Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross actors wed in Philly

Tag : stitching wires

PHILADELPHIA — Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross celebratedthe eve of the Fourth of July not with fireworks but with weddingvows.
Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde, who portray the historical figures,tied the knot Thursday evening in a public ceremony in front ofIndependence Hall, where the real Franklin helped draft thenation's founding documents.
The bride and groom, as well as the entire wedding party, were incostume for the event.
"Ralph and Linda, the entire city could not be happier for you,"said Mayor Michael Nutter, who performed the brief ceremony.
After exchanging vows, Archbold and Wilde were given a standingovation by the crowd of several thousand as the Philly Pops playedthe wedding march.
The couple boarded a horse-drawn coach for the trip to a privatereception at the historic City Tavern, where Franklin dined alongwith such notables as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
The 66-year-old Archbold, who has portrayed Franklin since 1973,and Wilde, 50, met Sept. 1 after she hired him for a friend'swedding toast. The couple discovered a mutual love of history andeducation, and they announced their engagement this spring.