Borough Commissioner Frank Troy takes a couple through their vows at the heart sculpture.
For the eighth consecutive year, the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust (HOST) held a vow renewal ceremony on Valentine’s Day for 50 couples who stood in front of the town’s heart sculpture.
Each couple that participated received roses from Grove Floral and chocolates from Sweet T’s Bakeshop. They also heard words from borough Commissioner Frank Troy, who was dressed in Colonial garb and took the couples through their vows.
HOST chair Stuart Harting said he thinks people come to the vow renewal for the joy of it.
“I think in difficult financial and political times, I think people turn to joy … and things that can make them smile,” he said.
George Evearts, a trust board member and owner of Evearts Jewelers, credits love itself for interest in the event.
“I think that people just love to, they love each other,” he noted. “It’s really what it boils down to. And they want to do something special, and this is kind of unique … to come somewhere and to (see) the love amongst two people.”
The trust has about 15 sculptures in its catalogue and acquired the “Low-Poly Open Heart,” by artist M.L. Duffy, in 2018. Vow renewals exchanged there on Valentine’s Day drew about 30 people when the program began eight years ago. It has since expanded to 50 and usually fills up quickly.
Evearts commented on the people who attend.
“People come from all over,” he explained. “I’ve had big, or like, lots of family people who would come, like big families and sometimes just older couples. It’s become a big thing over the years … It’s just kind of for fun. And having that certificate just makes it a fun thing.
“People love to do it.”
Troy – who has done vow renewals for the last five years – said this year’s weather benefitted turnout that was low on a previous Valentine’s Day.
“We were just huddled under the fire lamps here and ordinarily people would want to exchange vows under the heart, but that day they were just like, ‘How fast can you do this?'” Troy recalled. “So they were standing under the heat lamps and we were just churning them out.
“Tonight’s a nice night,” he said of this year’s holiday. “You have a lot of people obviously around doing dinner and grabbing gift for Valentine’s.”
Melissa Wheatcroft and Blair Talty, married for 26 years, have been at the Valentine’s event each year for the past five; for their first renewal, Melissa surprised her husband. It’s now an annual tradtion for them.
“We came downtown,” she recalled of that first experience. “I told him we were coming to dinner, and on the way down, I pulled out a fake ring and proposed to him and asked him if he would marry me.”
“I said yes,” Blair noted. “Again.”
