Here comes… the letter carrier?

Weekend Bridal Expo To Offer On-Site Passport Applications

From invitations and RSVPs to save-the-dates and thank you notes, a bride may see the letter carrier more than the groom.

Visitors to the 23rd annual Connecticut Bridal Expo can visit the Postal Service booth at this weekend's Bridal Expo to preview postage selections for weddings - including personalized Photo Stamps - as well as professionally-crafted cards and postcards available through the Postal Service's website, www.usps.com.

And, for the first time at the Bridal Expo, the Postal Service will process passports on site for honeymoon travel needs. Passport photos will also be available, coordinated by the Hartford Post Office.

For brides, grooms and other family members attending the Expo, items needed for to process a passport include:

• Provide a completed application for a passport
  
  Many postal facilities -- including the Hartford Post Office, stations and branches -- have passport forms in stock. Passport forms are also at www.usps.com.
• Present proof of US citizenship
  
  In many cases, applicants fill this requirement by supplying a certified birth certificate with a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal. Others may need to obtain a consular report of birth abroad or a naturalization certificate.
• Present proof of identity
  
  Prove your identity with many different items, including a previous U.S. passport, a Naturalization Certificate, a valid Driver's license, a city, state or federal Government ID or Military ID issued to military personnel and their dependents.
• Supply two passport photos
  
  Hartford postal officials report that passport cameras will be on site for the Expo. But qualified photos from other sources are acceptable if they meet State Department requirements.
• Pay the applicable fee
  
  For applicants age 16 and over visiting the Expo, the passport fee is $67, payable by check to the Department of State. An execution fee of $30, payable to the Postal Service by cash or a separate check, will also be accepted. Applicants under 16 pay $52 for a passport and $30 for execution fees. Expedited processing is provided at an extra cost.
• And, in accordance with federal regulations, applicants at the Expo must provide a Social Security Number.

Currently, it takes approximately four to six weeks for the State Department to finalize a passport application upon receipt. Expedited service can take about half that time but for an additional charge. Tracking passport applications through the State Department web site is typically available within seven to 10 days after the application is logged into that agency.

The Bridal Expo runs 11 am until 5 pm on Saturday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Hartford Expo Center.