Detailed Bridal Stamp – Make A Good First Impression

You never get a second chance to make a first impression - and that's especially true for wedding invitations, announcements and other greetings of affection. The 2004 Love stamps - the 37-cent Garden Bouquet and 60-cent Garden Botanical - will be issued by the U.S. Postal Service at the American Stamp Dealer's Association Postage Stamp Mega Event, Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, N.Y. The event is free and open to the public.

The Garden Bouquet and Garden Botanical stamps remind us of the traditional bouquet toss that's a treasured part of many wedding ceremonies, said Charles E. Bravo, Vice President, Intelligent Mail and Address Quality for the U.S. Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamps. The Postal Service is delighted to commemorate the beauty and tradition associated with the wedding bouquet through these new stamps. Joining Bravo at the ceremony will be Elizabeth C. Pope, President, American Stamp Dealer's Association, and David E. Failor, Executive Director, Stamp Services, U.S. Postal Service.

The art for the 37-cent stamp - a bouquet of white lilacs and pink roses - is a reproduction of a chromolithograph probably printed in Germany circa 1880-1900. The artist and engraver are unknown. The 60-cent stamp - a botanical illustration of five varieties of simple pink roses - is a reproduction of a chromolithograph created from a drawing by English artist Anne Pratt. This drawing was one of hundreds appearing in a five-volume book of Pratt's illustrations published in England between 1850-1866 and reprinted in England and New York between 1889 and 1900.

To see the Garden Bouquet and Garden Botanical stamps and other images from the 2004 Commemorative Stamp Program, visit the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop and click on Release Schedule in the Collector's Corner.

Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog are available by toll-free phone order at 1 800 STAMP-24. A wide selection of stamps and other philatelic items are also available at the Postal Store (www.usps.com/shop), and www.postalartgallery.com offers beautifully framed prints of original stamp art for delivery straight to the home or office.

Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency, the Postal Service makes deliveries to more than 141 million addresses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $68 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world.

Moreover, today's postage rates will remain stable until at least 2006. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 43 percent of the world's mail volume - some 202 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year - and serves seven million customers each day at its 38,000 retail locations nationwide.

About The Author:

Kathlina Malber is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.wedding-invitations-n-online.com. Find all types of wedding invitations such as printable, unique, discount, winter, theme, traditional plus more.