US slave plantations rebranded as wedding resorts spark controversy

Former slave plantations across the US South are being repurposed as luxury resorts and wedding venues, often erasing their history of slavery. On May 15, 2025, a fire destroyed the Nottoway sugar plantation mansion in White Castle, Louisiana, the largest pre-Civil War residence in the South. Local Iberville parish president Chris Daigle called it a symbol of both grandeur and complexity, noting its recent evolution into a place of reflection and dialogue. However, critics argue that these venues whitewash history, comparing it to having a picnic at Auschwitz. Examples include the Reynolds Plantation in Georgia now a Ritz Carlton, Woodlands plantations turned into Barnsley relaxation retreat in Georgia, Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest in Virginia, and Plantation on Crystal River in Florida. In 2019, Charleston alone hosted nearly 6,000 weddings; in 2012, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds married at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina and later apologized. The article argues that systemic racism persists, made more visible under Trump's mandate.