Something ye olde, something new, something borrowed . . .

Plans are firming up for Thursday's nuptials of Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross (Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde), sealing the deal at dusk in a public ceremony at Independence Hall with Mayor Nutter presiding and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops concertizing.

"The whole world is on the guest list," Archbold says. After the ceremony, 75 friends and family will enjoy a private reception at City Tavern, where chef-owner Walter Staib is whipping up a Franklin-themed dinner.

Everyone will wear colonial costume, but the wedding itself won't hew to tradition. "Weddings were low-key affairs back then," says Archbold. (In real life, Franklin was 46 years older than Ross. Archbold, 66, is 16 years his intended's senior.)

Wilde's brother, Leonard Bura, will escort her down the aisle, and her daughter, Lauren, 22, will be maid of honor. ("Her little joke on her Facebook page is, 'Yes, my parents do role-play,' " says Wilde.)

Best man will be J Nathan Bazzel, a Thomas Jefferson interpreter. Flower girls/junior bridesmaids will be Abby Shostak, 8, and her sisters Josie and Patricia, 6, daughters of Dean Shostak, who plays the Franklin-invented glass armonica at Colonial Williamsburg. Ring bearer will be Archbold's grandson, Caleb Nelson.

Archbold, the city's best-known Franklin interpreter, met Wilde last fall when she begged him to do a toast at a friend's wedding. He needed a Betsy for an appearance with Sigourney Weaver, and called her. She whipped up a costume from old curtains and a bedsheet.

Love was not exactly a lightning bolt for Ben. "The more I got to see her, the more I liked her," he says.

"He stole my heart singing that little song to the kids," she says of his signature tune.

Wilde, daughter of a Bronze Star winner from Nether Providence, was a dental hygienist and later a pharmacist. Wilde stopped working a few years ago to care for her beau, Will, and her mother, both of whom died of cancer.

Archbold, divorced for more than 20 years, has four grown children: Kenneth, an Army captain; Michael, who works for a marketing company here; Marie-Claire, who, he says, "does writing and odd jobs"; and Elizabeth, a teacher.

Ben and Betsy went traditional with living arrangements. They're not shacking up.

"Not to say we haven't stayed overnight," he said.

"It's not like we're taking a test drive," she added. "It's more like, 'Will the car run?' "

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. got involved with sponsors. Wilde won't have to sew her own wedding dress. Costumer James May, who outfits Mummers, is making hers. Jeweler Henri David made special rings.

Between the makeup and hair, "I'm never going to look better than I will [Thursday]," she said.

To which Archbold interjected: "You're beautiful no matter what. I love the real you."

Miss Jones coming down I-95

Philly is getting Miss Jones all for itself again. The morning-radio host also known as Jonesy, heard since November on WPHI (100.3) in a syndication deal with New York's Hot 97, last week got the ax in the Big Apple. Elroy Smith, operations manager for Radio One in Philly, yesterday said Jones would start exclusively on WPHI (The Beat) on July 7, becoming Philly's only local urban morning show on a commercial FM station.

Jonesy (Tarsha Jones) parted company with The Beat (then at 103.9) in 2003 after an 18-month career capped by two suspensions and a slander suit that was settled out of court.

Real estate watch

Main Line Realtors got a tour of a manse in Gladwyne that is, at the moment, the region's priciest residential listing: $19.5 million.

The house's owners, Michael and Sheryl Pouls, made headlines last year over a legal dispute involving former second-grade teacher Patsy Tollin and the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr. Tollin, who had taught the couple's daughter, accused the school of not renewing her contract because it did not want to alienate the couple, who had pledged a multimillion-dollar gift for the school's new athletic facility. Tollin's case against Baldwin was settled out of court. Tollin and the Poulses, meanwhile, are still squaring off in Montgomery County Court.

The talk is that the Poulses - he's a developer - are California-bound. Sheryl Pouls declined to comment; Michael Pouls did not return a message.

"It's a rock star house" is how Realtor Nancy Alperin-Regni describes the 10-year-old, 6-bedroom, 81/2-bath, with 20,000 square feet of living space, on a shade under two acres. The ceiling is 35 feet high at the entrance; there's a gym, a hot tub in a glass gazebo, an office with private bath and sauna, an elevator, and a media room that seats 20. There's a photo gallery at www.maxwellrealty.com.

The house cost $22 million to build, says the listing. The record sale price for residential in Lower Merion Township is $14 million, which Jeffrey and Christina Lurie paid last year for the Walter Annenberg estate in Wynnewood.

While your checkbook is handy, note the Poulses also have listed their beach pile in Longport - for $20 million. It's an 8-bedroom, 10-bath affair on the ocean; previous owners include US Healthcare's Leonard Abramson and developer David Cutler. See it at www.jewelofthejerseycoast.com.

The circuit

Jimmy Fallon, the Saturday Night Live alum who will replace Conan O'Brien on NBC's Late Night next year, was all over the Water Club, the new hotel attached to the Borgata in Atlantic City, last week. Thursday, he joined Fox29's John Bolaris to cut up during a live weather hit during the 5 o'clock news. Later in the newscast, he surprised anchor Kerri-Lee Halkett when she introduced Bolaris and saw Fallon in her monitor. "Oh! Jimmy Fallon," she exclaimed, "I'm not worthy!" He ad-libbed: "You look gorgeous, as always." Halkett, wise to the technological limitation, deadpanned: "You can't see me." (Video is at http://go.philly.com/fallonfox.)

Fallon also joined Molly Sims, Kyle MacLachlan, Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks, and Electric Factory founder Larry Magid at the private reception for chef Michael Schulson's new restaurant at the Borgata, Izakaya. After that, Fallon went to Gypsy Bar, jumped onstage with the band, and sang a credible cover of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues."

Singer Jill Scott, having dinner Thursday in the open-air dining room at the Café at 2011 Walnut St., drew a gaggle of onlookers. She had a Lemon Glow martini and a portabella salad. Her bodyguard - yes, someone noticed - had the lemon-pepper sole.

Soul men

The Philadelphia Soul, heading to the playoffs, have arranged special lower-level seating for fans - presumably male - who grow, attempt to grow, or show up with a "soul patch" at Saturday's game at the Wachovia Center. A seat will cost $20, a $13 discount, to those who arrange it at 1-888-744-5235. Supposedly, team co-owner Jon Bon Jovi is growing a patch, too.

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Contact columnist Michael Klein

at 215-854-5514 or mklein@phillynews.com.

Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/michaelklein.