With the average wedding costing somewhere around $20,000 to $30,000 (depending on where you live), many couples are stuck choosing between taking on debt or taking off to elope. Add a troubled economy into the mix and some couples are finding it hard to get married at all.

Kingdom Shopping Centre decided to make the decision a little easier for one lucky couple. The shopping center is celebrating love this Valentine’s Day with a draw that will see one couple married at the mall. Having secured sponsorship from travel agencies, retailers, and an in-mall theatre and entertainment venue, Kingdom Shopping Centre will be offering the couple an all-expenses paid ceremony and reception package, as well as a honeymoon. This July, this winning couple will be wed while surrounded by friends, family, and likely a few curious shoppers.

Mall weddings are probably not news to our American readers, but it’s an opportunity yet to be tapped in many other markets. And everything is better when it’s free.

It’s tough to keep everyone happy on Valentine’s Day. Singles get prickly, and even couples are cooling on the holiday. In fact, according to Brand Key’s bi-annual Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index, the amount people in the US intend to spend this Valentines has dropped by 15%. Tough crowd.

But St. Stephen’s is doing its best to make Valentines fun for all of its grown-up shoppers. For starters, one lucky couple will recieve a romantic makeover and date thanks the UK shopping center. And couples will also enjoy salsa dancing lessons throughout the afternoon and evening of Valentine’s Day.

And St. Stephen’s hasn’t left out the singles. The evening will be closed out with a free, professionally-run speed dating event. So for shoppers willing to take a chance there might just be a shot at love. Or, at worst, a free drink and a few fresh conversations.

It seems like UK shopping center The Potteries is always coming up with great ideas. For this Valentine’s Day, the shopping center is partaking in a bit of romance, and a bit of family fun.

The first promotion is sweet and simple. Over the course of a week, shoppers can pick up and register numbered coins at customer service, and toss them into the center’s fountain. One lucky couple will have their coin plucked from the fountain, and they’ll be off for a romantic trip to Rome.

The second promotion is a bit more fun. Families of four can enter for a chance to compete in the Big Love-In Weekend. The 13 chosen families will compete to prove that they are the most romantic, and the family with the most points will win a family holiday to Disneyland Paris.

The Potteries relationship with the Stoke City Football Club has been a regular attraction for the mall, and its latest promotion is no exception.

The shopping center is offering one lucky child the chance to be the Stoke City FC mascot for a day. The winning child, and two adult guests, will enjoy a full-day event, with a tour of the stadium, a meet and greet with the players, a photo in the day’s programme, a meal with the mascots, and a chance to get out on the pitch.

Just another great example of a shopping center using its connections well.

Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet created its own solution to the credit crunch blues this holiday season.

The UK outlet launched Britain’s Biggest Christmas Tree. At 94 feet high, the tree dwarfs many of Mother Nature’s creations, and makes for a mighty attraction. As a point of reference, the famous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Square is 74 feet tall this year.

Of course, this giant is artificial, but it makes for an impressive sight none the less, with 100,000 lights and 80,000 baubles. And shoppers love it. Despite generally gloomy forecasts this season, visitors to the outlet are up an average of 12% compared with last year’s numbers. Clearly a bit of novelty goes a long way.