Castle Kilbride in Baden, Ont., has long had a ban on weddings and wedding photography inside the museum, but that is set to change.

On Monday night during a committee of the whole meeting, Wilmot Township councillors voted to rescind a resolution that banned interior weddings and wedding party photos at the national historic site.

Chris Catania, the township’s director of community services, told councillors the ban was put into place in the 1990s “to manage concerns that an event of this type could potentially cause damage to the museum” including through the use of flash photography.

But now, staff say photography technology has advanced and there’s a community benefit to making the museum available.

Castle Kilbride is a Victorian-era home built in 1877 by James Livingson, who was a local flax industrialist, politician and businessman.

It was named Castle Kilbride because Livingston was born in East Kilbride, Scotland.

Wilmot’s website notes the home “was designed in the Italianate style of architecture and capped with a belvedere lookout.”

The interior of the museum is fully furnished with many original artifacts. Parks Canada’s website notes it was designated a national historic site in 1993 because of its architecture, but also because of “elaborate wall murals” in the Renaissance Revival style of the late 19th century inside the home.

The township’s municipal offices are also located on the same grounds, connected to the back half of the house.

Small weddings only

Weddings and wedding photography have previously been permitted outside the house on the grounds, which also has colourful flowerbeds leading up the main path to the front door.

To hold a wedding ceremony outside is $311 and to take photos outside requires a $75 permit.

Under the new rules, only small wedding ceremonies and wedding photos would be permitted inside. Receptions or related events would not be allowed inside the museum.

The fee to rent the interior of Castle Kilbride would be $450 plus tax plus any applicable staffing fees. Trained staff would need to be on site for all wedding ceremonies, the staff report to council said.

Mayor Natasha Salonen said she was “really excited” to allow people to have the opportunity to use the space for their weddings.

“I know people have asked if they can have photos in the castle for their wedding. So I think this is a really great opportunity,” she said.

Ward 4 Coun. Lillianne Dunstall also expressed excitement about the change.

“If my husband’s watching, this is going to be where I’m going to have my next wedding. So just so you know, book me in,” she said, but after a round of laughter from councillors and staff, corrected herself. “Actually, maybe it better be a vow renewal.”