How to Send a Valentine Through Loveland
Every year, volunteers hand-stamp more than 120,000 valentines with a special Loveland postmark before sending them on to their final destination. Here's exactly how to be one of them.
The process, step by step
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Write and address your valentine
Prepare your card exactly as you normally would — write your message, address the envelope to the recipient, and put a first-class stamp on it. This inner envelope needs to be fully ready to mail on its own.
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Seal it inside a larger outer envelope
Place your stamped, addressed valentine inside a second envelope large enough to hold it without bending.
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Address the outer envelope to the Postmaster
Use the official Valentine Re-Mailing address (see the box to the right). Add enough postage to the outer envelope to cover its own weight — this is separate from the stamp already on your card inside.
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Mail it before the deadline for your destination
Deadlines are staggered — international mail needs to go out earliest, in-state mail latest. See the table below, and when in doubt, mail early.
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Volunteers hand-cancel it with that year's postmark
Chamber of Commerce and postal volunteers unseal the outer envelope, apply a special pictorial cancellation featuring that year's original verse, and send your valentine on to its recipient.
Deadlines by destination
Exact dates shift slightly year to year depending on where Valentine's Day falls on the calendar, but recent years have followed roughly this pattern:
| Destination | Typical deadline |
|---|---|
| International | Early February (~Feb 2–3) |
| U.S., outside Colorado/Wyoming | First week of February (~Feb 4–7) |
| Colorado & Wyoming | Just before Valentine's Day (~Feb 9–10) |
Postage notes
- Your inner envelope needs its own complete, correct postage — it gets forwarded as-is once cancelled.
- The outer envelope needs its own separate postage to reach Loveland.
- Oversized, oddly shaped, or heavier valentines may need additional postage on the inner envelope — check current USPS rates if your card isn't a standard shape.
Local drop-off option
If you're in the Loveland area, you don't have to mail the outer envelope at all — in past years the Chamber has set up collection boxes at locations including area King Soopers and City Market stores, the 29th Street Post Office, and the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, each with their own last collection date.
The annual verse & design contest
Each year, the Loveland Chamber of Commerce runs a contest inviting local residents to submit original verses and artwork. A winning verse and design are combined into that year's official Chamber valentine and cancellation — meaning every card that passes through gets a small piece of Loveland's community creativity along with its postmark.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything beyond postage?
No — the re-mailing and hand-cancellation service itself is free. You only pay for postage on both envelopes.
What if I don't want to prepare and mail it myself?
A few local businesses, including With Love From Loveland, offer a paid concierge option where they handle purchasing, addressing, and mailing an official Loveland valentine on your behalf.
Can businesses or large groups participate?
Yes — schools, companies, and community groups regularly send bulk batches. Just make sure every individual card is fully stamped and addressed before it goes into the outer envelope.
Sources: USPS Newsroom, Loveland Chamber of Commerce, 9NEWS. Program details change year to year — this guide is independently maintained and not an official source.