Archie & Veronica's Marriage Announcement as it will appear in The New York Times Sunday "box":
It was 1941 when Archie, Veronica and a third friend met and started hanging out at Riverdale High and at Pop Tate's Chock'Lit Shoppe. They formed a garage band, The Archies, featuring Archie as lead singer and guitarist, Reggie Mantle as bassist and sometimes guitarist, Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper as back up singers with Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones on drums. "Betty is my best friend," Archie would tell Jughead. "She's so easy to talk to." But there was no mistaking that he was lusting after Veronica.
The teenager was confused by his feelings for the two girls, such polar opposites, his legendary indecision giving rise to the term, "Betty and Veronica syndrome." Betty was the girl next door, the one who would stroke his ego, while Veronica was the unattainable beauty, the manipulative daughter of industrial tycoon, Hiram Lodge.
"Why would she be interested in me?" was how Archie felt about Veronica. "She can have anyone she wants!" Insecure about their social and economic differences, Archie struggled with his feelings, fighting other boys for her affection. He didn't feel worthy of Veronica's near-goddess stature and she was too young and insecure to appreciate what Archie had to offer, still seeing only his youthful clumsiness and lack of panache.
It took sixty-eight years and a love show down to pressure Archie into making a choice between Betty and Veronica. When he did, this old-fashioned guy got down on his knee and proposed to Veronica.
"Yes!" she answered with no hesitation, causing him to wonder why he'd waited this long.
The couple was married, fittingly, at Pop Tate's Chocklit Shoppe with Jughead serving as best man and the stoic Betty as maid of honor. Before the first dance, The Archies performed a medley of their favorite songs.
The bride will retain her name.