(This is a repost of a diary from exactly one year ago. I wouldn't usually do this, but I started re-reading this diary today and was struck by just what a wonderful, quirky and unusual event it was last year and wanted to share it again. I also spent last night hosting a bbq at which two of my friends - massive Obama supporters who took leaves of absence from work last year to campaign for him - told me he was the biggest disappointment and the biggest mistake they'd ever made, because of his Cairo speech and positions on Israel. I pushed back but frankly, was hosting 50 people and didn't have the energy. But it made me sad this morning and I wanted to remember something happy and patriotic.)
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On the night of July 3, 2008 I attended a remarkable event. A once in a lifetime event.
I went to Benjamin Franklin's wedding to Betsy Ross.
What?
See, I live here in Center City, in Philadelphia. On a near daily basis I pass The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, Christ Church, Benjamin Franklin's house and many more historical sites.
On a weekly basis I walk through a large park where impersonators are re-enacting scenes for tourist groups. I see plaques and signs on houses, bridges, and other random buildings proclaiming who lived there. Our most famous impersonator is Ralph Archbold, who has portrayed Benjamin Franklin, with whom he shares a birthdate, since 1973. I see him almost every week, sitting in a park or near his house, talking to tourists, etc.
A couple of years ago, a woman called and asked him to do a reading at a friend's wedding. He said no, but they got to talking and hit it off. She started impersonating Betsy Ross at the Betsy Ross house, the two of them started dating, and they got engaged.
Here's an article announcing their engagement:
They met Sept. 1 after Wilde hired Archbold for a friend's wedding toast. Archbold had initially declined, saying he doesn't "do weddings," but Wilde begged and he relented. The couple then found a love of history and education that soon evolved into love for one another -- and this spring announced their engagement.
Wilde, a pharmacist, is widowed. Archbold's first wife died, and he is long divorced from his second.
I decided that this was an event I couldn't miss, so my husband gave the kids dinner on his own and I walked up to the wedding site, Independence Mall, which was also the Site of Obama's 40,000 Philly rally; at the far end of the mall is the Constitution Center, which is the site where Obama gave his speech on race.
The wedding took place immediately before the Philly Pops Indepdence Day concert conducted by Peter Nero, and the Pops were all on stage when I arrived. I don't know what proportion of the crowd was there for the wedding and what for the Pops. As I walked in, volunteers handed out flyers with the words to an Armed Forces Medley that the Pops would be playing later. At the top of the flyer was this quote.
Although it is unlikely that the original Ben Franklin (1706-1790) and Betsy Ross (1752-1836) ever even met, the 21st century re-enactors who portray these historic characters not only met, they fell in love. This evening, Ralph Archbold, known around the nation as the premiere Benjamin Franklin re-enactor, and Linda Wilde, who has taken on the character of Betsy Ross, are being married by Mayor Michael Nutter with Peter Nero & the Philly POPs providing the music. The wedding you are witnessing this evening is a real wedding. We invite you to join in the couple's celebration.
I'm bad at estimating numbers, but there were probably 1000-2000 people there. Here's a picture from about halfway back in the crowd:
Then the wedding started (right on time). First Philadelphia's Mayor Michael Nutter came onto the stage, followed by Ralph Archbold/Ben Franklin and his best man (who I read somewhere was supposed to be enacting Thomas Jefferson). Here they are watching the processional:
The processional started from about halfway back in the crowd. Music was Pachelbel. The wedding party was in costume: here are the adorable flower girls; behind them in the page and a slightly older girl, and farther back, to the right, are the maid of honor and the bride's escort:
Then the bride walked by. Just look at her eyes and smile if you have any doubt that this wedding is real. She looked glowing, tearful and very happy.
Finally, she reached the stage and the mayor started the ceremony. He spoke briefly, about how much the couple had given to Philadelphia, how Archbold had been an oustanding ambassador, introducing Philadelphia to the world, and how now that he had found a spouse, the whole city was happy for them. Beautiful Dreamer played, and the couple exchanged rings and very traditional wedding vows.
After the ceremony, the family went to City Tavern, where Ben Franklin used to dine, for a private reception. Here are some other fun facts about the event:
-- The bride will wear a blue silk brocade Colonial gown edged in lace.
-- The groom, who has portrayed Franklin since 1973, will wear a black
moire waistcoat and white knee breeches.
-- The wedding rings were designed by local jeweler Henri David of
Halloween and engraved with a kite and key and stars and stripes.
-- The private wedding reception will take place at historic City Tavern,where Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson often
dined.
-- The couple met at Linda's friend's wedding on September 1, the same day that Franklin declared his marriage to Deborah Read.
-- Ralph's birthday is January 17, the day that Franklin was born
It was such a quirky fun event. I ran into friends at the ceremony and we all kept saying to each other "can you believe we live here?". As one of them said "if we didn't live here, this would be the place we'd want to come as tourists." It just made me feel so much love for and pride in my adopted city (I've been here for 7 years), and the event itself, in such a historic area and with such a historic feeling all around, made me feel patriotic and happy.
Here's a video of the ceremony.