WASHINGTON — More than a dozen Post Offices in communities with loved-themed names across America are offering special postmarks for Valentine’s Day that will make the envelope just as much of a treasured keepsake as its contents.

Customers should enclose stamped, pre-addressed valentines into a Priority Mail or Express Mail envelope or box addressed to:

Postmaster
Valentine Remailing
City, State  ZIP Code (see listing below)

Customers are asked to allow enough time for their cards and letters to be postmarked, re-mailed, and delivered in time for Valentine's Day, Sat. Feb. 14. Depending on Post Office proximity, items mailed by Feb. 5 should be delivered by Feb. 14. Some Post Offices are offering customized postmarks.

Beauty, KY 41203

Bliss, ID 83314
Bliss, NY 14024

Darling, MS 38623 

Deary ID 83823
Postmaster Steleen Turner, 208-877-1470, said the Deary postmark was featured in the Martha Stewart magazine Summer 2003 issue on weddings. Her Post Office has received numerous sets of wedding invitations to postmark.

Eros, LA 71238

Hartville, WY 82215

Heart Butte, MT 59448

Postmaster Donel Hall, 406-338-2399, postmarks about 400 valentines each year.

Heartwell, NE 68945
Honey Brook, PA 19344
Honey Creek, WI 53138
Honey Grove, PA 17035

Postmaster Brenda Clark, 717-734-3515, decorates the Post Office and serves refreshments on Valentine's Day.

Honey Grove, TX 75446

Honeyville, UT 84314

Postmaster Lori Heyder, 435-279-8213, decorates the Post Office and wears red on Valentine’s Day.

Juliette, GA
Postmaster Franklin Mathews, 478-994-6611, said that annually, the Juliette, GA, Valentines Day postmark generates an estimated 4,000 letters from 200 U.S. cities in 36 states. The postmark also has demand in Italy, France and Japan. Mathews has been interviewed live on radio stations in Seattle, WA, Canada and the BBC Radio in England (see additional information on the Romeo, MI postmark).

Kissimmee, FL 34744
Lovejoy, GA 30250
Lovejoy, IL 62059
Lovelady, TX 75851

Loveland CO 80538

Loveland postmarks more than 200,000 cards and letters each year from more than 100 countries and all 50 states.  Most requests originate from Japan and many are requested from Argentina, Australia, Italy, England, Ethiopia, China, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Media Contacts:  Duane Kaye, Valentine Coordinator, 970-663-3010, or Brian Willms, 970-667-6311; Loveland Chamber of Commerce, or Loveland Postmaster Cindy Kinney, 970-231-3745.

Visit this link for additional details:  http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/localnews/co/2009/co_2009_0116.htm

Loveland, OH 45140
Postmaster Jerry Kellner, 513-683-8052, receives up to 20,000 valentines to postmark annually.

Loveland, OK 73553
Loves Park, IL  61111

Address items to:
Park Branch
1702 Windsor Rd
Loves Park IL  61111-9711
Media contact:   Michelle Zyvert, 815-229-4761

Loveville, MD 20656

Located about 45 miles southeast of Washington, DC, in the heart of St. Mary’s County, the small Post Office is equipped with a hitching post out front for the 120 Mennonites who represent 40 percent of Loveville’s postal customers. Postmaster Terri Doughty, 301-475-5242, brings in extra help to postmark an excess of 10,000 valentines each year from as far away as Germany.

Loving, NM 88256

Loving, TX 76460

Postmaster Deanna Smith, 940-378-2259, postmarks about 450 valentines annually.

Romance, AR 72136

Romance Postmaster Angie Davis and Postmaster Relief June Sullivan, 501-556-5911, postmarks about 7,500 valentines and wedding invitations annually from as far away as Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain and Japan. A local preacher is on stand-by Valentine’s Day to renew vows. There also is a justice of the peace available within a two-hour notice to perform the nuptials. On Valentine’s Day 2008, two weddings took place; one in the Post Office Box section and the second out front by the flag pole. Davis’ daughter, Megan, designed this year’s postmark.

Romeo, MI 48065
For the 15th consecutive year, the Romeo, MI, and Juliette, GA, Post Offices continue their celebrated alliance which offers a Valentine’s Day pictorial postmark featuring the theme of Romeo and Juliet. Sweethearts can have their valentine cards postmarked in Romeo, MI, with this year’s official identical-dual pictorial cancellation postmark. The postmark highlights a special silhouette of sweethearts expressing their love for the holiday.  This same unique cancellation will be applied in Juliette, GA.

To receive this identical-dual cancellation, enclose your stamped, addressed valentines in a larger envelope, and mail to:

Romeo and Juliette Valentine Cancellation
Postmaster
356 Bowdoin
Juliette GA 31046-9998

Romeo, MI, postmaster Alex Stubbs, 586-752-3823 or 248-307-2007, postmarks an average of 4,000 valentines annually with some coming from as far away as Japan, France and Italy. Stubbs also offers a festive cachet envelope bearing the Romeo and Juliet postmark for $5. For Romeo, MI, customers, Stubbs dresses in a tuxedo to deliver complimentary chocolates while accompanying a letter carrier making Express Mail valentine deliveries.  

Sugar City, ID 83448
Valentine, NE 69201

Postmaster Arlene Paulson, 402-376-1540, annually postmarks nearly 50,000 valentines from as far away as China, Africa and Australia.  This activity has remained popular for more than a half-century.

Valentine, TX 79854

Valentine, TX, has been offering a valentine postmark since 1983. In 1994 the students of Valentine Independent School District participated in creating new designs every year. Postmaster Maria Carrasco, 432-467-2912‎, holds annual contest among students in grades 7-12 for a new Valentine postmark design.  The winning postmark design is hand canceled on 24,000 to 39,000 valentines annually by the Postmaster and an assistant.

In recent years, a proposal for marriage took place in the lobby. A young suitor called two months in advance to obtain permission. The Postmaster decorated the lobby for the occasion.  When it came time to pop the question, the young man came in, set up his camcorder, put on a red bow tie, and used his cell phone to call his girlfriend sitting in the car, and made up an excuse for her to come inside. She said yes, and of course and there were tears.  The couple drove from Austin, about 700 miles away. Texas Governor Rick Perry declared Postmaster Carrasco the “Cupid of Valentine.”

Valentines, VA 23887

Postmaster Kathy Fajna, 434-577-2456, typically postmarks 25,000 valentines from as far away as China, Australia and Great Britain, and last year hosted 15 weddings. The Post Office was named after the first postmaster, William Henry Valentine, who served as Postmaster in the Valentine family store from 1887 until his death in 1911. The Post Office remained in the family until 1924 when the Post Office was moved a mile down the road where it has been since 1935. It hosted the official first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the 1995 Love Stamp and postmarked 75,000 requests for first-day-of-issue postmark cancellations. Last year, the Commonwealth of Virginia designated Feb. 14, 2008, and each succeeding year as “Valentines, Virginia Day.”

Venus, FL 33960
Venus, PA 16364
Venus, TX 76084

Priority Mail:  It’s the next best thing to Cupid’s arrow
Convenient Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes and envelopes allow Valentine mailers to ship anywhere in the country — for one low, flat-rate price, regardless of weight or destination.

Delivery is 2-3 days. And you can ship as much of those delicious foods and love items – up to 70 lbs. — that can fit inside the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.  A small box of chocolates can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. for only $4.95. That larger box of love goodies can be sent for only $13.95, with a $2 discount for mailing to your military loved ones stationed overseas. If you mail on-line at usps.com, you receive additional discounts. Prices noted below.  For more information, visit:  http://www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm?from=home_mailandshipping&page=prioritymail

Procrastinators waiting until the last minute still have options. Express Mail Service usually delivers in one- to two-days.  For more information visit: http://www.usps.com/shipping/expressmail.htm?from=home_mailandshipping&page=expressmail

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