Wang Chao, 27, a software developer in Shanghai, said he and his fiancee made a reservation a week ago and will wait their turn in the afternoon.

"We have no specific thought on when to have a baby, but it will be great if we can have one in the Year of the Dragon," he said.

In recent years, new couples have preferred dates whose number is considered lucky.

More than 16,000 couples in Beijing swore lifelong love on Aug 8, 2008, when the Olympic Games began and the date ended with three eights, a number that sounds like "get rich" in Chinese.

Registration officers nationwide have been alerted to the expected surge.

Officers in Beijing's Fengtai district said that they will begin work half an hour earlier and that they have prestamped many of the marriage certificates to be more time-efficient on that day.

Guangzhou has made arrangements to make Valentine's Day more memorable.

Couples there will receive their marriage certificates from a guest presenter, who will pose for photos with them, according to bureau employees.

The presenters are academics, and in the future will include celebrities in science and the arts, as well as couples celebrating golden wedding anniversaries.

The presenters are chosen because of their happy marriages, positive view of values and passion for charity or social services.

They will offer the newlyweds their best wishes, and authorities are hoping the experience will better help the couples understand their responsibilities in a family.

About 300 couples have signed up to register their marriages on the Valentine's Day at the bureau, about six times the usual number.