Not so “epic” wedding photos taken in Congo ignore the country’s real plight

A white couple who showed off their wedding photos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year, are dealing with backlash after the viral photos resurfaced have caused a stir, and have not turned out to be not as “epic” as they anticipated.

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At issue are the pics of former banker John Milton and his wife that were originally posted to Instagram back in February 2017, but seemingly resurfaced after a woman pointed out how troubling it was for white folks to traverse through a war-torn country unbothered by the backdrop of poverty and violence at the hands of rebels.

“My recent wedding in Congo with security team, local tribe, chef, and a local pastor…” Milton said in a previous article about the photos.

Cecilia Christin shared the disturbing photos on Facebook. She told Insider she wanted to generate discussion, “specifically about the accessorization [sic] of black bodies for this couple’s photo shoot.”

Milton’s photos, which he labeled as an “epic wedding” was also shared by Jude Wanga, on Twitter under the handle @judeinlondon2, on Oct. 23.

“I’ve seen some shocking distasteful things on Instagram before but that left me speechless,” Wanga, 32, told Buzzfeed.

“It hit a raw nerve because I’m Congolese, and I’ve previously travelled to that exact location. It made me angry to see it reduced to a backdrop for privilege.”

While the photos are no longer available on Milton’s he did once try to explain the horrifying images in a July 2016 interview with the Eric Kim Photography blog.

“I would describe my style as ‘raw and in your face,'” he told the interviewer. “I like to get up close & personal to my subjects. Close is good, but closer is better!”

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He continued: “This mirrors my personality as I would describe myself as an aggressive ‘go getter’. I like to stir the pot and push the envelope.”

In the article, Milton was described as a former investment banker of 20 years.

It may be pushing the envelope for him, but many said the pics were racist and were appalling and wreaked of white privilege.

One person said about the photos: “perverse and strange, sorry. This is the first negative comment I’ve said on SHP in seven years.”

Another commented: “This is the worst story I ever saw on you [sic] blog!”