On the eve of Independence Day, historical reenactors Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde, who portray founding father Benjamin Franklin and flag seamstress Betsy Ross, wed in a ceremony that was officiated by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter,...

PHILADELPHIA—Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross celebrated the eve of the Fourth of July not with fireworks but with wedding vows.

Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde, who portray the historical figures, tied the knot Thursday evening in a public ceremony in front of Independence Hall, where the real Franklin helped draft the nation's founding documents.

The bride and groom, as well as the entire wedding party, were in costume 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 standing ovation by the crowd of several thousand as the Philly Pops played the wedding march.

The couple boarded a horse-drawn coach for the trip to a private reception at the historic City Tavern, where Franklin dined along with 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's wedding toast. The couple discovered a mutual love of history and education, and they announced their engagement this spring.

Patty Duffy, 37, said she came to watch the ceremony because she remembers seeing Archbold playing Franklin when she was a little girl.

"My grandmother used to bring me down here all the time. I had to come and see him get married," said Duffy, who was...
Click here to read the content (Source Boston Globe)