ROMANCE, AR — Each year the Romance Post Office offers a customized postmark designed by the Postmaster for Valentine’s Day that makes the envelope just as much of a treasured keepsake as its contents.

Romance Postmaster Angie Davis and Postmaster Relief June Sullivan postmark about 7,500 valentines and wedding invitations annually from as far away as Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain and Japan.

Some happy couples take advantage of a local minister who is on stand-by Valentine’s Day to renew vows. There also is a justice of the peace available to perform the nuptials with a two-hour notice. On Valentine’s Day 2009, one wedding took place; and one written proposal on a note card was sent from Romance.

Customers interested in the special postmark should enclose stamped, pre-addressed valentines into a Priority Mail or Express Mail envelope or box addressed to:

Postmaster
Valentine Remailing
Romance, AR 72136-9998

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, Sun. Feb. 14. Depending on Post Office proximity, items mailed by Feb. 5 should be delivered by Feb. 14. If you are within the state of AR, you should mail your items by Feb. 10.

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, two other sizes are available – medium for $10.70 and large for $14.50 and you will get a $2 discount for mailing to your military loved ones stationed overseas. If you mail on-line at usps.com, you receive additional discounts.

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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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.