Valentine's Day: The cost of love

DUBAI: On most days, a rose is just a rose. And it costs what a rose should cost. But come February 14, and the rose reaches all new heights of previously unfound glory. It turns from a beautiful flower to a symbol of undying love, at prices so exorbitant only the truly lovelorn could find justified.

And it's not just roses. Chocolates, soft toys, balloons and cards all have mysterious short-term inflations come February.

Julie, a British expat, has been dating Marco for seven months. This will be their first Valentine's Day together and expectations are high. "I'd be offended if I didn't get the obligatory flowers, chocolates and something cute," says Julie. "I've put a lot of emotional effort into making sure we have the perfect evening together and I'm really hoping my boyfriend reciprocates."

While in theory Valentine presents and wearing your heart on your sleeve sound adorable enough, the reality is that all these cute nothings can amount to a considerable chunk of your wage.

Let's begin with the age-old tradition of wooing your sweetheart with an outrageous amount of red roses on February 14. Now, at the best of times, this isn't the cheapest or longest-lasting way to impress your lady, but come Valentine's Day, we're talking serious money.

The Flower Shop has a Valentine promotion sure to sweep your lady off her feet. At Dh2,897 for a bouquet of 200 red roses, it may just knock you off yours.

"I wouldn't expect flowers that cost thousands of dirhams," says Lebanese Haifa, "but spending a few hundred to remind a girl how much she is loved isn't such a big deal."

A few hundred dirhams, however, would only translate to a handful of roses on February 14. While a rose costs an average of Dh5 on 364 days of the year, on February 14, the price doubles, triples, quadruples and more. A bunch of three roses from The Flower Shop costs Dh165, making it an average of Dh55 a rose.

But scouring the streets for a less expensive brand can lead to risky business. You may not find any stores that sell roses at the last minute, and those that do, may well be even more exorbitant than imagined. Stores such as Dubai Flowers sell personalised roses, printed with a choice of text and even an image of your loved one, all for the relatively modest cost of Dh410 per dozen.

According to statistics from Hallmark, more than 110 million roses are sold in America alone on Valentine's Day. As for Dubai, there are no figures available, but going by the speed with which flower shops empty out, we're guessing the figures could be high.

But let's move on from flowers. Surely, you're expected to do a lot more than just give her/him flowers. What about the perfunctory box of chocolates, teddy bears, gift hampers and jewellery?

"When you calculate everything that goes into the mix to create a perfect Valentine's Day, the costs add up to a fair bit," explains American expat Jonathan, who has been engaged to his fiancée for 11 months, following a two-year courtship. "It's our third Valentine now, and we're saving up for the wedding. We've got a budget of Dh500 between us and that's all we're going to spend."

Jonathan admits that in their earlier years together, he would go all out to make sure he'd done all he could to impress his girlfriend on Valentine's Day. "She'd get flowers worth at least Dh300, chocolates on which I'd spend another Dh200 or so, plus jewellery under Dh2,000, or an assortment of gifts equalling the same value. It's more than what I would spend on her birthday!"

Numbers speak

Compared to statistics from Hallmark, Jonathan spends nearly five times the amount here than he would were he back home in the US, where an average American will spend $119 (Dh435) on Valentine's Day, with men spending almost twice as much as women do.

Statistics from the Indian media show that Indians are estimated to account for nearly 10 per cent of global Valentine's Day sales. The consumer spending during the week leading to the D-day is estimated to touch a whopping $25-$27 billion (Dh92-Dh99 billion).

While for some just a card will do, others take Valentine's Day to commercial heights. "Everywhere I look I see ads for Valentine jewellery, personalised mementos or diamonds to last forever. I would never expect my partner to spend crazy amounts of money on me just because a brand somewhere has asked him to. But it's hard not to get my hopes up, or be at least a little bit disappointed when the latest Valentine heart in gold doesn't come my way.," says an Indian expat who wishes to remain anonymous.

True to her word, a quick look around revealed various offers from leading brands such as Cartier, Damas and Pure Gold.

Online adverts from Cartier challenge you: How far would you go for love? For those who succumb to this challenge, the cost of love may well be quite high. Cartier suggests a white gold ring from the Love collection and the trinity heart necklace with diamonds, amongst various other ideas. The cost? It's Cartier. Expect to pay top dirham for these invaluable keepsakes.

On a slightly lower end of the scale is Damas' new Valentine's collection featuring pendants inspired by the memorable ‘key to your heart' theme, with prices ranging from Dh1,390 to Dh1,490. "These key pendants have a lot of meaning attached to them as they indicate that the lady wears the key to her loved one's heart very close to her own," says Raj Sahai, Director Retail, Damas Jewellery. "This is a very romantic new collection and reflects the magic, intrigue and allure of true love."

With carefully crafted phrases such as these, it's no surprise that many are caught up in the commercial web of Valentine's.

Hotels ply clients and guests with e-mails declaring the only way to celebrate love is to wine and dine your Valentine at their often over-priced outlets.

The Rotana hotels promise that in exchange for your dirhams, you enter a draw to win a one-year holiday. The RIVA Beach Club on Palm Jumeirah charges Dh2,000 per couple for dinner, a bottle of premium bubbly and a dozen roses. Or to really go all out and prove she puts you on top of the world, take her to At.mosphere at the Burj Khalifa. Sure, she'll be impressed, and you'll be adored. But it will cost you Dh4,500 in the bargain.

"Since there are so many more affordable entertainment options in Dubai than back home in the UK, one tends to spend more on lots of little things which, eventually, add up to quite a bit," says Julie. "But then again love doesn't count notes. I'd be happy to spend or be spent on for Valentine's. We waste so much of our money all year around. Why not a bit more on this most special day of love?"

Chef from the heart

Learn how to make a perfect truffle or choose a special Valentine dish from Lafayette Gourmet and the chef will teach you how to cook one. Customers have until February 13 to enrol for truffle-making. It is also giving away a romantic dinner for two for the winner of the romantic note competition, where patrons are invited to share the most romantic love note they have ever received. Cooking class: Dh200; truffle making: Dh95. Call: 04-339 9933

Pop the question

Ladies who pop the question to the man of their dreams can get a complimentary engagement party at Ping Pong restaurant. Call: 04-339 9088

Diamonds forever

A lucky lady will walk away from The Talk at Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach with diamond jewellery worth Dh4,000 while two couples will win a weekend stay at the hotel. Call: 04-449 8888

Spa time

Ayana Wellness Boutique and Spa has lined up special offers throughout February. Offers include: Face treatment (12 sessions of endermolift, Dh2,650, - includes a complimentary session); body treatment (12 sessions of endermologie, Dh3,850 - includes a complimentary session); massage (Dh110); regular facial (Dh80); deep pore cleansing (Dh120). Call: 050-150 1998