Flower, jewelry sales, courthouse marriages rise on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is good for lovers’ hearts and local businesses’ pockets, too.

“We ordered a lot, a lot, a lot of flowers,” said Dick Moreman, owner of Golden Pantry Flowers.

The store has ordered 1,300 roses and 14 dozen tulips for the holiday.

“Well, it’s the busiest time for us,” he said. “Wednesday and (today) will be like a fire drill.”

Moreman said his shop started taking orders on Feb. 1. The last couple of days, people have been calling every five minutes, he said. The shop has five extra vans running, hired four part-time employees to take phones calls and has hired four extra flower designers.

Vince Swanson, of Swanson Diamonds, said his store does not see as much business on Valentine’s Day as other holidays such as Christmas, but still there is more business. Especially for what he calls “fad” jewelry.

On Valentine’s Day, people shop the trends, he said. For example, a hot-ticket item a couple of years ago was the three-stone past, present, future pendent. This year it is the journey pendent.

Local restaurants are also gearing up for the holiday.

Ariccia Italian Trattoria and Bar caters to couples for Valentine’s Day.

Only one table with two seats is left in the restaurant.

“We have two through four proposals every year,” said Hans van der Reijden, managing director of hotel operations and educational initiatives where the restaurant is located.

If couples want a ring on a flower or on a chocolate dome, he makes sure the jewelry gets to the right table, he said.

Valentine’s reservations are usually booked for dinner at Ariccia two to three weeks in advance.

Local businesses are not the only establishments which see an increase in romance-related traffic, so does the courthouse.

Probate Judge Bill English said he expects to see 15 to 20 people come by to get hitched Thursday.

That is up from the norm of one to two marriages a day.

For the increase in marriages, the girls in the office make the separate room for people to get married special. “We do a little decorating,” he said.

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