that this thread is 20 pages long tells you it is not a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got married 20 years ago, which is almost a generation ago. My DH and i got married in a church and had our reception at Gunston Hall Plantation (George Mason's home.) I wanted a unique location. Also, I majored in History in college and liked the idea of celebrating my marriage in a historic, Virginia location. Back then, most of my friends were having receptions in hotel ballrooms and I wanted something different. The reception was not held in the home but in their museum, which is a modern building. We did take photos outside of his house and I have one of us standing in front of the house displayed prominently in my living room. The other aspect I really liked about the location is all of my guests received a guided tour of the house while we were taking photos. The thought of Mason owning slaves never entered my mind. I'm not sure if I would choose the same location today but he is a very prominent figure in our history.

Honestly, if you're white, you shouldn't be okay with this. It's white privilege to be able to pick and choose when we think about race and when we put it out of our mind, and this is all the more significant when we are talking about a building specifically constructed to profit off of the horrors of slavery. It's natural but something to be mindful about it.

Oh, get over yourself. How dare you tell someone else what they need to be "mindful" of. Who died and put you in charge?

I dare because I don't mind telling the truth, and to be honest telling somebody they need to be mindful of something is pretty tame. They should be able to handle it.

+1

I'm always trying to be more mindful of other perspectives. It's a constant process and a positive one
--person who was left in charge after George Mason died.

Well, you're failing miserably at the moment. Because anyone who is "trying to be more mindful of other perspectives" would not be so set in her ways on this position, now would she?

PP, somebody not sharing your racist or willfully ignorant views isn’t “set in their ways”. Understanding the troubled history of our country and specific elements of that makes her a better person who will actually make the world a better place. Unlike regressive people like you who are so terrified of growth or change that they hold onto views that don’t serve anyone, even themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally ok with it but you have to decide how you feel.

We are all living on land we violently took from Native Americans and we don’t let that bother us enough not to do it.

This is the truest statement in this entire thread. If you complain about plantations, you better complain about every inch of soil you step on day to day. Cause guess what, you’re just as guilty.

This

You honestly don't see the difference in someone *choosing* to hold a wedding on a plantation? Seriously? And considering it "romantic"? Come on.

No, I honestly do not. Do you view the Native Americans as lesser than everyone else or something? Because you seem to have no qualms about sticking your head in the sand about the land you live on.

First, don't tell me how I live my life. Of course I don't see American Indians as lesser, and I stand up for them a hell of a lot more than I see many do (people who wear Washington football team gear, I'm looking at you).

Second, I didn't choose to be born in this country. I did choose where to hold my wedding, though, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be on a plantation.

So again, just to be clear, you’re totally cool with living your life on stolen land. You libs are absolutely hysterical the way you talk out of both sides of your mouth. The horrors perpetrated on the Native Americans aren’t the trendy issue du jour for lib America so apparently it just doesn’t matter. “But look at me! I heart the blacks! Equality for everyone!” You have zero credibility. #whatindians #hypocrite

You are pretty disconnected from reality. Issues of decolonization and repatriation have been happening in politics and academia for many years now. Almost every talk I attend includes acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization. Educate yourself on what people are actually doing about Native rights about before you start sound off like a triggered Fox News personality.

DP. Acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization? Really?

I've seen some of that but didn't realize it was mainstream. Serious talk of decolonization.

It's "mainstream" in cultural heritage fields. Canada's more ahead of the United States. It's about as serious as it can be during this administration, meaning we mostly talk about it and museums are working closely with Indigenous tribes to better contextualize or repatriate objects, but the administration continues to cause more harm.

How does this administration "continue to cause harm"?

Oh hi there. Guess you just landed from Mars? We have these things called newspapers. Read one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got married 20 years ago, which is almost a generation ago. My DH and i got married in a church and had our reception at Gunston Hall Plantation (George Mason's home.) I wanted a unique location. Also, I majored in History in college and liked the idea of celebrating my marriage in a historic, Virginia location. Back then, most of my friends were having receptions in hotel ballrooms and I wanted something different. The reception was not held in the home but in their museum, which is a modern building. We did take photos outside of his house and I have one of us standing in front of the house displayed prominently in my living room. The other aspect I really liked about the location is all of my guests received a guided tour of the house while we were taking photos. The thought of Mason owning slaves never entered my mind. I'm not sure if I would choose the same location today but he is a very prominent figure in our history.

Honestly, if you're white, you shouldn't be okay with this. It's white privilege to be able to pick and choose when we think about race and when we put it out of our mind, and this is all the more significant when we are talking about a building specifically constructed to profit off of the horrors of slavery. It's natural but something to be mindful about it.

Oh, get over yourself. How dare you tell someone else what they need to be "mindful" of. Who died and put you in charge?

I dare because I don't mind telling the truth, and to be honest telling somebody they need to be mindful of something is pretty tame. They should be able to handle it.

+1

I'm always trying to be more mindful of other perspectives. It's a constant process and a positive one
--person who was left in charge after George Mason died.

Well, you're failing miserably at the moment. Because anyone who is "trying to be more mindful of other perspectives" would not be so set in her ways on this position, now would she?

Sorry, I was not the set in my ways poster. I am a new poster who is trying to usurp power from dead George Mason.

[Anonymous]

Stupid thread.
Most plantations are called estate or house or manor now. They just take the plantation out of the name.
Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reparations in academia?How can academia offer reparations? Sure, they can do proper research and present it to include things avoided before, but academia makes almost no difference in the public eye. Can't even publish textbooks that are are better suited to today's academic understanding of the history of the U.S. How do you accept "new history" without tearing down the Founding Fathers, please tell me that?
Michigan wants to change history textbooks and not for the better representation either. This is nothing new, nor it is only Texas and Michigan doing it. Let's don't fake all the outrage about slavery, but act like things were better afterwards. Half of the world had slavery at that time, but Jim Crow era that is still present in many ways, let's act like we have nothing to do with it?
Let's see a single history textbook publish a diary of a First Nation person that walked the Trail of Tears? Where is it?
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/michigan-conservatives-vie-to-cut-democracy-from-classroom.html

You clearly aren't very familiar with current social studies materials in the US. Social history is de riguer, with primary source documents from all oppressed people forming the majority of lesson plans and modern textbooks. A huge number of high schools use Howard Zinn's People's History. No need to be outraged that children aren't being taught our national sins. The trouble is that they are pretty weak on world history (the fact that all of these atrocities were commonplace around the world including places where current favored groups lived and ruled AND they are extremely weak on the radical nature of the Enlightenment which led to America adopting values that changed the world for the better. Perfect? No. The best there was in 1776? Definitely. As good as it gets now? Uh huh...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally ok with it but you have to decide how you feel.

We are all living on land we violently took from Native Americans and we don’t let that bother us enough not to do it.

This is the truest statement in this entire thread. If you complain about plantations, you better complain about every inch of soil you step on day to day. Cause guess what, you’re just as guilty.

This

You honestly don't see the difference in someone *choosing* to hold a wedding on a plantation? Seriously? And considering it "romantic"? Come on.

No, I honestly do not. Do you view the Native Americans as lesser than everyone else or something? Because you seem to have no qualms about sticking your head in the sand about the land you live on.

First, don't tell me how I live my life. Of course I don't see American Indians as lesser, and I stand up for them a hell of a lot more than I see many do (people who wear Washington football team gear, I'm looking at you).

Second, I didn't choose to be born in this country. I did choose where to hold my wedding, though, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be on a plantation.

So again, just to be clear, you’re totally cool with living your life on stolen land. You libs are absolutely hysterical the way you talk out of both sides of your mouth. The horrors perpetrated on the Native Americans aren’t the trendy issue du jour for lib America so apparently it just doesn’t matter. “But look at me! I heart the blacks! Equality for everyone!” You have zero credibility. #whatindians #hypocrite

You are pretty disconnected from reality. Issues of decolonization and repatriation have been happening in politics and academia for many years now. Almost every talk I attend includes acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization. Educate yourself on what people are actually doing about Native rights about before you start sound off like a triggered Fox News personality.

DP. Acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization? Really?

I've seen some of that but didn't realize it was mainstream. Serious talk of decolonization.

It's "mainstream" in cultural heritage fields. Canada's more ahead of the United States. It's about as serious as it can be during this administration, meaning we mostly talk about it and museums are working closely with Indigenous tribes to better contextualize or repatriate objects, but the administration continues to cause more harm.

How does this administration "continue to cause harm"?

Oh hi there. Guess you just landed from Mars? We have these things called newspapers. Read one.

Enlighten me with your superior knowledge since I read multiple sources every day, and haven't heard anything about harm to Native Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t do it. The fact that this thread is 20 pages long tells you it is not a good idea.

Probably because it's the same 2-3 (maybe even 1) poster trying to shame people into thinking having a wedding at a historic former plantation site is morally bad and terrible. Page length is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from South Carolina and yes, in Charleston, it's very popular to have weddings at a plantation. I used to host corporate events there as well. But I've come to realize the "tone deaf" attitude that this portrays, as another poster noted. I, personally, would never host an event there now, unless it was a small, special group - perhaps a history type thing where I was 100% certain of the views of the attendees.

I do think that it is important to keep these places open to the public, and events do fund them. But a celebratory wedding seems off base to me.

I live in SC now and they are still building new subdivisions with plantation in the name. It is so inappropriate. But then again it seems like they also don’t fund the schools enough in poor parts of the state to teach the poor, and often minority, kids to read. So there are just so many disturbing things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m personally ok with it but you have to decide how you feel.

We are all living on land we violently took from Native Americans and we don’t let that bother us enough not to do it.

This is the truest statement in this entire thread. If you complain about plantations, you better complain about every inch of soil you step on day to day. Cause guess what, you’re just as guilty.

This

You honestly don't see the difference in someone *choosing* to hold a wedding on a plantation? Seriously? And considering it "romantic"? Come on.

No, I honestly do not. Do you view the Native Americans as lesser than everyone else or something? Because you seem to have no qualms about sticking your head in the sand about the land you live on.

First, don't tell me how I live my life. Of course I don't see American Indians as lesser, and I stand up for them a hell of a lot more than I see many do (people who wear Washington football team gear, I'm looking at you).

Second, I didn't choose to be born in this country. I did choose where to hold my wedding, though, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be on a plantation.

So again, just to be clear, you’re totally cool with living your life on stolen land. You libs are absolutely hysterical the way you talk out of both sides of your mouth. The horrors perpetrated on the Native Americans aren’t the trendy issue du jour for lib America so apparently it just doesn’t matter. “But look at me! I heart the blacks! Equality for everyone!” You have zero credibility. #whatindians #hypocrite

You are pretty disconnected from reality. Issues of decolonization and repatriation have been happening in politics and academia for many years now. Almost every talk I attend includes acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization. Educate yourself on what people are actually doing about Native rights about before you start sound off like a triggered Fox News personality.

DP. Acknowledgement of Indigenous lands and calls for decolonization? Really?

I've seen some of that but didn't realize it was mainstream. Serious talk of decolonization.

It's "mainstream" in cultural heritage fields. Canada's more ahead of the United States. It's about as serious as it can be during this administration, meaning we mostly talk about it and museums are working closely with Indigenous tribes to better contextualize or repatriate objects, but the administration continues to cause more harm.

How does this administration "continue to cause harm"?

Oh hi there. Guess you just landed from Mars? We have these things called newspapers. Read one.

Enlighten me with your superior knowledge since I read multiple sources every day, and haven't heard anything about harm to Native Americans.

For starters: https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Technology/story%3fid=4596197&page=1

I have friends at this org. It’s politically motivated.